The contribution of botanic gardens to ex situ conservation through seed banking

Target 8 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation calls for 'at least 75 per cent of threatened plant species in ex situ collections, preferably in the country of origin, and at least 20 per cent available for recovery and restoration programmes by 2020'.Botanic gardens make a significant contribution to ex situ conservation of wild species with more than a third of plant species represented in botanic gardens collections. These collections are a combination of living collection and seed banked material. Seed banking can provide an efficient form of conservation for wild plant genetic diversity.Information from Botanic Gardens Conservation International's(BGCI) databases(GardenSearch,PlantSearch, ThreatSearch and GlobalTreeSearch) has been analysed as well as survey data to report on global, regional and national seed banking trends.Information from BGCI's databases indicates that there are at least 350 seed banking botanic gardens in 74 countries. In total 56,987 taxa have been banked including more than 9000 taxa that are threatened with extinction. 6881 tree species are stored in ex situ seed bank collections. More than half(3562) of these tree species are single country endemics and represent species from more than 166 countries.This study suggests that institutions are increasingly conserving plant species via seed banking.However the majority of species in collections that have a conservation assessment are not threatened with extinction. This disjunction between species that are threatened and those conserved in seed banks needs to be addressed. Data from BGCI's databases can be used to enable prioritisation of threatened plant species for collection and conservation in seed banks. Further recommendations for botanic gardens involved in seed conservation are presented.

In-situ Protection Management and Conservation Study of Some Medicinal Plants

In-situ study on eleven commercially important species viz; Adiantum capillus-veneris L, Bergenia ciliata (Haw) Sternb, Colchicum luteum Baker, Polygonum amplexicaule D.Den, Cuminum cyminum L, Dioscorea deltoidea Wall Kunth,L Morchella esculenta L, Paeonia emodi Wall ex H Kf, Podophyllum hexandrum (Royle) Chatt & Mukh, Valeriana wallichii DC and Viola serpens Wall ex Roxb was conducted in four locations viz; Malam (1 400 to 2 000?m),Bargin (1 700 to 2 300?m),Biakand (1 500 to 2 100?m) and Shinko (2 100 to 2 700?m).The data was recorded from both protected and unprotected sites of each site.Each site had 3 altitudinal sampling point.The density, herbage coverage and fresh biomass were determined in each locations for every species.All the investigated parameters generally showed an increase of 3 to 6 times over unprotected sites in each locations. Morchella esculenta,Dioscorea deltoidea,Colchicum luteum and Podophyllum hexandrum were absent in all unprotected sites while other species had low values in these sites.The investigated parameters of Colchicum luteum,Bergenia ciliata,Paeonioa emodi,Dioscorea deltoidea and Podophyllum hexandrum generally increased with the increasing elevation.Soil analysis,soil and air temperatures were recorded for each site.The air and soil temperature were slightly higher in open areas than in the protected site and showed decrease with increasing elevation.While the soil fertility was relatively high in protected sites as compared to unprotected area.The study shows that protection promotes the growth, distribution and occurrence of medicinal plants.It is possible with the participation of local communities to conserve these resources.

<i>In Situ</i>Conservation of Wild Rice Populations: A Targeted Study of Common Wild Rice <i>Oryza rufipogon</i>from China

Although great accomplishments of in situ conservation have been made during the last decade throughout the world, there is an urgent need to conduct more targeted research to explore many basic questions about crop wild relatives (CWR) in situ conservation such as how to better identify and manage the target in situ conservation populations of CWR. In this study, we performed an extensive field investigation of 201 natural populations or habitats of O. rufipogon, a seriously endangered wild progenitor of cultivated rice in China. Our updated information suggests that: 1) the majority of the natural populations have been extinct throughout China, which leads to serious fragmentation of the population system as a whole;and 2) the survived populations have become small in size and thus fragmented within the population as a result of the loss of subpopulations. To assess the relationships between the biodiversity education and conservation of wild rice, we employed participatory approaches in the field investigation. Our data indicate that the continuous rapid decline of biodiversity education seemed closely related to the extinction of wild rice germplasm. These findings imply the potential necessity and huge challenge for making in situ conservation plans in the future. By means of our understanding of ecogeography, sociology and culture, and population genetics of the species, we propose a strategy for selecting in situ conservation locations as well as priority sites for establishing in situ conservation practices in China.

