Current studentsExisting staffContact us
 

Saving rainforests in the South Pacific: challenges in ex situ conservation

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorSommerville, K.D.
dc.contributor.authorClarke, B.
dc.contributor.authorKeppel, G.
dc.contributor.authorMcGill, C.
dc.contributor.authorNewby, Z.J.
dc.contributor.authorWyse, S.V.
dc.contributor.authorJames, S.A.
dc.contributor.authorOfford, C.A.
dc.date.issued2017
dc.description.abstractRainforests in the South Pacific hold a considerable amount of plant diversity, with rates of species endemism > 80% in some countries. This diversity is rapidly disappearing under pressure from logging, clearing for agriculture or mining, introduced pests and diseases and other anthropogenic sources. Ex situ conservation techniques offer a means to limit the loss of plant diversity. Seed banking is considered the most efficient and cost effective of these techniques but is applicable only to seed capable of tolerating desiccation and cold storage. Data on the degree of tolerance of these conditions was lacking for more than half of the 1503 South Pacific rainforest genera examined for this review. Of the 710 genera for which data were available, the storage behaviour of 324 was based on an assessment of only one or two species, although 76% of those genera contained at least 10 species. Many of the unstudied or poorly studied genera are shared across several South Pacific nations, providing an excellent opportunity for collaboration on future ex situ research and conservation. Of the 386 genera for which three or more species have been studied, 343 have a very high proportion of species ( > 95% of those tested) that are suitable for seed banking. Seed banking could therefore provide a suitable means for preserving a large proportion of the rainforest flora before it becomes extinct in the wild. Alternatives for preserving species that are not suitable for seed banking are also discussed.
dc.identifier.citationAustralian Journal of Botany, 2017; 65(8):609-624
dc.identifier.doi10.1071/BT17096
dc.identifier.issn0067-1924
dc.identifier.issn1444-9862
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/11541.2/131144
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherCSIRO Publishing
dc.relation.fundingRainforest Conservation Project Arcadia Fund
dc.relation.fundingGreatorex Foundation
dc.relation.fundingHSBC Bank
dc.relation.fundingAlexander von Humboldt Foundation
dc.rightsCopyright 2017 CSIRO. Open Access CC BY-NC-ND
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1071/BT17096
dc.subjectcryopreservation
dc.subjectliving collections
dc.subjectorthodox
dc.subjectrecalcitrant
dc.subjectrestoration
dc.subjectseed banking
dc.subjectseed storage behaviour
dc.subjecttissue culture
dc.titleSaving rainforests in the South Pacific: challenges in ex situ conservation
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished
ror.fileinfo12153799080001831 13153808990001831 BT17096.pdf
ror.mmsid9916177311101831

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
9916177311101831_12153799080001831_BT17096.pdf
Size:
1.5 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Published version
Download

Collections