中国植物引种栽培及迁地保护的现状与展望

本文在概要总结我国植物引种驯化和迁地保育的历史基础上,全面综述了中国植物园迁地保育植物的现状和特点、中国农作物种质资源保护现状、野生植物种子库的进展。我国植物园迁地栽培植物约396个科、3,633个属、23,340个种;我国农作物资源保存数量达到41.2万份,涉及作物种及近缘种1,890个;我国野生生物种质资源库收集植物种子5.4万份、7,271种植物。文章同时阐述了我国植物迁地保护存在的问题并对相关领域的未来发展进行了展望:(1)启动《中国迁地栽培植物志》编研计划;(2)部署迁地保护与就地保护的整合研究;(3)加强我国特有植物类群的迁地保育原理和方法研究;(4)促进基于迁地保育濒危植物的野外回归:(5)拓展重要植物资源的评价及发掘利用。     

植物遗传资源的种子基因库保存

一个物种的灭绝是与其受生物因子和非生物因子的威胁程度相关的。随着物种的加速绝灭,保护生物多样性受到广泛地关注。保护生物多样性的最有效的生物技术之一是建立种子基因库,进行迁地保护。种子库理想的贮藏条件主要取决于种子含水量、贮藏环境(如温度和湿度)和贮存种子的容器。进行种子贮藏,了解种子生命力和活力的影响因子的作用机理是十分重要和必要的。除了种子自身的生理特征外,种子的贮藏寿命与种子成熟度、收获技术、加工处理方法也是息息相关的。即使在最适的库存条件下,种子也会随时间发生劣变。因此,必须根据种子特定的贮藏行为,加以考虑影响种子存活的3个主要方面(贮藏环境、贮藏期和植物种类)而选择有效的贮藏方案。本文试图讨论种子贮藏生理的几个重要方面及其需解决的技术问题,以便更好地通过种子基因库,长期有效地保存植物种质资源。     

植物种质资源的保存

传统的保存植物种质资源的方法是建立种子库。采用低温保存可大大延缓正常性种子的寿命,但采用此法仍难以保存顽拗性种子。和种子库相比,采用植物细胞、组织或器官,能最大限度地抑制生理代谢强度,降低劣变发生频率,达到长期保存种质的目的。     

野生植物种质资源的保存利用与iFlora

对植物种质资源的保护和可持续利用是人类生存和发展的根基。虽然植物种质资源的收集和保存工作在全球范围内已经取得了阶段性的进展,但植物物种本身复杂的生物学特性、相关信息的不完整性以及收集保存利用过程中专业人才的缺乏,在一定程度上制约了野生植物种质资源的保存和利用。本文以中国野生植物多样性的保护现状为例,探讨了野生植物种质资源收集保存过程中面临的问题,以及iFlora计划的提出和实施对解决这些问题提供的可能解决方案。通过iFlora的实施,将极大地促进和推动我国乃至全球范围内的野生植物多样性保护和利用。作为iFlora的重要元素之一,植物DNA条形码的运用已经逐渐成熟,本文介绍了其在苔藓植物剪叶苔属,以及种子植物榕属、马先蒿属、蒟蒻薯属、红豆杉属和栝楼属中的应用。     

建立肺癌相关基因及小分子RNA信息平台

我国第一座国家级野生生物种质资源库——中国西南野生生物种质资源库在中国科学院昆明植物研究所建成,已正式投入运行。该资源库是目前世界上仅有的两个按照国际标准建立的野生生物种质资源保藏设施之一。它已收集保存8444种、近7．5万份野生生物种质资源。中国的特有物种、稀有濒危物种、具有重要经济价值和科学研究价值的物种作为重点保存对象,     

作物种质资源保存

本文介绍了种质资源保存的重要性;保存的主要形式、方法;试管苗和超低温保存新技术;以及保存过程中遗传完整性变化与对陈旧种子“促活”和防止衰老的研究概况。     

植物种质资源超低温保存概述

简要回顾了植物种质资源超低温保存的历史,说明了超低温保存植物材料的多样性,阐述了超低温耐性的生物学基础及超低温伤害产生的原因和类型,介绍了各种常用超低温保存方法的技术要点,并对生产顽拗性种子的植物种质资源的超低温保存作了专门的论述,分析了生产顽拗性种子的植物种质资源超低温保存的潜力、现状和困难,指出顽拗性种子的超低温保存是植物种质资源超低温保存的重点和难点,而真正实现用超低温保存技术贮藏顽拗性植物种质资源还有很长的路要走。     

自花授粉作物种质资源繁殖更新的策略研究

有效的种质资源繁殖更新是保持作物异位保存种质资源活力和遗传完整性的首要工作.降低贮藏种子基因突变的累积效应,控制种质资源繁殖更新过程中由于遗传漂变、选择和污染所引起的遗传改变,对制定科学的种质资源繁殖更新策略十分重要.本文综述了国内外自花授粉作物种质资源繁殖更新策略研究的最新进展,并对更新种质资源活力、繁殖群体规模和种子收获方式对种质资源遗传完整性的影响进行讨论.     

