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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » National Clonal Germplasm Repository » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #262939
Title: Biodiversity Conservation and Conservation Biotechnology Tools

Author
item Reed, Barbara
item SARASAN, VISWAMBHARAN - Royal Botanical Gardens
item KANE, MICHAEL - University Of Florida
item BUNN, ERIC - University Of Western Australia
item PENCE, VALERIE - Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Submitted to: In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology - Plants
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/19/2010
Publication Date: 1/20/2011
Citation: Reed, B.M., Sarasan, V., Kane, M., Bunn, E., Pence, V.C. 2011. Biodiversity Conservation and Conservation Biotechnology Tools. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology - Plants. 47:1-4.

Interpretive Summary: This special issue is dedicated to tissue culture tools and methods used to conserve rare and threatened species from around the world. Species that are on the brink of extinction come mainly from resource poor areas the world and from Global Biodiversity Hotspots (GBHs) and island countries. These species are unique because often only a few populations or a few individuals remain in the wild. The editors of this invited issue solicited papers from experts from Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, North and South America. These articles describe the worldwide efforts toward saving plants from extinction, and the direct application of tissue culture and long-term storage methods. These contributions provide guidance on propagation of rare plants and techniques to make them available in larger numbers for propagation, storage, reintroduction or translocation. Research groups from botanic gardens, universities and institutes with a conservation mandate describe the use of these plants for recovery, storage, sustainable utilization and restoration . In vitro techniques for conserving plant biodiversity include traditional micropropagation, somatic embryogenesis, cell culture technologies and embryo rescue techniques as well as a range of in vitro cold storage and cryopreservation protocols, and these are the tools that are discussed in depth in this issue of In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology - Plant.

Technical Abstract: This special issue is dedicated to the in vitro tools and methods used to conserve the genetic diversity of rare and threatened species from around the world. Species that are on the brink of extinction, due to the rapid loss of genetic diversity and habitat, come mainly from resource poor areas the world and from Global Biodiversity Hotspots (GBHs) and island countries. These species are unique because they are endemic and only a few populations or sometimes only a few individuals remain in the wild. Therefore, the challenges to support conservation by in vitro measures are many and varied. The editors of this invited issue solicited papers from experts from Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, North and South America. This compilation of articles describes the efforts in these diverse regions toward saving plants from extinction, and details the direct application of in vitro and cryopreservation methods. In addition these contributions provide guidance on propagation of rare plants and techniques to make them available in larger numbers for propagation, storage, reintroduction or translocation. Research groups from botanic gardens, universities and institutes with a conservation mandate describe the use of these propagules for recovery, storage, sustainable utilization and restoration in depth. In vitro techniques for conserving plant biodiversity include traditional micropropagation, somatic embryogenesis, cell culture technologies and embryo rescue techniques as well as a range of in vitro cold storage and cryopreservation protocols, and these are the tools that are discussed in depth in this issue of In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology - Plant.