Complementarities of two existing intermediate conservation approaches

The need for integration of ex situ and in situ approaches in conservation of plants has long been recognized. However, ex situ collections have numerous limitations that reduce their utility for conservation, necessitating the introduction of new, more appropriate, flexible and less costly approaches.Two new approaches that can be called "intermediate" between in situ and ex situ, and bridging them in some way have been proposed over the last two decades. In these approaches material collected in natural populations is planted and maintained outside the original location, but with a different purpose.While the purpose of the inter situs approach is reintroduction, the concern of the quasi in situ approach is long-term storage of species genetic diversity. I view these two approaches as complementary and necessary components of conservation-oriented restoration. In restoration of a degraded habitat using threatened species(i.e. inter situs), quasi in situ collections can serve an important role in providing longterm preservation of these species' genetic diversity and production of seeds needed for restoration.

Orchid conservation in China from 2000 to 2020:Achievements and perspectives

We review achievements in the conservation of orchid diversity in China over the last 21 years.We provide updated information on orchid biodiversity and suggestions for orchid conservation in China.We outline national policies of biodiversity conservation,especially of orchid conservation,which provide general guidelines for orchid conservation in China.There are now approximately 1708 known species of Orchidaceae in 181 genera in China,including five new genera and 365 new species described over the last 21 years.The assessment of risk of extinction of all 1502 known native orchid species in China in 2013 indicated that 653 species were identified as threatened,132 species were treated as data-deficient,and four species endemic to China were classified as extinct.Approximately 1100 species(ca.65%)are protected in national nature reserves,and another~66 species in provincial nature reserves.About 800 native orchid species have living collections in major botanical gardens.The pollination biology of 74 native orchid species and the genetic diversity and spatial genetic structure of 29 orchid species have been investigated at a local scale and/or across species distributions.The mycorrhizal fungal community composition has been investigated in many genera,such as Bletilla,Coelogyne,Cymbidium,Cypripedium,and Dendrobium.Approximately 292 species will be included in the list of national key protected wild plants this year.Two major tasks for near future include in situ conservation and monitoring population dynamics of endangered species.

Genetic diversity of the endangered species Rosa rugosa Thunb.in China and implications for conservation strategies

Rosa rugosa Thunb. is one of the dominant and important shrub species in estuary dunes and shingle beaches of northern China. However, its area of distribution, the number of populations, and the size of each population have decreased rapidly in the past two decades because of habitat degradation and loss. Random amplified polymorphic DNA markers were used to determine the genetic diversity of four remaining large natural populations of R. rugosa and to discuss an effective conservation strategy for this endangered species in China. High genetic variations were detected in R. rugosa populations in China. The mean percentage of polymorphic loci （P%） within four local populations was 57.99%, with the P% of the total population being 75.30%. Mean Shannon＇s information index （H0） was 0.2826, whereas total Ho was 0.3513. The genetic differentiation among populations was 0.1878, which indicates that most genetic diversity occurs within populations. Population Tumenjiang （TMJ） showed the highest genetic diversity （P% = 66.27%; H0 = 0.3117） and contained two exclusive bands. Population Changshandao （CSD） showed higher genetic diversity （P% =59.04%; H0 = 0.3065）. Populations TMJ and CSD contained 95.33% and 99.33%, respectively, of loci with moderate to high frequency （P〉0.05） of the total population. These results indicate that populations TMJ and CSD should be given priority for in situ conservation and regarded as seed or propagule sources for ex situ conservation. The results of the present study also suggest that R. rugosa in China has become endangered as a result of human actions rather than genetic depression of populations; thus, human interference should be absolutely forbidden in R. rugosa habitats.

