Insights from a century of data reveal global trends in ex situ living plant collections.

ABSTRACT: Ex situ living plant collections play a crucial role in providing nature-based solutions to twenty-first century global challenges. However, the complex dynamics of these artificial ecosystems are poorly quantified and understood, affecting biodiversity storage, conservation and utilization. To evaluate the management of ex situ plant diversity, we analysed a century of data comprising 2.2 million records, from a meta-collection currently holding ~500,000 accessions and 41% of global ex situ species diversity. Our study provides critical insights into the historical evolution, current state and future trajectory of global living collections. We reveal sigmoidal growth of a meta-collection that has reached capacity in both total accessions and total diversity, and identify intrinsic constra

SUBMITTER: Cano A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11807835 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature