Forums | HES 健康与环境科学

29 November 2022, 12:12 PM

Speaker: Uromi Manage Goodale

Date: 2022-12-06

Time: 11-12am

Room: ES354

Title:

The importance of seed banks in addressing seed supply shortages in ecosystem restoration

Abstract:

Tree planting gets attention for climate mitigation, but whole-ecosystem restoration is far more effective. Seed banks can address the native seed supply bottleneck in restoration, improving species and genetic diversity for more resilient plantings and a seed bank network can dramatically reduce seed waste, promoting sustainable harvests and protecting ecosystems. In this seminar Uromi will share how her research on seed bio-physiology and conservation led to building a global team of seed conservation specialists under the IUCN Species Survival Commission. She will present the role of the IUCN Seed Conservation Specialist Group in supporting ex situ germplasm storage for future introduction and a country level analysis on where and how many seed banks are needed to meet the global restoration potential (RP). The number of seed banks needed under different scenarios were calculated based on an estimation of how much RP a small restoration seed bank could support, and based on literature on seed germination rates, and plant densities and survival rates. The results show that while 410 seed banks exist, more are needed almost everywhere. The four countries needing the most seed banks (USA, Australia, Brazil, China) are among those with the most existing seed banks, RP, and total land area. Many countries in the tropics, despite having less land area, still need hundreds or more seed banks to support their RP, and the tropics are highest priority for restoration based on biodiversity, climate benefits, and cost effectiveness. Finally, she will present several avenues for collaboration that focus on improving restoration outcomes, preserving threatened plants, supporting seed farming, and benefits for local communities.

For online participants, please join us via the Tencent Meeting below:

Link: https://meeting.tencent.com/dm/Dj8q64n0iGx5

Meeting ID: 903-4467-2926