Conservation utility of botanic garden living collections:Setting a strategy and appropriate methodology

In the realities of the modern world, when the natural habitat is rapidly disappearing and the number of imperiled plants is constantly growing, ex situ conservation is gaining importance. To meet this challenge, botanic gardens need to revise both their strategic goals and their methodologies to achieve the new goals. This paper proposes a strategy for the management of threatened plants in living collections,which includes setting regional conservation priorities for the species, creation of genetically representative collections for the high priority species, and usage of these collections in in situ actions. In this strategy, the value of existing and future species living collections for conservation is determined by the species' conservation status and how well the accessions represent their natural genetic variation.

Evaluating germinability of eight desert halophytes under long-term seed storage: Implications for conservation

Ex situ conservation in seed banks is a potential complementary conservation strategy for native plant species.It is well established that ex situ seed banking of native wild plants prolongs seed viability and thereby preserves genetic and species diversity for future use.We evaluated ex situ storage potential of eight halophytic species from deserts in the United Arab Emirates(UAE)by studying seed germination.Specifically,we examined the germinability of freshly collected seeds and seeds stored for three years in a seed bank.We also examined the effect of light conditions on fresh and stored seed germination.Fresh seeds of seven of the eight species tested had a higher germination rates under 12/12 h light/dark fluctuations than did those exposed to total darkness.Storage reduced light sensitivity in Halocnemum strobilaceum,Suaeda aegyptiaca,Salsola drummondii and Salsola imbricata,but increased the requirement for light in Arthrocnemum macrostachyum.In Anabasis setifera,storage decreased germination percentage when there was a 12-hour light/dark fluctuation,but increased germination rate when exposed to the dark treatment.Storage significantly reduced germination in both the light/dark and dark treatments in Suaeda vermiculata and S.aegyptiaca.Germination speed also responded differently to storage;whereas Timson's index significantly increased in A.macrostachyum and H.strobilaceum,it significantly decreased for S.drummondii,S.aegyptiaca and S.vermiculata.Germination of these species at a range of temperatures requires further testing;additionally,we strongly suggest that these laboratory findings be complemented by field studies.

Conservation of endangered animals: From biotechnologies to digital preservation

In the recent years, the number of endangered animals, both referred to livestock and wild species, has grown enormously. The “livestock” term refers to animals domesticated for producing commodities for man such as food, fiber and draught. Livestock biodiversity is integral to our culture, history, environment, and economy. Thousands of livestock breeds have evolved over time to suit particular environments and farming systems. Conservation and analyses of these genetic resources rely on demographic characterization and correct breeding schemes. In addition, molecular genetic studies allow to identify and monitor the genetic diversity within and across breeds and to reconstruct their evolution history. The conservation of livestock variability is also a crucial element in order to preserve and valorise specific nutritional and nutraceutical properties of animal products. Efficient ex situ and in situ conservation strategies, as well as the creation of bio-banks and specific biotechnological and bioinformatics tools for genetic analyses and digital preservation, are obligatory requirements in order to implement an appropriate action for the conservation of animal biodiversity. The main issues concerning different species are summarised, with particular reference to the livestock biodiversity still existing. Some examples of ex situ conservation strategies, which mainly refer to cryoconservation of semen, ova, embryos or tissues, developed in Italy, are presented, and the different actions in defense of Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR) developed within the European Community are illustrated. Interestingly, the same strategies for biological and digital analyses and preservation of livestock biodiversity can be exported to wild endangered animals in order to plan a correct conservation and repopulation of the species. Furthermore, the European Union has set up the guidelines to safeguard the biodiversity and to combat the extinction of animal species, and has made the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems one of the main objectives of the Sixth Environment Action Programme.

Palm Forest Landscape in Castillos (Rocha, Uruguay): Contributions to the Design of a Conservation Area

Butia palm forests are considered unique due to their aesthetic value, high biodiversity level and historical, archaeological and cultural value. The lack of regeneration of butia palms caused by cattle overgrazing and natural grasslands replacement by agriculture endangers these palm forests. The aim of this work is to provide information for the proposal of a conservation area in this rural landscape within the framework of sustainable development. This work was developed within the context of a Geographic Information System with thematic information on palm forest density levels, soils, land use aptitude and rural registers. Field surveys were conducted to record the presence of plant species and genetic resources in different vegetation units. The main category of soil cover was natural grasslands, followed by native forests, wetlands and palm forests. Palm forests grow mainly on soil units with poor to rather poor drainage and on arable or non-arable lands under special conditions. We identified 212 farms where the palm forest is found, a high diversity of vegetation units, the presence of 302 native taxa of plants and a significant number of plant genetic resources for various uses. For the designation of a conservation area, we propose 20 priority farms that will ensure that palm forests are well represented regarding ecosystem diversity. We consider the creation of a Protected Landscape, a State Park or a GIAHS to be the best alternatives so as to protect this unique multifunctional landscape.

