The Ex Situ Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources

by Hawkes, J. G.; Maxted, Nigel; Ford-Lloyd, Brian

• ISBN13: 9780792364429
• ISBN10: 0792364422
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-03-01
• Publisher: Kluwer Academic Pub

Summary

This book is essential reading for second-year undergraduate courses in plant biology and plant genetic conservation. It will also be valuable for postgraduate courses in plant genetics, conservation, and cell biology. It provides invaluable information for professional plant conservationists. No book of this nature has been published in which ex situ genetic resources conservation has been addressed in such detail. This book will also be of great value to professional biological conservationists and students, and is unique in this field.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Acronyms and Abbreviations	xiii
Figures, Plates, Tables and Appendices	xv
Color Plates	xix
The Genetic Resources of Plants and Their Value	1	(18)
The Biodiversity Challenge	1	(1)
The Definition of Biodiversity	2	(1)
Plant Genetic Resources	3	(1)
The Need to Conserve Botanical Diversity	4	(2)
The Causes of Plant Genetic Diversity Loss	6	(1)
The Conservation/Development Paradox	7	(1)
The Exploitation of Plant Diversity in Crops	8	(1)
The Practice of Conservation	9	(4)
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Ex Situ Techniques	13	(3)
Complementary Conservation Strategies	16	(3)
Evolution of Plants Under Domestication	19	(13)
Plants: Cultivated and Wild	19	(1)
Genetic Changes During Domestication	19	(1)
Alphonse de Candolle's Views on Cultivated Plant Origins	20	(1)
Darwin's Views on Plant Domestication	20	(1)
The Ecological Background of Plant Domestication	21	(7)
N.I. Vavilov's Centres of Crop Origins and Diversity	28	(4)
The Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Movement	32	(11)
Ethical and Conservation	32	(1)
A Brief History of Plant Genetic Conservation and Use	33	(6)
Critical Issues for Contemporary Plant Genetic Resources	39	(4)
Preparing To Collect For Ex Situ Conservation	43	(20)
Conservation Project Commission	43	(1)
Selection of Target Areas	44	(1)
Selection of Target Species	44	(9)
Ecogeographic Surveys	53	(6)
Selection of the Collection Team	59	(1)
Expedition Timing	60	(1)
Local Administrative Requirements	60	(1)
Collecting Equipment	61	(1)
Survey Missions	61	(2)
Exploration and Field Collection	63	(19)
Sampling Techniques	63	(1)
Types of Collecting Site	64	(1)
Field Sampling	65	(6)
Specialised Type of Plant Collecting	71	(4)
Conservation Products	75	(6)
Duplication of Collected Materials	81	(1)
Seed Gene Bank Conservation	82	(10)
Conventional Ex Situ Techniques	82	(1)
Base and Active Gene Banks	82	(1)
Seed Storage	83	(8)
Intermediate and Recalcitrant Seeded Species	91	(1)
Users of Seed Stored in Gene Banks	91	(1)
Field Gene Banks, Botanic Gardens In Vitro, DNA and Pollen Conservation	92	(16)
Field Gene Banks and Orchards	92	(2)
Botanic Gardens	94	(6)
In Vitro Techniques	100	(5)
DNA Storage	105	(1)
Pollen Storage	106	(2)
World Ex Situ Collections of Germplasm	108	(12)
World Collections of Major Crops	108	(1)
Numbers of Accessions in Storage	109	(5)
Security of Collections	114	(1)
The Cost of Conservation	114	(1)
How Unique Are Accessions Within Gene Banks?	115	(1)
Field Gene Banks, In Vitro Storage and Botanic Gardens Collections	115	(1)
How Much is Enough?	115	(2)
Core Collections	117	(3)
Community-Based Conservation	120	(15)
Local Communities And Conservation	120	(1)
Communities Working To Conserve Plants	121	(6)
Communities Working With Professional Conservationists	127	(5)
Communities and Professional Conservationists Working Together	132	(3)
Plant Genetic Resource Utilization	135	(11)
Germplasm Exploitation	135	(1)
Phenotypic Characterisation and Evaluation	136	(1)
Genetic Evaluation and Analysis	137	(1)
Use of Molecular Markers in Germplasm Evaluation	138	(4)
Evaluating the Value of Conserved Plant Diversity	142	(1)
Direct Utilisation of Genetic Resources	143	(3)
Genetic Conservation Information Management	146	(18)
The Need For Information Management	146	(1)
Data Capture and Manipulation	147	(9)
Accessing Existing Conservation Information	156	(2)
The Efficient Management of Conservation Data	158	(1)
Central Crop Databases	159	(4)
Data Ownership	163	(1)
Conservation Case Studies	164	(26)
Case Studies of Plant Genetic Resource Conservation	164	(1)
Rice	164	(3)
Wheat	167	(4)
Potatoes	171	(3)
Bananas and Plantains	174	(2)
Coffee	176	(3)
Clover	179	(4)
Leucaena	183	(3)
Asiatic Slipper Orchids	186	(4)
The Future of Ex Situ Conservation	190	(15)
Towards the Future	190	(1)
The Human Population and its Impact	190	(4)
Specific Ex Situ Conservation Activities	194	(5)
Human Needs Linked to Biodiversity Conservation	199	(2)
Conservation Actions for the New Millennium	201	(4)
References	205	(26)
Appendices	231	(10)
Index	241