Diversity and volume of international trade in Old World pitcher plants

In global trade analyses, plants are neglected in comparison to animals. Controlling and monitoring international trade in threatened species contributes to their overall conservation. Here, an in-depth look at the dynamics of the international trade in attractive and widely traded carnivorous Old World pitcher plants (Nepenthes spp.) from their first appearance in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) Trade Database in 1983 until 2017 is presented. The current trade of Nepenthes is rapidly growing in terms of the total volume traded and the number of both species and importing countries. Most of pitcher plants are globally traded as artificially propagated live plants. The share of wild-originated live plants was only 0.09%. Hybrids and Nepenthes spp. dominated the trade, representing 61 and 15% of the total traded volume respectively, followed by N. alata and N. mirabilis. The latter species was also the most traded species from the wild. Sri Lanka is a hotspot, exporting the highest volume and number of species of live pitcher plants. Monitoring of the trade is complicated by (1) the absence of a permit obligation for seeds, seedlings and in vitro cultures, and (2) the outdated list of valid species in the CITES Checklist. Using a holistic approach with a focus on the permanent monitoring, recording and assessing of international trade is desirable.