The Alpine Seed Conservation and Research Network–a new initiative to conserve valuable plant species in the European Alps

Safeguarding plants as seeds in ex situ collections is a cost effective element in an integrated plant conservation approach. The European Alps are a regional centre of plant diversity. Six institutions have established a regional network covering the European Alps which will conserve at least 500 priority plant species and which will improve the conservation status of plant species in grassland communities in the subalpine, alpine and nival altitudinal belts. Targeted research will expand the knowledge of the ecology of target speeies. Public engagement activities will raise the awareness for the importance of specific conservation actions in the European Alps.

Linking Local Appreciation with Conservation of an Edible Fruit Species: The Case Study of Ilama (<i>Annona diversifolia</i>Saff.) in Tierra Caliente, Mexico

The ilama tree (Annona diversifolia Saff.) is an underutilized fruit species from Mesoamerica with a noteworthy variability in southern Mexico. The present study describes differences in knowledge and appreciation of the fruit among inhabitants from different communities in Southern Mexico, as well as differences among their ilama trees. The study took place in Tierra Caliente, a region located in the states of Guerrero and the State of Mexico. Interviews were administered in three different communities as an attempt to associate the natural morphologic variation of plants and locals’ knowledge and use of the tree in order to identify their implications for conservation. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis, and the results suggest that the morphological variation of the plants and the commercial importance of ilama are well known by locals. Indigenous community inhabitants prefer and select only white pulp trees, whereas mestizo communities promote and conserve plants with white, red, purple, and blue pulp. Germplasm flow is dynamic in the region, and ilama fruit represents a different economic value for each community. Selling the fruit is the primary goal, but not specifically its conservation and promotion. Implications for in situ conservation of ilama in Mexico are discussed.

Genotyping ex situ trees of Abies nebrodensis translocated from the original Sicilian population to enrich the gene pool

As a dynamic ex situ conservation strategy,a clonal seed orchard was started in a nursery in Pomaio(POM)in central Italy in 1993 for an assisted migration experiment of Abies nebrodensis(Lojac.)Mattei.Two artifi cial ex situ populations were planted with this gene pool:a seedling arboretum in Pieve Santo Stefano(PSS)and a small dendrological collection in Papiano(PAP),both originating from the Sicilian relict population.Here,using AFLP markers,we estimated the relatedness among the relocated genotypes of the three collections to check whether the three collections had suffi cient genetic variability to be considered as additional sources of variability to the original gene pool for the assisted migration strategy.High individual genetic variability was found in the collections;each plant had a diff erent genotype and was confi rmed to belong to its population of origin.PAP and PSS trees were shown to be only from the original population of A.nebrodensis species and were derived from a limited set of maternal fertile genotypes.Based on the Sicilian fi r population inventory,nursery production in Sicily,and structure clustering analysis,close genetic relationships among POM,PAP and several PSS trees(1–35)were evident.Similarly,the PSS group(36–78)was genetically close to tree 1 of POM and in a lesser proportion to plants 7 and 9 of POM.The sampling of seedlings used to form batches in the nursery might have infl uenced the structure of the resultant plantations.All genotypes will be useful for enriching the original gene pool.

