Biological diversity of micro-organisms: an Australian perspective

1994 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret M. Roper
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
Ecosystem Function ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
In Situ Conservation ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Micro Organisms

Micro-organisms (bacteria, archaeas, fungi, protozoa, algae and viruses) occur in all environments and are interrelated with all other life forms. Micro-organisms are largely responsible for maintaining ecosystem function. They are extremely important in biological control mechanisms and in the transformations of food, energy and chemicals, including the mineralization of nutrients. Despite their importance, our understanding of the role and diversity of micro-organisms is very limited largely because of our inability to culture more than a few per cent of them. Molecular techniques being developed should result in the identification of many new micro-organisms. Notwithstanding our limited knowledge it is essential to evaluate the threats to microbial diversity and to attempt to minimize losses. Micro-organisms and microbial diversity risk being lost due to environmental causes such as pollution (by sewage, oil, organic compounds, pesticides and heavy metals), habitat loss (e.g. pH and salinity changes, and flooding), overexploitation (e.g., in agriculture, forestry and fisheries), species introductions and global changes. Micro-organisms that are particularly vulnerable to extinction, be it on a local or global scale, are those with a limited distribution, in specific habitats or those in habitats subject to widespread stress. Accompanying the loss of microbial diversity is the potential for losses of ecosystem function. A number of measures are needed to conserve microbial diversity. It is necessary to improve identification and measurement in terms of taxonomy, genetics and function. Ex situ collections are a means of securing micro-organisms for use and study by man. Where populations are poorly understood in situ conservation in protected habitats is the only option. Systems of indices and bioindicators need to be developed to monitor changes in microbial communities in such habitats. In order to co-ordinate conservation efforts it is essential to develop a global network of information. This can best be done through national and international policies being developed to conserve biological diversity.

scholarly journals Drilling down hotspots of intraspecific diversity to bring them into on-ground conservation of threatened species

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Zampiglia ◽  
Roberta Bisconti ◽  
Luigi Maiorano ◽  
Gaetano Aloise ◽  
Antonino Siclari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Threatened Species ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
In Situ Conservation ◽  
Intraspecific Diversity ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Global Changes

AbstractUnprecedented rates of biodiversity loss rise the urgency for preserving species ability to cope with ongoing global changes. An approach in this direction is to target intra-specific hotspots of genetic diversity as conservation priorities. However, these hotspots are often identified by sampling at a spatial resolution too coarse to be useful in practical management of threatened species, hindering the long-appealed dialog between conservation stakeholders and conservation genetic researchers. Here, we investigated the spatial and temporal variation in species presence, genetic diversity, as well as potential risk factors, within a previously identified hotspot of genetic diversity for the endangered Apennine yellow bellied toad Bombina pachypus. Our results show that this hotspot is neither a geographically homogeneous nor a temporally stable unit. Over a time-window spanning 10-40 years since previous assessments, B. pachypus populations declined in large portions of its hotspot, and their genetic diversity levels decreased. Considering the demographic trend, genetic and epidemiological data, and models of current and future climatic suitability, populations at the extreme south of the hotspot area still qualify for urgent in-situ conservation actions, whereas northern populations would be better managed through a mix of in-situ and ex-situ actions. Our results emphasize that identifying hotspot of genetic diversity, albeit essential step, does not suffice to warrant on-ground conservation of threatened species. Hotspots should be analysed at finer geographic and temporal scales, to provide conservation stakeholders with key knowledge to best define conservation priorities, and to optimize resource allocation to alternative management practices.

scholarly journals Exploration of plant diversity at the forest patches in North Sulawesi and Their Conservation Strategy

2021 ◽  
Vol 948 (1) ◽  
pp. 012048
Author(s):  
H Helmanto ◽  
M Siregar ◽  
S U Rahmawati ◽  
Usman ◽  
U Sahrudin
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
In Situ Conservation ◽  
Conservation Strategy ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Forest Patches ◽  
North Sulawesi

Abstract North Sulawesi is one of the provinces which is included in the Wallacea area which is the world’s source biological diversity and endemism hotspot. Forest fragmentation and population growth is the greatest threat to a variety of Wallacea endemic species. This study aims to explore the plant diversity in various forest patches in North Sulawesi and their conservation strategies. The research was conducted in 7 forest locations. This research uses exploration method. Exploration results found 259 collection numbers consisting of 154 species, 114 genera and 53 families. Orchidaceae is the most commonly family found (48 species and 26 genera), followed by Moraceae (18 species) and Piperaceae (16 species). Four species of Begonia were identified as endemic Sulawesi, 3 number potential as new species. Potential of new species is also likely on the Alpinia spp. (Zingiberaceae) and Piper spp. because has a large variety. Forest patches in the study area still have a high variety of species but mostly surrounded by people’s gardens and exploited potentially. In situ conservation complementary with ex situ is a conservation strategy which needs to be carried out.

