Establishing the National Seed Bank of Wales: Collecting, Conserving and Restoring the Welsh Flora
Seed banks are an efficient method of ex situ plant conservation, capable of conserving vast genetic diversity within a small space. In 2018, the National Botanic Garden of Wales (NBGW) started on a journey to establish a new seed bank focused on conserving the Welsh flora to expand its native plan...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Sibbaldia |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.rbge.org.uk/rbgesib/article/view/1889 |
| _version_ | 1797640212737687552 |
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| author | Kevin McGinn |
| author_facet | Kevin McGinn |
| author_sort | Kevin McGinn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Seed banks are an efficient method of ex situ plant conservation, capable of conserving vast genetic diversity within a small space. In 2018, the National Botanic Garden of Wales (NBGW) started on a journey to establish a new seed bank focused on conserving the Welsh flora to expand its native plant conservation activities. Now equipped with facilities allowing professional long-term seed conservation within two lab spaces in NBGW’s Science Centre, the National Seed Bank of Wales has become a valuable resource for plant conservation and research in Wales. This article describes how the new seed bank has evolved and how it operates, which may inform other small-to-medium size botanic gardens looking to develop seed collecting and banking activities. When based at a botanic garden, seed banks are an excellent resource uniting the horticultural, scientific and educational expertise of staff. Wider benefits beyond long-term seed conservation include improving short-term storage methods of seed grown by the horticulture department for conservation and display; and training horticulture and science students. An associated trial of harvesting and marketing seed from NBGW’s wildflower-rich hay meadows for restoration purposes has also proved successful and commercially viable, helping to fund our conservation activities.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T13:27:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8c0ac457d46342cbb4a8819dbc263edf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2513-9231 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T13:27:36Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sibbaldia |
| spelling | doaj.art-8c0ac457d46342cbb4a8819dbc263edf2023-11-03T05:49:30ZengRoyal Botanic Garden EdinburghSibbaldia2513-92312022-06-012110.24823/Sibbaldia.2022.1889Establishing the National Seed Bank of Wales: Collecting, Conserving and Restoring the Welsh FloraKevin McGinn0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7294-4436National Botanic Garden of Wales Seed banks are an efficient method of ex situ plant conservation, capable of conserving vast genetic diversity within a small space. In 2018, the National Botanic Garden of Wales (NBGW) started on a journey to establish a new seed bank focused on conserving the Welsh flora to expand its native plant conservation activities. Now equipped with facilities allowing professional long-term seed conservation within two lab spaces in NBGW’s Science Centre, the National Seed Bank of Wales has become a valuable resource for plant conservation and research in Wales. This article describes how the new seed bank has evolved and how it operates, which may inform other small-to-medium size botanic gardens looking to develop seed collecting and banking activities. When based at a botanic garden, seed banks are an excellent resource uniting the horticultural, scientific and educational expertise of staff. Wider benefits beyond long-term seed conservation include improving short-term storage methods of seed grown by the horticulture department for conservation and display; and training horticulture and science students. An associated trial of harvesting and marketing seed from NBGW’s wildflower-rich hay meadows for restoration purposes has also proved successful and commercially viable, helping to fund our conservation activities. https://journals.rbge.org.uk/rbgesib/article/view/1889WalesConservationSeedbanks |
| spellingShingle | Kevin McGinn Establishing the National Seed Bank of Wales: Collecting, Conserving and Restoring the Welsh Flora Sibbaldia Wales Conservation Seedbanks |
| title | Establishing the National Seed Bank of Wales: Collecting, Conserving and Restoring the Welsh Flora |
| title_full | Establishing the National Seed Bank of Wales: Collecting, Conserving and Restoring the Welsh Flora |
| title_fullStr | Establishing the National Seed Bank of Wales: Collecting, Conserving and Restoring the Welsh Flora |
| title_full_unstemmed | Establishing the National Seed Bank of Wales: Collecting, Conserving and Restoring the Welsh Flora |
| title_short | Establishing the National Seed Bank of Wales: Collecting, Conserving and Restoring the Welsh Flora |
| title_sort | establishing the national seed bank of wales collecting conserving and restoring the welsh flora |
| topic | Wales Conservation Seedbanks |
| url | https://journals.rbge.org.uk/rbgesib/article/view/1889 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kevinmcginn establishingthenationalseedbankofwalescollectingconservingandrestoringthewelshflora |