国家公园和国家植物园的自然教育

国家公园和国家植物园分别是开展就地保护和迁地保护的重要机构,国家公园和国家植物园可以开展基于保护的科学研究、资源利用和自然教育,国家公园和国家植物园的自然保护也可以促进保护、科学研究和资源利用工作。国家公园和国家植物园基于整合保护的自然教育,是公益性的体现,也为保护等其他功能的实现提供基础条件。国家公园和国家植物园需要形成以生物多样性保护为主题的自然教育的知识传播、科学精神、科学文化和科学探究体系,将植物文化与科学文化、民族文化、时代精神深度融合,探索高端保护和科研资源科普化的自然教育新模式,在自然教育中有效渗透科学教育,促进受众的价值观从“人类中心主义”向“生态整体主义”转变,为履行昆明-蒙特利尔生物多样性框架以及建设人与自然和谐共生现代化的生物多样性保护、恢复和利用以及自然教育发挥重要作用。

不同植被维护措施对三星堆遗址城墙草本植物群落物种多样性与生物量的影响

为了解三星堆遗址城墙植被分布和恢复现状,本研究以三星堆遗址城墙草本植物群落为重点,评估自然更新、种植、弃耕、灌木去除、修剪五种维护措施对其物种多样性和生物量的影响。结果显示,研究区共记录草本植物40科81属103种,各样地类型均以多年生草本植物为主,重要值较大的科为菊科和禾本科。总体来看,灌木去除样地的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Simpson优势度指数、物种丰富度指数和Pielou均匀度指数最高,而种植样地最低;对照样地、弃耕样地、灌木去除样地、修剪样地的4种多样性指数无显著差异。种植样地的地上生物量、地下生物量和总生物量最大,其次是对照样地,弃耕样地最小。所有样地的根分层生物量均随土层深度的增加而减少,在0—20 cm土层中,种植样地的根生物量最大,而修剪样地的根系生物量最低。在20—40 cm土层中,弃耕样地的根系生物量显著高于其余样地(P<0.05),在10—20 cm、40—60 cm土层中,各类型样地的根生物量均无显著差异(P>0.05)。草本植物的地上、地下和总生物量与Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Simpson优势度指数和Pielou均匀度指数均呈极显著负相关(P<0.01),而与物种丰富度指数相关性不显著(P>0.05)。综上,以自然更新为主并辅以针对性干预措施(如灌木去除和修剪)的原生境保护措施,同时控制地上地下生物量的比例,减缓其根系劈裂、生物风化等破坏作用,促进物种多样性和生物量稳定在最有利于遗址保护展示的范围。

基于遗传多样性匮乏的绿孔雀人工孵化策略

随着栖息地的急剧退缩,绿孔雀野生种群数量锐减,预期仍呈负面趋势。开展圈养繁殖,建立人工种群用于再引入(或放归)作为绿孔雀就地保护的补充措施逐渐得到认同。利用机器进行人工孵化是建立绿孔雀人工种群的重要途径。由于遗传多样性匮乏,影响了繁殖适合度,绿孔雀繁殖力及卵孵化力弱,出雏率低。基于这一现实,为快速建立并扩大人工种群,重点探索绿孔雀人工孵化策略,包括及时收集和处理卵,及时入孵,充分翻卵等,在充分利用当前珍贵的种质资源探索最佳孵化温湿度的同时,尽量避免人工孵化过程中的不当操作造成的额外损失,提高出雏率。