苎麻种质资源保存技术研究进展

苎麻是重要的经济作物,本文简要阐述了苎麻种质资源的分布状况,介绍了中国苎麻种质资源的保存现状,总结了苎麻种质资源田间栽培保存技术及室内保存技术的研究进展。并且针对目前单一的保存方法进行了讨论和分析,提出了自己的看法和建议。     

中国作物种质资源多样性

本文综述了中国作物种质资源的物种多样性和遗传多样性。按农艺学和用途可将中国作物分为8大类即粮食作物、经济作物、蔬菜作物、果树作物、饲用和绿肥作物、花卉作物、药用作物和林木作物。汇集了中国作物总计有840种（类）,涉及栽培物种1251个和野生近缘植物物种3308个,它们隶属176个科和619个属,这充分说明中国作物种质资源物种多样性相当丰富。依据中国作物的类型或变种多和性状变异幅度大,阐明了中国作物种质资源遗传多样性十分丰富。为中国作物种质资源的收集、保护、高效利用、创新、分类和遗传研究奠定了坚实基础,为生物多样性保护提供了科学依据。     

Capturing,protecting and restoring plant diversity in the UK: RBG Kew and the Millennium Seed Bank

Ex situ seed banking is a practical and cost-effective means of preserving wild plant diversity and a crucial complement to the in situ conservation and restoration of species and habitats. As pressures on the natural environment have grown, so has the call for seed banks to provide scientifically-robust,practical solutions to seed-related problems in nature conservation, from single-species recovery and reintroduction to the restoration of complex, dynamic communities at the largest scales. In this paper, we discuss how the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and its Millennium Seed Bank have responded to this call in the United Kingdom. We demonstrate that banked seed collections can provide a range of otherwiseunavailable, high quality, known-origin, genetically-diverse biological materials. The data, expertise and specialist facilities that accompany these collections are also valuable, helping overcome constraints to the collection, production and effective use of native seed. Challenges remain-to ensure ex situ collections protect the species and genetic diversity that will enable plants to adapt to a changing environment, and to find new ways for seed banks to mobilise their resources at a landscape scale.     

Ex situ conservation of plant diversity in Romania: A synthesis of threatened and endemic taxa

Romania hosts a relatively high species diversity, including 3,829 vascular and 979 non-vascular spontaneous plant taxa. Multiple national red lists exist, with the number of taxa assessed as threatened varying greatly between them, from 548 to 1,438, and with number of taxa assigned to a given threat category also varying between the different sources. A composite list including all taxa mentioned in at least one of the selected red listings from Romania is required in order to compensate for this lack of consensus and to assess their ex situ conservation status. In this study, we synthesized data from the national red lists and counted 1,220 spontaneous vascular plant species and 201 subspecies, of which 77 are endemic and 76 subendemic for Romania. In addition, 18 non-red-listed endemics and 14 subendemics have been added, bringing the total to 1,453 threatened and (sub)endemic plant taxa, representing almost 38% of the total native vascular flora of Romania. Despite the large network of protected areas in Romania, many taxa are still being threatened with extinction in the region mainly due to anthropogenic pressure. Several ex situ conservation measures have been employed to assure a more substantial buffer against plant extinction in the wild, supported by thorough and adequate conservation strategies and multiple means to reintroduce taxa back to their natural habitats. Consequently, our second aim was to evaluate the ex situ conservation status of these threatened and (sub)endemic plants from Romania, focussing on both conventional methods (cultivation in botanic gardens, seed banking) and biotechnological approaches (in vitro tissue culture, medium-term storage and cryostorage). Of the 1,453 taxa included in our list, 642 (44.2%) are conserved by ex situ approaches. Of these, 524 are harboured in the most important botanic gardens throughout Romania, while 156 are currently held in long-term seed banks locally or in the Millennium Seed Bank of the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew (UK). Conversely, only 64 taxa from the list are preserved at the national level through in vitro cultures, and cryopreservation protocols have been developed for only 8 taxa. Overall, more than half of the threatened and (sub)endemic vascular flora from Romania remains unprotected outside the classical in situ conservation measures. For red-listed bryophytes, only 0.6% are preserved in national ex situ collections. Moreover, some aspects related to population genetic studies and the genetic stability of ex situ conserved plants are also briefly discussed, as essential prerequisites for applied biodiversity conservation programs. Finally, considering the distribution range of targeted taxa, we included a synthesis of biotechnological approaches at both national and international level. Our study presents not only a first assessment of the ex situ conservation status of national red listed flora, but also, to our knowledge, the most comprehensive and updated overview of the rare, threatened and (sub)endemic taxa from Romania. This evaluation will provide a supporting tool for national decision- and policy-making actions for biodiversity conservation, using both in situ and ex situ approaches. We also highlight the need for an updated red list for the Romanian flora that accurately follows the IUCN assessment criteria and protocols.     

