Cryobiology: principles, species conservation and benefits for coral reefs

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
pp. 1049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Hagedorn ◽  
Virginia L. Carter

Coral reefs are some of the oldest, most diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth because they can support one-quarter of all marine life in our oceans. Despite their importance, the world’s coral reefs continue to be degraded at unprecedented rates by local and global threats that are warming and creating a more acidic ocean. This paper explores the reproductive challenges of coral for ex situ conservation, using IVF and cryopreservation, and our practical biobanking methods. Coral present challenges for cryopreservation because their reproductive period is often limited to a few nights yearly, they are mostly hermaphrodites with diverse modes of reproduction, including asexual reproduction (i.e. fragmentation and parthenogenesis) and sexual reproduction (i.e. self- and cross-fertilisation) and they express physiological toxins that can inhibit cryopreservation. We have banked spermatozoa from 12 coral species using the same field-hardy methods and have created new coral with thawed spermatozoa. In addition, we describe the cryopreservation of coral symbionts, whose physiology only permits the highest success seasonally. As part of a multidisciplinary conservation strategy, these collections may provide a major hedge against extinction for corals facing the damaging effects of climate change and loss of genetic diversity, and promise to help offset threats to our reefs worldwide.

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natacha Coelho ◽  
Sandra Gonçalves ◽  
Anabela Romano

Endemic plant species are usually more vulnerable to anthropogenic threats and natural changes and, therefore, hold a higher extinction risk. The preservation of these species is a major concern on a worldwide context and in situ protection alone will not guarantee their conservation. Ex situ conservation measures must be undertaken to support the conservation of these species, and seed banking is the more efficient and cost-effective method. However, when seed banking is not an option, alternative approaches should be considered. Biotechnological tools provide new and complementary options for plant conservation including short-, medium-, and long-term strategies, and their application for plant species conservation has increased considerably in the last years. This review provides information about the status of the use biotechnology-based techniques for the conservation of endemic plant species. Particular attention is given to cryopreservation, since is the only long-term ex situ conservation strategy that can complement and support the other conservation measures. The cryopreservation of plant genetic resources is, however, more focused on crop or economically important species and few studies are available for endemic plant species. The plant material used, the cryopreservation methods employed, and the assessment of cryogenic effects are reviewed. The reasons to explain the difficulties in cryopreserving these species are discussed and new strategies are proposed to facilitate and increase the interest on this matter. We expect that further studies on the conservation of endemic plant species will increase in a near future, thus contributing to maintain these valuable genetic resources.


Author(s):  
Nolipher Khaki Mponya ◽  
Tembo Chanyenga ◽  
Joana Magos Brehm ◽  
Nigel Maxted

Abstract The study analysed the conservation gaps of the priority crop wild relatives (CWR) taxa for Malawi in order to contribute to the development of a harmonized conservation strategy that helps secure the priority CWR under in situ and ex situ. We used taxa distribution modelling, complementarity analysis and ecogeographic land characterization map to analyse spatial diversity and distribution of 123 priority taxa across different adaptive scenarios. We identified areas of observed and predicted richness, the minimum number of protected areas (PAs) that conserve the broadest ecogeographic diversity in situ and the minimum number of grid cells that capture highest diversity outside PAs to recommend the establishment of genetic reserves. We then analysed the representativeness of the conserved ecogeographic diversity of target taxa in ex situ collections to identify ex situ conservation gaps and advise for priority areas for ex situ collections. For the 123 taxa, 70.7% of the total diversity occurs in 36 PAs with 66.8% of the diversity captured in only 10 complementary PAs. Outside PAs, the broadest diversity was conserved in three grid cells of size 5 × 5 km. Fifty-three of 123 taxa have ex situ collections with only three taxa having ex situ collections at the Malawi Plant Genetic Resources Centre. The findings of this study will guide formulation of conservation actions for the priority taxa as well as lobbying for active conservation of the same under in situ and ex situ.


