Philpott Megan, Pence Valerie C, Bassüner Burgund, Clayton Ashley S, Coffey Emily E D, Downing Jason L, Edwards Christine E, Folgado Raquel, Ligon Jason J, Powell Christy, Ree Joseph Francis, Seglias Alexandra E, Sugii Nellie, Zale Peter J, Zeldin Jacob
Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Cincinnati Ohio USA.
Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development Missouri Botanical Garden St. Louis Missouri USA.
Appl Plant Sci. 2022 Oct 6;10(5):e11495. doi: 10.1002/aps3.11495. eCollection 2022 Sep-Oct.
The effective ex situ conservation of exceptional plants, whether in living collections or cryo-collections, requires more resources than the conservation of other species. Because of their expertise with rare plants, botanical gardens are well positioned to lead this effort, but a well-developed strategy requires a clear understanding of the resources needed.
Grant funding was obtained from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to support a three-year project on cryobanking, and to provide smaller grants to 10 other botanical gardens for one-year projects on either (1) seed behavior studies or (2) the development of protocols for in vitro propagation or cryopreservation.
Nine of the partner gardens worked on 19 species (one was unable to continue due to the COVID-19 pandemic), while the larger project focused on 14 species. A point system was developed for tasks accomplished, and the average costs per point of the larger and smaller projects were similar. Labor accounted for half the costs. Projects focused on species in the Asteraceae and Orchidaceae had lower costs per point than other species.
Both large and small projects can contribute to a strategy for exceptional plant conservation for similar costs. Prioritizing species with lower costs could help advance the field while allowing time for work on more difficult species to develop.
对珍稀植物进行有效的迁地保护，无论是在活体收集还是低温保存中，都比保护其他物种需要更多资源。由于植物园在珍稀植物方面的专业知识，它们有能力引领这项工作，但完善的策略需要清楚了解所需资源。
从博物馆和图书馆服务研究所获得资助，以支持一个为期三年的低温保存项目，并向其他10个植物园提供小额资助，用于开展为期一年的项目，内容包括（1）种子行为研究或（2）体外繁殖或低温保存方案的制定。
9个合作植物园研究了19个物种（其中一个因新冠疫情无法继续），而较大的项目聚焦于14个物种。为完成的任务制定了一个积分系统，大小项目每个积分的平均成本相似。劳动力占成本的一半。专注于菊科和兰科物种的项目每个积分的成本低于其他物种。
大小项目都可以以相似的成本为珍稀植物保护策略做出贡献。优先考虑成本较低的物种有助于推动该领域发展，同时为研究更困难的物种留出时间。
