Seed banks provide vital lifeline for future

Race against time

In China, areas rich in biodiversity range from the dry northwest－even though it is surrounded by huge mountain ranges on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau－to the tropical and subtropical south. The remote mountainous areas and diverse microclimates have resulted in high levels of endemism－the condition of being endemic, or restricted in geographical distribution to an area or region.

Li said the seed bank has preserved 85,046 accessions of 10,601 species, accounting for 36 percent of the seed plants in China.

"The number of seed accessions is close to that of the world's biggest seed bank－the Millennium Seed Bank in the United Kingdom," Li said. "More important, this will play a crucial role for China's basic scientific research on wildlife."

With two in five plant species at risk of extinction, she said it is a race against time to protect the nation's incredible plant life.

"Wild species germplasm has great application potential in the biological sphere, especially for the collection and preservation of wild plants," Li said.

"We store seeds that are collected in the wild so that we can germinate and reintroduce these plants to the wild or use them for scientific research in finding our future food and medicines, and for other functions."

For example, the seeds of Silene stenophylla, a plant species in the carpetweeds family, can maintain their viability for up to 32,000 years.

For plants with tiny seeds that are difficult to store in a conventional seed bank－such as many endangered species from the orchid family－scientists freeze the tissue at a temperature of minus 196 C.