2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Ahuja

This study reviews the various conservation strategies applied to the four redwood species, namely coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Sierra redwood or giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) and South American redwood or alerce (Fitzroya cupressoides), which are endemic in the USA, China and South America, respectively. All four redwood genera belong to the family Cupressaceae; they are monospecific, share a number of common phenotypic traits, including red wood, and are threatened in their native ranges due to human activity and a changing climate. Therefore, the management objective should be to conserve representative populations of the native species with as much genetic diversity as possible for their future survival. Those representative populations exhibiting relatively high levels of genetic diversity should be selected for germplasm preservation and monitored during the conservation phase by using molecular markers. In situ and ex situ strategies for the preservation of germplasm of the redwoods are discussed in this study. A holistic in situ gene conservation strategy calls for the regeneration of a large number of diverse redwood genotypes that exhibit adequate levels of neutral and adaptive genetic variability, by generative and vegetative methods for their preservation and maintenance in their endemic locations. At the same time, it would be desirable to conserve the redwoods in new ex situ reserves, away from their endemic locations with similar as well as different environmental conditions for testing their growth and survival capacities. In addition, other ex situ strategies involving biotechnological approaches for preservation of seeds, tissues, pollen and DNA in genebanks should also be fully exploited in the face of global climate change.


Botany ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 91 (5) ◽  
pp. v-x ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward O. Guerrant

Three recent reviews of reintroduction for conservation purposes, which draw on substantial and largely nonoverlapping data sets, have come to strikingly different conclusions about its value. One concludes that “reintroduction is generally unlikely to be a successful conservation strategy as currently conducted”. Another concludes that “…this review cannot conclusively comment on the effectiveness of reintroductions…” The third concludes that there is “strong evidence in support of the notion that reintroduction, especially in combination with ex situ conservation, is a tool that can go a long way toward meeting the needs it was intended to address”. The argument over the conservation value of reintroduction is of more than academic interest. It illustrates a challenge facing land managers and decision makers who may be tempted to act on stated conclusions without thoroughly understanding their underlying assumptions, methodology, and terminology. The differing conclusions can be partially explained by different criteria of what constitutes success, how to measure it, and differing time scales considered. The propriety of reintroduction is briefly discussed and focuses on the following two issues: translocation of naturally occurring individuals to new locations and introduction outside a species' naturally occurring range. Both have appropriate uses but can be used in ways that detract from the survival prospects of taxa.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-130
Author(s):  
H.D.C. Soysa ◽  
U.S.B. Hettige ◽  
M.G. Cooray ◽  
D.R. Vidanapathirane

Nearly one in every five species of reptiles in the world is threatened with extinction and thus is conservation dependent. In order to develop effective and targeted species conservation strategies, detailed information on their distribution, systematics and ecology are necessary. Information such as the natural history and in-situ reproductive behaviors would be crucial for highly threatened species that require ex-situ conservation measures. Agamid lizards are a major component of the global reptile diversity and a significant number are threatened due to habitat loss and other threats such as smuggling.


2021 ◽  
Vol 886 (1) ◽  
pp. 012087
Author(s):  
Budiaman ◽  
Yusran ◽  
Samuel Arung Paembonan ◽  
Iswara Gautama ◽  
Hertasning Yatim

Abstract Luwu Utara District has the potential of natural resources and other supporting potentials in the development of the local bees Trigona incisa, but until now has not been inventoried accurately so there is no data base to formulate its development strategy in order to optimize the potential use. This study aims to determine Formulating an ex-situ conservation strategy for local beekeeping in North Luwu Regency.the potential development of local bees cultivation Trigona incisa in North Luwu . The research method used is direct observation, secondary data review, semi-structured interviews, ven diagrams, braistorming and discussion with target groups. The data collected consist of primary data and secondary data. The socioeconomic data obtained, analyzed descriptively, the role data between sectors were analyzed by Ven Diagram, policy data were analyzed with Content Analysis, while the local cultivation development strategy was analyzed by SWOT Analysis. The results showed that: North Luwu Regency had considerable potential in supporting the development of Trigona incisa local bees culture, among others: government policy, socio-cultural breeders, biophysical conditions and basic skills/knowledge of mastering several apiary technologies. The formulation of local bees cultivation development strategy in North Luwu Regency covers short and long term strategy. Short-term strategies include: Strengthening potential data base, network and information of farmers community through counseling/training. While long-term strategy include: Improvement of community empowerment of farmers through counseling/training (cultivation, harvest management, processing and marketing), creation of queen bee breeding center, and training of queen making and pest and disease control techniques.


