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Ex Situ Conservation of Threatened Chilean Flora Through Propagation

Research Assistant Ana Sandoval checks specimens of Dalea azurea (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) grown from seed at INIA, Vicuña

This project is one in a series in the theme of Ecophysiology and Morphology.

The flora of the desert and Mediterranean regions in central Chile is increasingly facing threat from both human activity and natural events which are driving to extinction several endemic plant species.

Seed conservation is a particularly efficient ex situ method which enables the storage of a wide amount of genetic resources in very little space and it sometimes represents a unique approach to ensure long term conservation of plant species. However, obtaining the required minimum amount of seeds for maintaining the genetic diversity of the ex situ collections can be difficult and sometimes impossible for threatened and rare species.

The purpose of this two year project is to achieve ex situ conservation of five priority threatened and rare plant species of the desert and Mediterranean regions of Chile through propagation and to disseminate the knowledge and information acquired during the project.  It will demonstrate the essential links between these two elements of ex situ conservation.

During the first year of the project training on plant propagation was provided and two of the five prioritized species, Dalea azurea (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae; Critically Endangered) and Placea lutea (Amaryllidaceae; Rare), have been successfully propagated by seed and vegetatively.  For the other three species low germination percentages were obtained: 12% for Tigridia phillipiana (Iridaceae; Rare), and 29 and 4% for Adesmina resinosa (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae; Vulnerable) and A. balsamica (Rare), respectively.

Further research will need to be carried out in order to successfully propagate these species and to produce the required amount of seeds for their conservation. The resulting information will be disseminated in the form of technical propagation leaflets to potential users.

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