scholarly journals Status of the Ex Situ and In Situ Conservation of Brazilian Crop Wild Relatives of Rice, Potato, Sweet Potato, and Finger Millet: Filling the Gaps of Germplasm Collections

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 638
Author(s):  
Marcelo B. Medeiros ◽  
José F. M. Valls ◽  
Aluana G. Abreu ◽  
Gustavo Heiden ◽  
Suelma Ribeiro-Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Finger Millet ◽  
Ex Situ Conservation ◽  
Gap Analysis ◽  
In Situ Conservation ◽  
Germplasm Collection ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
The Status

This study presents the status of ex situ and in situ conservation for the crop wild relatives of rice, potato, sweet potato, and finger millet in Brazil, and the subsequent germplasm collection expeditions. This research is part of a global initiative entitled “Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change: Collecting, Protecting, and Preparing Crop Wild Relatives” supported by the Global Crop Diversity Trust. Species of the primary, secondary, and tertiary gene pools with occurrences reported in Brazil were included: Oryza alta Swallen, O. grandiglumis (Döll) Prod., O. latifolia Desv., O. glumaepatula Steud., Eleusine tristachya (Lam.) Lam., E. indica (L.) Gaertn., Solanum commersonii Dunal, S. chacoense Bitter, Ipomoea grandifolia (Dammer) O’Donell, I. ramosissima (Poir.) Choisy, I. tiliacea (Willd.) Choisy, I. triloba L., and I. cynanchifolia Meisn. The status of the ex situ and in situ conservation of each taxon was assessed using the gap analysis methodology, and the results were used to plan 16 germplasm collection expeditions. Seeds of the collected material were evaluated for viability, and the protocols for seed germination and cryopreservation were tested. The final conservation score, resulting from the gap analysis and including the average of the ex situ and in situ scores, resulted in a classification of medium priority of conservation for all the species, with the exception of I. grandifolia (high priority). The total accessions collected (174) almost doubled the total accessions of these crop wild relatives incorporated in Embrapa’s ex situ conservation system prior to 2015. In addition, accessions for practically absent species were collected for the ex situ conservation system, such as Ipomoea species, Eleusine indica, and Solanum chacoense. The methods used for dormancy breaking and low temperature conservation for the Oryza, Eleusine, and Ipomoea species were promising for the incorporation of accessions in the respective gene banks. The results show the importance of efforts to collect and conserve ex situ crop wild relatives in Brazil based on previous gap analysis. The complementarity with the in situ strategy also appears to be very promising in the country.

scholarly journals Gap analyses of priority wild relatives of food crop in current ex situ and in situ conservation in Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wiguna Rahman ◽  
Joana Magos Brehm ◽  
Nigel Maxted ◽  
Jade Phillips ◽  
Aremi R. Contreras-Toledo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
In Situ Conservation ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Area Network ◽  
Complementarity Analysis ◽  
Ex Situ Collections ◽  
Conservation Actions

AbstractConservation programmes are always limited by available resources. Careful planning is therefore required to increase the efficiency of conservation and gap analysis can be used for this purpose. This method was used to assess the representativeness of current ex situ and in situ conservation actions of 234 priority crop wild relatives (CWR) in Indonesia. This analysis also included species distribution modelling, the creation of an ecogeographical land characterization map, and a complementarity analysis to identify priorities area for in situ conservation and for further collecting of ex situ conservation programmes. The results show that both current ex situ and in situ conservation actions are insufficient. Sixty-six percent of priority CWRs have no recorded ex situ collections. Eighty CWRs with ex situ collections are still under-represented in the national genebanks and 65 CWRs have no presence records within the existing protected area network although 60 are predicted to exist in several protected areas according to their potential distribution models. The complementarity analysis shows that a minimum of 61 complementary grid areas (complementary based on grid cells) are required to conserve all priority taxa and 40 complementary protected areas (complementary based on existing protected areas) are required to conserve those with known populations within the existing in situ protected area network. The top ten of complementary protected areas are proposed as the initial areas for the development of CWR genetic reserves network in Indonesia. It is recommended to enhanced coordination between ex situ and in situ conservation stakeholders for sustaining the long term conservation of CWR in Indonesia. Implementation of the research recommendations will provide for the first time an effective conservation planning of Indonesia’s CWR diversity and will significantly enhance the country’s food and nutritional security.

Islands: Biological Diversity and Ecosystem Function.

