Gap analysis of exceptional species—Using a global list of exceptional plants to expand strategic ex situ conservation action beyond conventional seed banking

Pence, Valerie C.; Bruns, Emily Beckman; Meyer, Abby; Pritchard, Hugh W.; Westwood, Murphy; Linsky, Jean; Gratzfeld, Joachim; Helm-Wallace, Sara; Liu, Udayangani; Rivers, Malin; Beech, Emily

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109439

Cited by 14 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The goal of securing 75% of the world's threatened species in ex situ conservation, set by the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation [9], will not be achieved without workable and cost-effective methods of cryopreservation of seeds and tissues of a wide variety of species from diverse habitats. While our analysis of the plant cryopreservation literature at the level of genus could not be aligned directly with threat status, other studies have shown that more than a quarter of identified exceptional species are known to be threatened, and these will be numbered in the thousands [10,17]. To meet this challenge, the question will be, can cryobanking of wild threatened species be scaled up in a way that mirrors the major seed banking efforts?…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Cryopreservation will be an essential tool for the ex situ conservation of tissues from exceptional plants [30]. This study aligned almost 1800 articles dealing with plant cryopreservation downloaded from Web of Science with the List of Exceptional Plants (775 species) [17] to investigate areas where cryopreservation research has been concentrated and to identify gaps where work on exceptional plants should be prioritized. The Working List of Exceptional Plants resulted from an evaluation of exceptional status of over 23,000 species and is available online (https://cincinnatizoo.org/global-list-of-threatened-exceptional-plants/, accessed 31 May 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite their potential, only 9% and 2% of the cryopreservation literature dealt with embryo or dormant bud cryopreservation, respectively. These methods might be particularly adaptable for recalcitrant species, which currently comprise 50% of the List of Exceptional Plants [17] and should be the focus of increased research.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With the estimation that 40% of plant species are threatened [16], the number of exceptional species that could benefit from cryopreservation efforts is projected to be more than 10,000. However, a recent analysis indicated that cryopreservation is underutilized as a tool for conserving exceptional plants [17], with only 1% of identified exceptional species reported as being held in cryo-collections. There is, thus, a critical need for efforts to increase its use.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a first step in understanding these needs more specifically, an analysis of the current literature available on the cryopreservation of exceptional plants was made. Although the identity of all the species projected to be exceptional is not known, this analysis used a recently published Global Working List of Exceptional Plants, consisting of 775 identified exceptional species [17] as a starting point. That list categorizes exceptional species by the reason for their exceptionality, known as a species' exceptionality factor, or EF, which can help identify the conservation approaches that will be the most efficient and capture the most genetic diversity for that species (Figure 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Tip of the Iceberg: Cryopreservation Needs for Meeting the Challenge of Exceptional Plant Conservation

Pence

Bruns

2022

Plants

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Cryopreservation is increasingly important as a conservation tool, particularly for threatened exceptional species. The goal of this study was to investigate the current knowledge of plant cryopreservation through a search of the literature in Web of Science and align that with the 775 species currently identified on the Working List of Exceptional Plants. While there is a good foundation in plant cryopreservation research, particularly with economically important species, there are significant gaps in research on families that contain the largest numbers of currently known exceptional species, including the Dipterocarpaceae, Rhizophoraceae, and Pittosporaceae. Even families well represented in both in the literature and on the List of Exceptional Plants had much less overlap at the level of genus. Tropical trees, a significant portion of exceptional species, were not as well represented in the literature as herbaceous species. Over 70% of all articles dealt with in vitro cryopreservation, with much less emphasis on other methods (seed, embryo, dormant bud, and pollen) that will be more cost-effective for species where they can be applied. While the research on plant cryopreservation to date provides a strong foundation and is being utilized effectively for conserving the diversity of a number of economically important species, this study revealed significant gaps that can help prioritize future research to more effectively conserve the diversity of threatened exceptional species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Tip of the Iceberg: Cryopreservation Needs for Meeting the Challenge of Exceptional Plant Conservation

Pence

Bruns

2022

Plants

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Seed dormancy and germination of the endangered exceptional Hawaiian lobelioid Brighamia rockii

Wolkis

Baskin

et al. 2022

Appl Plant Sci

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Premise The Campanulaceae (Lobelioideae) is the Hawaiian plant family with the most endangered and extinct species. Although seeds of Hawaiian lobelioids are desiccation tolerant, the species are exceptional (i.e., they present challenges at various stages of the conventional ex situ conservation chain) due to their generally poor seed survival at the conventional seed‐banking temperature (–18°C). Both morphological dormancy (MD) and morphophysiological dormancy (MPD) have been identified in the seeds of other Hawaiian lobelioids; however, the class of dormancy and germination requirements of the Critically Endangered genus Brighamia have not yet been determined. Methods We measured the embryonic growth in 12‐week‐old seeds of B. rockii and tested their germination at three temperature regimes (15/5°C, 20/10°C, and 25/15°C) in light and at 25/15°C in darkness. Results The embryos grew prior to radicle emergence, and the seeds germinated rapidly to high percentages in all tested conditions. Discussion Whether fresh B. rockii seeds have MD or MPD still needs to be determined; nevertheless, 12‐week‐old seeds germinated well in light and darkness, and thus the seeds can be used for conservation purposes. Germination in the dark suggests that the species may not form a long‐lived soil seed bank in its native habitat.

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Harnessing the power of botanical gardens: Evaluating the costs and resources needed for exceptional plant conservation

et al. 2022

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Premise The effective ex situ conservation of exceptional plants, whether in living collections or cryo‐collections, requires more resources than the conservation of other species. Because of their expertise with rare plants, botanical gardens are well positioned to lead this effort, but a well‐developed strategy requires a clear understanding of the resources needed. Methods Grant funding was obtained from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to support a three‐year project on cryobanking, and to provide smaller grants to 10 other botanical gardens for one‐year projects on either (1) seed behavior studies or (2) the development of protocols for in vitro propagation or cryopreservation. Results Nine of the partner gardens worked on 19 species (one was unable to continue due to the COVID‐19 pandemic), while the larger project focused on 14 species. A point system was developed for tasks accomplished, and the average costs per point of the larger and smaller projects were similar. Labor accounted for half the costs. Projects focused on species in the Asteraceae and Orchidaceae had lower costs per point than other species. Discussion Both large and small projects can contribute to a strategy for exceptional plant conservation for similar costs. Prioritizing species with lower costs could help advance the field while allowing time for work on more difficult species to develop.

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Gap analysis of exceptional species—Using a global list of exceptional plants to expand strategic ex situ conservation action beyond conventional seed banking

Cited by 14 publications

References 10 publications

The Tip of the Iceberg: Cryopreservation Needs for Meeting the Challenge of Exceptional Plant Conservation

The Tip of the Iceberg: Cryopreservation Needs for Meeting the Challenge of Exceptional Plant Conservation

Seed dormancy and germination of the endangered exceptional Hawaiian lobelioid Brighamia rockii

Harnessing the power of botanical gardens: Evaluating the costs and resources needed for exceptional plant conservation

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