青藏高原东北缘濒危马麝迁地保育种群繁殖成效与社会性和社会网络的关系

麝类驯养是濒危马麝(Moschus chrysogaster)迁地保育及保障药用麝香安全的重要方式,其前提和基础是深入了解制约迁地保育马麝繁殖成效的关键因素及与社会性和社会网络特征的关系。于2022年7月1日—8月31日期间,采用焦点取样和所有事件记录法对位于青藏高原东北缘的甘肃平凉马麝繁育中心的21头成年雌麝进行了社会性行为取样,辅以同期粪样类固醇代谢物水平检测,分析了马麝的繁殖成效与社会性、社会网络及粪样类固醇激素水平的关系。结果显示,马麝的社会性与繁殖成效间呈显著相关(r=0.551,P<0.05),与粪样皮质醇代谢物水平呈显著负相关(r=-0.437,P<0.05),与粪样雌二醇代谢物浓度相关不显著(r=0.066,P>0.05);强社会性马麝的皮质醇水平((10.75±0.99)ng/g)和雌二醇代谢物水平((6.61±0.79)ng/g)与弱社会性马麝((13.70±1.68,5.20±0.99)ng/g)无显著差异(P>0.05);繁殖成功雌麝的社会性(19.86±1.88)%)显著高于繁殖失败雌麝(12.38±1.46)%)(P<0.05);圈群社会网络密度与圈群个体的繁殖成效相关显著(r=0.762,P<0.05),与粪样皮质醇、雌二醇代谢物浓度相关不显著(r=-0.355,P>0.05;r=-0.347,P>0.05);繁殖成功雌麝的粪样皮质醇代谢物浓度((10.31±0.86)ng/g)略低于繁殖失败雌麝((13.98±1.60)ng/g)(r=-0.420,P=0.058),繁殖成功雌麝的粪样雌二醇代谢物浓度((6.63±0.90)ng/g)与繁殖失败雌麝((4.78±0.76)ng/g)无显著相关(r=0.299,P>0.05)。本研究结果表明,在群居性的迁地保育和驯养环境下,雌性马麝的社会性、社会网络属性可以预测个体的繁殖成效,即社会性和社会网络密度较高圈群中的雌麝的繁殖成效相对较高。濒危马麝保育和驯养实践中,可区分麝类驯养为“保育性驯养”和“商业性驯养”。在保育性驯养中,可采用先群居再独居驯养的模式,尽量保持野外放归马麝的自然行为结构;在商业性养殖中,可采用群居驯养模式,提升驯养麝的社会性,实现较高的繁殖成效和驯养生产力。

生态文明研究方法论:变焦与在场

“生态文明”已经成为一个学术热词,这既是好事也值得警惕。人文学者从事生态文明、生物多样性研究,通常视角较为单一,两手干干净净,只是坐而论道。从方法论上看,对于前者,需要考虑“变焦方法”,即在不同的尺度上考察问题。对于后者,人文学者宜深入实际,先弄脏自己,多进行“在场哲学”研究。中国有一系列值得关注的生态、环境、生物多样性破坏案例,人文学者可对其进行有益的分析。“迁地保护”事件依然值得追踪,它是科学界、园艺界长期惯性思维的一个突出表现。

古槐迁地保护移植关键技术及复壮研究

古树保护性移植是一项综合性、系统性的工程,其移植技术含量高,操作难度大,各工作环节都要严格遵循正确的操作技术流程。总结了2022年12月中旬至2023年1月中旬对北京市东城区两株古槐Sophora japonica移植前的现场调研、人员和材料准备、树木雷达波探根、应力波枝干空洞检测、新型井字形工字钢托架吊运以及移植后复壮等关键技术要点,保证了古槐移植的成活及施工安全。结果表明,移植前的充分准备、先进诊断技术及可操作性强的施工工艺,是保证古槐移植成功的关键,为古树依法迁地保护提供重要的技术参考。

植物园迁地保护环境下纹瓣兰的繁殖生物学研究

深入了解濒危物种的繁殖特性,能为物种制定有效保护策略提供科学依据。于2022和2023年对中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园迁地保存的纹瓣兰(Cymbidium aloifolium)的繁殖生物学特征进行了观察和研究,主要包括开花物候、繁育系统、花部形态特征、昆虫传粉特征以及花的挥发性成分等。结果表明,纹瓣兰的盛花期在4月中旬,单花花期7 d;群体花期约为36d。花粉活力在开花第1天时最高,约为47.15%,之后呈下降趋势。柱头在整个单花期一直具可授性,开花第2天可授性最强。人工授粉实验表明纹瓣兰自交亲和,不存在无融合生殖和自动自花授粉,繁育系统属于兼性异交繁育并依赖传粉者,自然结实率较低为6.9%。唇瓣的先端和基部的表皮细胞分别为锥形和指状突起,基部的指状突起细胞外附着有油脂颗粒,可能是传粉者的报酬。药帽黄色,其表皮细胞为锥形细胞,能够反射光线,可能起到吸引昆虫的作用,中华蜜蜂(Apis cerana)是纹瓣兰唯一的有效传粉昆虫。纹瓣兰的挥发性气味中(E)-乙酸-2-癸烯-1-醇酯含量最高。因此,纹瓣兰的花部结构与传粉昆虫具有显著的适应性。