1997 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 268
Author(s):  
P. D. Carey ◽  
P. M. Vitousek ◽  
L. L. Loope ◽  
J. Adsersen
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Function ◽  
Biological Diversity

Microbial diversity in soil: ecological theories, the contribution of molecular techniques and the impact of transgenic plants and transgenic microorganisms

2004 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 363-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Lynch ◽  
A. Benedetti ◽  
H. Insam ◽  
M. P. Nuti ◽  
K. Smalla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transgenic Plants ◽  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Ecological Theories ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Transgenic Microorganisms

scholarly journals Quantitative assessment and status of ethnomedicinal plants of Sheen Ghar Valley, Dir Lower, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-22
Author(s):  
Shariat Ullah ◽  
Lal Badshah ◽  
Asghar Ali ◽  
Noor Muhammad
Keyword(s):  
Hypericum Perforatum ◽  
In Situ Conservation ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Importance Value ◽  
Plant Family ◽  
Medicinal Uses ◽  
Whole Plants ◽  
Family Importance Value

This study was conducted from March 2017 to August 2018, to enumerate the quantitative attributes and current status of medicinal plants of Sheen Ghar Valley, District Dir Lower, Pakistan. A total of 51 species were documented for their medicinal uses. These plants belonged to 31 families. Results of this study revealed that leaves were the frequently used part (50%), followed by whole plants (only 30%) in curing different ailments. Many plants were found to be having multiple uses. Based on family importance value (FIV), Lamiaceae was the leading plant family (126.30) followed by Violaceae (55.81), while highest relative frequency of citation (RFC) was noted for Viola canescens (0.558) followed by Olea europaea (0.523). Conservation study revealed that 24 species (47%) were vulnerable, 22 species (43%) were rare and 4 species (8%) were noted as infrequent. Following IUCN standards for conservation, one species i.e. Hypericum perforatum was declared dominant. This study recommends immediate ex-situ and in-situ conservation programme for protecting the plant wealth of the locality.

scholarly journals AUTOCHTHONOUS BREEDS OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS AND CONSERVATION MEASURES

AGROFOR ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoran MALETIC
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Domestic Animals ◽  
Conservation Strategy ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Animal Genetic Resources ◽  
Diversity Preservation ◽  
The Republic ◽  
International Conventions

Recently, highly productive breeds of various species of domestic animals have been used in livestock production, which has resulted in the destruction of indigenous breeds of domestic animals around the world, even in our area. This is the first reason why indigenous races and strains have been endangered. Another reason is that domestic, indigenous breeds were crossed with specialized breeds, which were imported, and in that way their genetic diversity was negatively affected. Resistance is lost, adaptation to the conditions in which they were created, the ability to survive in nature. Indigenous breeds of different species of domestic animals, which are recognized in the Republic of Srpska (BiH) are gatačko cattle and buša (cattle), Vlašić pramenka, Podveleška pramenka, Kupres pramenka (sheep), domestic Balkan horned goat (goats), Bosnian mountain horse (horses), mangulica (pigs) and pogrmuša hen or živičarka hen (poultry). By acceding to international conventions, BiH /Republic of Srpska has committed itself to establishing a system of measures that will enable the conservation of biological diversity and the protection of indigenous and endangered breeds of domestic animals. The choice of a strategy for the conservation of diversity, the establishment of an adequate conservation scheme, and the implementation of a conservation strategy are some of the key elements of any process for the conservation of genetic diversity. Preservation of autochthonous and protected breeds of domestic animals is possible through preservation in the original environment (in situ) and preservation outside the original environment (ex situ). There is a possibility of combining these models of conservation of animal genetic resources.

scholarly journals Building a Global System for the Conservation of all Plant Diversity

2016 ◽  
pp. 5-13
Author(s):  
Paul Smith
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Plant Conservation ◽  
Professional Community ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Botanic Gardens ◽  
Global System ◽  
Wide Range

Botanic gardens and arboreta offer the opportunity to conserve and manage a wide range of plant diversity ex situ, and in situ in the broader landscape. The rationale that botanic gardens have a major role to play in preventing plant species extinctions is based on the assumptions that (1) there is no technical reason why any plant species should become extinct, and (2) that, as a professional community, botanic gardens possess a unique set of skills that encompass finding, identifying, collecting, conserving and growing plant diversity across the entire taxonomic spectrum. Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is the pivotal centre of a global network of c. 2,600 botanic gardens and arboreta, which includes living collections representing at least one-third of known plant diversity; world class seed banks, glasshouses and tissue culture infrastructures; and technical knowledge networks covering all aspects of plant conservation. Following the example of the crop conservation community, BGCI is promoting the concept of a cost-effective, rational,botanic garden-centred Global System for the conservation and management of plant diversity.This system will aim to collect, conserve, characterise and cultivate samples from all of the world’s rare and threatened plants as an insurance policy against their extinction in the wild and as a source of plant material for human innovation, adaptation and resilience.

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