2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (9) ◽  
pp. 843-854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cuauhtémoc Sáenz-Romero ◽  
Eduardo Mendoza-Maya ◽  
Erika Gómez-Pineda ◽  
Arnulfo Blanco-García ◽  
Angel R. Endara-Agramont ◽  
...  

Symptoms of forest decline, apparently due to climate change, have become evident in the last 10 years on the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and northwestern temperate forest of Mexico, particularly at the xeric (low elevational) limit of several forest tree species. We review and provide recent evidence of massive infestation of timberline Pinus hartwegii Lindl. by the mistletoes Arceuthobium globosum Hawksw. & Wiens and Arceuthobium vaginatum (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) J.Presl; insufficient Abies religiosa (Kunth) Schltdl. & Cham. seedling recruitment at the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve; indications of inbreeding and defoliation in endangered Picea chihuahuana Martínez, Picea martinezii T.F. Patt., Picea mexicana Martínez, and extreme southern populations of Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco; and the incidence of unusual pest and disease outbreaks (e.g., Dendroctonus Erichson, 1836 spp., Neodiprion autumnalis Smith, and Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands) in several conifer and oak species. We also discuss a difficult question: Is natural genetic variation sufficient to provide populations with the adaptive variation necessary to survive the natural selection imposed by projected climate change scenarios, or will phenotypic plasticity be exhausted and populations decline? Controversial ex situ conservation within natural protected areas, assisted migration, and translocation of species ensembles are discussed as options by which to accommodate projected climatic change impacts on the management and conservation practices of the megadiverse Mexican temperate forest.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aremi R. Contreras-Toledo ◽  
Moisés Cortés-Cruz ◽  
Denise E. Costich ◽  
Ma. de Lourdes Rico-Arce ◽  
Joana Magos Brehm ◽  
...  

AbstractCrop wild relatives (CWR) are valuable resources for crop breeding due to their close genetic relationship to the cultivated plants and their wide genetic variation, allowing the introgression of desirable traits into the crops, such as resistance to plant pests and diseases or adaptability to climate change. Mexico is a centre of agrobiodiversity, including CWR, but climate change, and other factors, are contributing to the loss of important Mexican CWR genetic diversity. The in situ and ex situ conservation status of Mexican priority CWR were assessed through a gap analysis as part of a national CWR conservation strategy for Mexico, to ensure the long-term preservation and improve the availability of these genetic resources. A set of 310 priority CWR taxa, previously identified as part of the national CWR inventory for Mexico, were analysed. Species distribution modelling and ecogeographic diversity analyses were used to detect gaps in in situ and ex situ conservation at taxon and ecogeographic levels. Priority target sites were identified throughout the country for complementary in situ and ex situ conservation of these taxa. The results obtained allow us to make recommendations for immediate conservation actions, thus helping to mitigate the threats to Mexican agrobiodiversity and enhance both national and global food security.


2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Semiha Erişen ◽  
Zeynep Öncel

Sphaerophysa kotschyana is a threatened endemic species in Turkey and according to the Bern Convention, it is on the absolute preservation plant list. In vitro propagation methodologies were evaluated as an ex situ conservation strategy for this species. Nodal segments were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) media with different cytokinins (benzyladenine, thidiazuron (TDZ) and zeatine), with or without auxin (α-naphthaleneacetic acid; NAA), to investigate shoot initiation. TDZ produced the highest number of shoots (11.0 shoots per explant) on MS medium at a concentration of 0.05 mg L–1. Rooting reached 100% when 0.5 mg L–1 NAA was combined with half strength MS and 1.5% sucrose and rooted plantlets were successfully acclimatised. Somaclonal variation of a mother plant and 10 regenerants was assessed using ISSR analysis. The same banding profiles were exhibited by all plants. In vitro response to salinity stress (NaCl) was also investigated in this halophytic species. Higher concentrations of NaCl negatively affected shoot multiplication, whereas shoot height was enhanced at 50 mM NaCl. These results suggest that the established protocol is an efficient and reliable system of in vitro propagation for ex situ conservation of S. kotschyana.


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