Millennium Seed Bank Project
Recent Achievements
Collections (2001-2005)
Representation of the UK flora in the Millennium Seed Bank was raised to 96%, including 98% of the UK’s threatened species (Target 8 of the GSPC).
Access and Benefit Sharing Agreements (ABSAs) have been established with 45 partner institutions in 18 countries. In addition, collecting-based collaborations have been established with countries not subject to ABSAs, including: Georgia; Bulgaria; Canada; Italy; New Zealand; Mauritius and UKOTs.
13,000 seed collections from 8,000 wild species were collected worldwide, principally from the drylands, and conserved in accessible ex situ collections in the MSB and partner seed banks (Target 8 of the GSPC). At the same time 13,000 herbarium specimens, and associated data, were collected and deposited at Kew and in partners’ herbaria.
19 of SCD’s (two in journals with IF>2) research publications were related to, or supported Kew’s Collections programme.
Baseline Plant Diversity Research (2001-2005)
Kew Herbarium specimens from 2,000 endemic, endangered and economically important species from Africa, Madagascar and the Middle East have been databased and geo-referenced to assist targeting of fieldwork by seed collectors (GSPC Targets 3, 7 and 8). Analysis of the resulting data has resulted in the production of twenty targeted-collection guides for key taxonomic groups and biodiversity hotspots, incorporating locality, phenology and description data, for partner institutions to use in their seed collection programmes (GSPC Targets 3 and 8).
Eight of SCD’s research publications were related to, or supported Kew’s Baseline Plant Diversity research programme.
Comparative Plant Biology (2001-2005)
A large-scale synthesis of taxon-based seed biological information has been created and made available over the web as the Seed Information Database, incorporating information on c. 22,000 species (GSPC Target 3).
45 of SCD’s (at least 13 in journals with IF>2) research publications were related to, or supported Kew’s Comparative Plant Biology programme.
Sustainable Utilisation of Plant Resources (2001-2005)
More than 35,000 germination tests have been carried out on wild plant collections, protocols have been developed for 10 key problem families, and seed trait data have been generated experimentally for c. 1,200 species (GSPC Targets 12 and 13).
Seed biology studies have been completed and disseminated for 60 tree species of socio-economic importance in sub-Saharan Africa (GSPC Targets 12 and 13).
Collaboration between SEPASAL and Millennium Seed Bank partners in Kenya and Namibia has been developed in order to facilitate seed collection, conservation and study (GSPC Target 16) of economically important species.
Morphological, physiological, molecular, biophysical, biochemical and genetic markers for seed quality have been developed for species from a diverse range of plant families, including the Arecaceae and Brassicaceae.
Conservation and Environmental Monitoring (2001-2005)
Technical input was provided to restoration and reintroduction programmes in southern Africa, Madagascar, Australia and the USA (GSPC Target 8).
Preliminary conservation assessments were carried out on 2,000 taxa from 10 Millennium Seed Bank Project partner countries to prioritise current seed collection, conservation and studies (GSPC Target 2).
Best practice and data standards were established in seed conservation across the European Native Seed Conservation Network (ENSCONET), involving 19 institutes across 12 countries.
83 of SCD’s research publications (at least nine in journals with IF>2) were related to, or supported Kew’s Conservation and Environmental Monitoring programme.