Gaps in seed banking are compromising the GSPC’s Target 8 in a megadiverse country

Ex situ seed conservation is an effective strategy to help safeguarding plants from extinction. The updated Global Strategy for Plant Conservation’s (GSPC) Target 8 aims to include 75% of threatened plant species in ex situ collections by 2020, preferably in the country of origin. Halfway through the updated GSPC program, we evaluate the current state of knowledge and practice of ex situ seed conservation of threatened species from megadiverse Brazilian flora, contributing to this Target. We identify knowledge gaps and costs to achieve Target 8 through seed banking in Brazil within the time constraints of the GSPC and in a scenario of recent science budget funding cuts. Knowledge on seed storage behavior is available only for 24 Brazilian species (1.3%). Seed desiccation tolerance was concluded for 175 of 228 species, feasibly allowing safe storage of most Brazilian species at sub-zero temperatures. However, only 26 species (1.3%) are effectively banked in research institutions. Surprisingly, the percentage of banked threatened species hardly increased in the first 5 years since the update of the Target (0.55%, 2011–2015), and Brazil now faces the challenge of banking almost 1500 species during 2016–2020. Despite a major lack of commitment of Brazilian institutions and of knowledge to achieve the Target, the costs for banking the remaining species were estimated to be only US$3.9 million. We call for a nationwide coordinated effort of government agencies, policy makers and research institutions to include ex situ seed conservation in the environmental agenda to pursue achievement of the Target by 2020.     

The contribution of the Millennium Seed Bank Project to <Emphasis Type="Italic">ex situ</Emphasis> plant conservation in Chile

For a long time in situ conservation has been the main approach used to protect Chilean plant diversity. However, due to the high level of endemism of its flora (50%) and an increasing human impact on wild areas, ex situ conservation has become an urgent requirement to avoid the extinction of plant populations and species. Since 2001, the Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA), Chile, has been working in partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, (Kew) through the Millennium Seed Bank Project (MSB) with the objective of conserving 20% of the Chilean flora as seeds in long-term storage. This seed conservation effort has focussed mainly on the endangered and endemic plants of the Chilean drylands. Towards the end of the first phase of the MSB some 1482 seed collections representing 850 species and subspecies have been collected and safely preserved in the INIA Seed Base Bank and duplicated at Kew. Almost 70% of the total species collected are endemic to Chile and several of them are endangered. Additionally, seed germination research has been conducted for nearly 400 species and seed collections have been used to propagate several threatened species. Germination protocols have been published and disseminated online. Over 4,500 herbarium vouchers have been collected, largely duplicated at Kew and at the national herbarium in Chile. As a result of the inputs of INIA and the MSB, collaboration has been extended to other national stakeholders, mainly for plant taxonomy and seed collecting. In this context two training courses have been run for 70 staff/students. This training has contributed to the raising of general awareness of the need for the long-term protection of Chilean plant diversity and to demonstrate the key role that ex situ seed conservation can play in meeting this need.     

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.     

