Towards a More Efficient In and Ex Situ Conservation of Sri Lankan Wild Rice Species
Five species of wild <i>Oryza</i> (<i>O. nivara</i>, <i>O. rufipogon</i>, <i>O. eichengeri</i>, <i>O. rhizomatis</i> and <i>O. granulata</i>), including the endemic species <i>O. rhizomatis</i>, have been recorded in...
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Plants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/11/2149 |
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| author | Thasajini Sajeevan Andrea Mondoni Malaka Wijayasinghe Gehan Jayasuriya Minindu Kumarage Simone Orsenigo |
| author_facet | Thasajini Sajeevan Andrea Mondoni Malaka Wijayasinghe Gehan Jayasuriya Minindu Kumarage Simone Orsenigo |
| author_sort | Thasajini Sajeevan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Five species of wild <i>Oryza</i> (<i>O. nivara</i>, <i>O. rufipogon</i>, <i>O. eichengeri</i>, <i>O. rhizomatis</i> and <i>O. granulata</i>), including the endemic species <i>O. rhizomatis</i>, have been recorded in Sri Lanka. These species are facing continuous decline in their populations due to natural and anthropogenic processes, with habitat loss being the main threat. This study aimed to provide information on the distribution, the current status of ex situ and in situ conservation, and to identify high-priority species and sites of wild rice in Sri Lanka, in order to improve the effectiveness of conservation efforts. Occurrence records of Sri Lankan wild rice species were collected from literature, gene banks, and field surveys. The distribution of these species was mapped, and areas with high species richness were identified. A gap analysis was conducted to determine the high-priority areas and species for ex situ and in situ conservation. It was found that about 23% of the wild rice populations in Sri Lanka were within protected areas, and by expanding these protected areas by 1 km, an additional 22% of the populations located on the border of these areas could be effectively conserved. Our analysis also revealed that 62% of Sri Lankan wild rice populations were not represented in gene banks. The species-rich areas were found to be in only two districts (Polonnaruwa and Monaragala), and less than 50% of these areas were within protected areas. Based on these findings, <i>O. rhizomatis</i>, <i>O. eichengeri</i>, and <i>O. rufipogon</i> were identified as high-priority species for in situ conservation. Ex situ collections were also deemed necessary for <i>O. granulata</i> and <i>O. rhizomatis</i> to ensure diversity representation in gene banks. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:59:21Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:59:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-2f4e4cdd15774f56b515450554a421c92023-11-18T08:24:02ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472023-05-011211214910.3390/plants12112149Towards a More Efficient In and Ex Situ Conservation of Sri Lankan Wild Rice SpeciesThasajini Sajeevan0Andrea Mondoni1Malaka Wijayasinghe2Gehan Jayasuriya3Minindu Kumarage4Simone Orsenigo5Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, ItalyDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, ItalyDepartment of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Mihintale 50300, Sri LankaDepartment of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri LankaDepartment of Geology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USADepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, ItalyFive species of wild <i>Oryza</i> (<i>O. nivara</i>, <i>O. rufipogon</i>, <i>O. eichengeri</i>, <i>O. rhizomatis</i> and <i>O. granulata</i>), including the endemic species <i>O. rhizomatis</i>, have been recorded in Sri Lanka. These species are facing continuous decline in their populations due to natural and anthropogenic processes, with habitat loss being the main threat. This study aimed to provide information on the distribution, the current status of ex situ and in situ conservation, and to identify high-priority species and sites of wild rice in Sri Lanka, in order to improve the effectiveness of conservation efforts. Occurrence records of Sri Lankan wild rice species were collected from literature, gene banks, and field surveys. The distribution of these species was mapped, and areas with high species richness were identified. A gap analysis was conducted to determine the high-priority areas and species for ex situ and in situ conservation. It was found that about 23% of the wild rice populations in Sri Lanka were within protected areas, and by expanding these protected areas by 1 km, an additional 22% of the populations located on the border of these areas could be effectively conserved. Our analysis also revealed that 62% of Sri Lankan wild rice populations were not represented in gene banks. The species-rich areas were found to be in only two districts (Polonnaruwa and Monaragala), and less than 50% of these areas were within protected areas. Based on these findings, <i>O. rhizomatis</i>, <i>O. eichengeri</i>, and <i>O. rufipogon</i> were identified as high-priority species for in situ conservation. Ex situ collections were also deemed necessary for <i>O. granulata</i> and <i>O. rhizomatis</i> to ensure diversity representation in gene banks.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/11/2149conservationdormancygerminationseedwild rice |
| spellingShingle | Thasajini Sajeevan Andrea Mondoni Malaka Wijayasinghe Gehan Jayasuriya Minindu Kumarage Simone Orsenigo Towards a More Efficient In and Ex Situ Conservation of Sri Lankan Wild Rice Species Plants conservation dormancy germination seed wild rice |
| title | Towards a More Efficient In and Ex Situ Conservation of Sri Lankan Wild Rice Species |
| title_full | Towards a More Efficient In and Ex Situ Conservation of Sri Lankan Wild Rice Species |
| title_fullStr | Towards a More Efficient In and Ex Situ Conservation of Sri Lankan Wild Rice Species |
| title_full_unstemmed | Towards a More Efficient In and Ex Situ Conservation of Sri Lankan Wild Rice Species |
| title_short | Towards a More Efficient In and Ex Situ Conservation of Sri Lankan Wild Rice Species |
| title_sort | towards a more efficient in and ex situ conservation of sri lankan wild rice species |
| topic | conservation dormancy germination seed wild rice |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/11/2149 |
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