Plant Germplasm Conservation in Australia

Edited by Catherine A Offord and Patricia F Meagher, (2009).  Australian Network for Plant Conservation Inc., Canberra.

A book detailing the strategies and guidelines for developing, managing and utilising ex situ collections.

Strategies to conserve Australia's unique native plant heritage depend on understanding how plant species function.  The collection, storage and study of plant germplasm - whether as seed, tissue samples, frozen samples, or whole plants - helps us gain this knowledge.  It provides research material to unlock the secrets of seed dormancy in the lab and in the wild; it allows us to establish new wild populations of threatened species with the best chance of success; and it provides an 'insurance policy' of genetically representative samples, to guard against the risk of extinction and the new threat of rapid climate change.

These Guidelines include the latest advances in ex situ plant germplasm conservation.  Written by many of Australia's foremost experts, they place conservation of this country's unique and varied plant life in a national and international context, outline the key conservation treaties and strategies, and provide a practical knowledge-kit for programs requiring germplasm collection, storage, research and utilisation.

The book is written as a guide for a range of users, including conservation agencies, scientists, students and anyone interested in applied plant biology.