Germination capacity and viability of threatened species collections in seed banks

Facing the current biodiversity crisis, the value of ex situ conservation has been increasingly acknowledged in international treaties and legislations. Seed banks are a good way of conserving biodiversity, providing that seeds are of high quality and at maximum viability. However, despite the number of established ex situ facilities, there is little information on seed viability in botanic garden seed banks. This paper analyses the status of the seed collection of the National Botanic Garden of Belgium by determining the germination capacity and viability of seeds that have been stored for 1–26 years. It aims at: (1) ensuring that existing storage conditions provide effective ex situ conservation of threatened species; (2) providing viability data on threatened species; (3) planning future collection and storage efforts for seeds of West European species of conservation value. Results from this study showed that the germination and viability percentages of the 250 tested species reached on average 59 and 79% respectively. Some families typically performed better than others. Within a species, consistent results were not always obtained. Over a quarter of accessions exhibited some degree of dormancy. Considering the current lack of knowledge in seed germination and dormancy of many rare and threatened species, we believe that the quality of a seed collection should be estimated by its viability and not by its germination percentage. This study calls for further research in order to better understand the biology of a range of threatened native species.     

Germinating seeds or bulbils in 87 of 113 tested Arctic species indicate potential for ex situ seed bank storage

Arctic plant species are expected to lose range due to climate change. One approach to preserve the genetic and species diversity for the future is to store propagules in seed vaults. However, germinability of seeds is assumed to be low for Arctic species. We evaluated ex situ storage potential of 113 of the 161 native angiosperms of Svalbard by studying seed ripening and germination. Seeds or bulbils were collected, and germinability was tested after one winter of storage in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Twenty-six of the species did not produce ripe propagules, 8 produced bulbils, and 79 produced seeds. Bulbils sprouted to high percentages. Seeds of 10 species did not germinate, 22 had low germination (<20 %), 34 had germination of 21–70 %, and 13 had high germination percentages (>70 %). More than 70 % of the species belonging to Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Juncaceae, Rosaceae, and Saxifragaceae germinated. Cold tolerant, common species had higher germination percentages than relatively thermophilous, rare species. Germination percentages were six times higher than observed in 1969 (n = 51) and 0.7 times that observed in 2008 (n = 22), indicating that recent climate warming improves germination in the Arctic. While in situ conservation is of vital importance, ex situ conservation in seed banks is a potential complementary conservation strategy for the majority of Arctic vascular plant species. For species that did not germinate, other methods for ex situ conservation should be sought, for example, growing in botanical gardens.     

Could taxonomic misnaming threaten the ex situ conservation and the usage of plant genetic resources?

Ex situ conservation of plant germplasm, especially seed banking, is a favourable and widely used method for the conservation of plant genetic resources (PGR). The long-term conservation of these resources is fundamental for food security and plant breeding in order to stem the losses in agrobiodiversity and to meet the global challenges that agriculture is facing. The conservation and accessibility of PGR relies on their correct taxonomic labelling and on the building of a searchable database that links ex situ collections together. In the current study, we analysed the impact of taxonomic misnaming in the two major PGR databases (Genesys PGR, EURISCO), listing accessions conserved worldwide. The aim was to understand if taxonomic misnaming issues prevent PGR conservation. We chose as a case-study seed collections of accessions of the genus Citrullus (watermelon genepool), the taxonomy and nomenclature of which have been largely revised in recent times. We observed that taxonomic misnaming greatly limits PGR conservation with only 3% of the accessions listed in the databases correctly named; moreover, 28% were affected by taxonomic errors that prevent the establishment of the accessions’ taxonomic identity, with consequences on their conservation and exploitation. The existence of the problem was also confirmed by the experimental propagation of three misnamed accessions. We suggest herein a series of actions that, put in place, could solve the extant misnaming issues in the databases and prevent their reoccurrence, allowing the correct conservation and the usability by the stakeholders of all the accessions.     

Ex Situ Conservation of Orchids in a Warming World

Whilst there is overwhelming scientific evidence that dramatic changes in regional climates are likely to occur throughout the 21st century, the scientific community remains uncertain how the effects of global heating will combine with other environmental factors to affect wild orchid populations. It is, however, likely that many populations will be affected adversely and that in situ conservation techniques by themselves will not be sufficient to prevent the extinction of many species. A range of complimentary ex situ strategies are discussed. Amongst these orchid seed banking has been shown to be an invaluable tool for conserving the maximum amount of genetic diversity in the minimum space and has the potential to enable the conservation of valuable material for possible re-introduction and habitat restoration programmes in the future. The Darwin Initiative project, ‘Orchid Seed Stores for Sustainable Use’ (OSSSU), is currently establishing a global network of orchid seed banks focussing initially on countries with high orchid biodiversity in Asia and Latin America. Particular reference is made to ex situ conservation in China, together with the urgent need to gather more data to determine which habitats and species are most at risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future.