Seed freeze sensitivity and ex situ longevity of 295 species in the native Hawaiian flora.

ABSTRACT:

Premise

Ex situ seed banking is critical for plant conservation globally, especially for threatened floras in tropical ecosystems like Hawai'i. Seed bank managers must maximize longevity, and species managers must plan restoration before seeds lose viability. Previous observations suggested some native Hawaiian seeds lost viability in frozen storage (-18°C). We investigated seed storage behavior in the Hawaiian flora to optimize storage conditions and recommend re-collection intervals (RCI) to maximize viability of stored seeds.

Methods

Using 20+ years of real-time seed storage viability data, we tested freeze sensitivity for 197 species and calculated RCIs for 295 species. Using paired tests of accessions stored >2 yr at 5°C and -18°C, we developed an index of relative perf

SUBMITTER: Chau MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6856683 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature