Plant conservation

Question 1

what are the important roles of a seed bank

Answer 1

• storage of many seeds from each plant species to help conserve endangered species, conserve genetic diversity within species
• to conduct scientific research into seed storage and germination conditions
• to safeguard threatened habitats since seed banks rely on local knowledge to - identify and collect seeds and store them before being sent to the seed bank
• education of people about the importance of conserving plants

Question 2

how are seeds prepared for storage and stored

Answer 2

seeds are:
cleaned and dried
sterilised to kill microorganisms which could cause decay
x-rayed to make sure they contain a fully developed embryo (are viable}
stored in cold (-20) and dry conditions to extend the life span
subject to germination checks every 10 years

Question 3

what are the advantages of storing seeds rather than plants

Answer 3

seeds are more likely to survive longer
seeds can be frozen but plants cannot
seeds are smaller so take up less space
more seeds can be stored so larger genetic diversity
cheaper to store them since they have less maintenance than plants