Plant Diversity Conservation Challenges and Prospects-The Perspective of Botanic Gardens and the Millennium Seed Bank.

Suzanne Sharrock,Christopher Cockel,Elena Castillo-Lorenzo,Daniel Ballesteros,Tiziana Ulian,Samuel Pironon,Catherine A. Offord,John Dickie,Aisyah Faruk,Katherine O’Donnell,Elinor Breman

doi:10.3390/plants10112371

Abstract

There is a pressing need to conserve plant diversity to prevent extinctions and to enable sustainable use of plant material by current and future generations. Here, we review the contribution that living collections and seed banks based in botanic gardens around the world make to wild plant conservation and to tackling global challenges. We focus in particular on the work of Botanic Gardens Conservation International and the Millennium Seed Bank of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, with its associated global Partnership. The advantages and limitations of conservation of plant diversity as both living material and seed collections are reviewed, and the need for additional research and conservation measures, such as cryopreservation, to enable the long-term conservation of ‘exceptional species’ is discussed. We highlight the importance of networks and sharing access to data and plant material. The skill sets found within botanic gardens and seed banks complement each other and enable the development of integrated conservation (linking in situ and ex situ efforts). Using a number of case studies we demonstrate how botanic gardens and seed banks support integrated conservation and research for agriculture and food security, restoration and reforestation, as well as supporting local livelihoods.

Highlights

Introduction published maps and institutional affilWe are living in a time of unprecedented change
We focus on the challenges and prospects facing the long-term conservation of plant diversity in botanic gardens’ living collections and seed banks
While many types of seed banks exist, for the purposes of this review we are focusing on those banking seeds collected from wild plant populations for long-term conservation, using the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) and its global partnership, the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership (MSBP), together with other seed banks in the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) network as our examples

Summary

Botanic Gardens

The practice of cultivating plants in specialised gardens has been around for thousands of years. As well as promoting the conservation value of living collections through the metacollection approach, in recent years BGCI has been active in supporting and encouraging the establishment of seed banks in botanic gardens as a complement to living collections to ensure the long-term conservation of native plant diversity. Such initiatives include the Global Seed Conservation Challenge (described below), training and capacity building activities and the provision of small grants for seed banking. The on-going development of an accession-level module as part of the PlantSearch database is aimed at supporting a more cost-effective and coordinated approach to the conservation of threatened species across the botanic garden community

Seed Banks

Botanic Garden Seed Banks

The Millennium Seed Bank

Challenges and Prospects

Geographic and Taxonomic Biases in Collections

Cryopreserved Plant Collections

The Importance of Networks

Data Management and Access

The Importance and Challenges of Material Sharing

Integrated Conservation

Agrobiodiversity—Contribution to Global Food Security

Supporting Food Security and Livelihoods