The Millennium Seed
Bank Project
in Madagascar
INTRODUCTION
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The
Millennium Seed Bank Project
(MSBP) in Madagascar is
a ten year project conceived
and developed by the Seed
Conservation Department of
the Royal Botanic Gardens,
Kew (U.K.) and Silo National
des Graines Forestiérès
(SNGF) in Madagascar. The
principal aims of the Project
are to:
- Collect and conserve 900
species (10%) of the Malagasy
flora, prioritising endangered,
endemic and economic species
principally from the drylands,
- by 2010 Develop a bilateral
research, training and capacity
building partnership with
Silo National des Graines
Foréstières
in order to support and advance
the seed conservation effort
in Madagascar
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METHODS
The Collection Programme
The MSBP in Madagascar is currently running six seed collecting expeditions
to dryland areas of Madagascar each year. Expeditions are planned by:
Identifying areas of high biodiversity, and visiting them monthly
or bimonthly in order to collect as many seeding species as possible.
Identifying target species, and using Geographical
Information Systems to plan their collection.
Increasing knowledge
Knowledge of the biology of Malagasy plants is increased by the MSBP
in the following ways:
Detailed information about the ecology of each species is collected
in the field
Germination protocols are developed for every species
Aspects of seed behaviour are investigated for selected species
(e.g. palms)
Development of SNGF’s commercial operation
SNGF’s commercial potential is being increased in the following
ways:
Through the creation of a National Wild Seed Collection
Through development of SNGF’s website
Through encouraging international organisations to order Malagasy
seeds from SNGF
 Capacity
building
The MSBP is supporting SNGF through:
Training programmes
Research collaborations
Purchase of equipment
RESULTS
In the first four years of the project, the following
has been achieved:
The Collection Programme
442 seed collections have been made on a total of 23 collecting expeditions.
These collections represent about 335 species, of which ca. 80% are endemic,
endangered or economically important to Madagascar.
 Capacity
building
Three SNGF staff have been supported in their pursuit of higher
degrees, a PhD and two DEAs.
An SNGF staff member has graduated from the MSBP’s Seed Conservation
Techniques Diploma.
A research collaboration has begun on the Malagasy palm species Ravenea
rivularis.
Equipment supplied to SNGF by the MSBP has includes a new cold
room (used to house the National Wild Seed Collection), a back
up generator and laboratory equipment.
Increasing knowledge
The MSBP Seed Bank Database (SBD) contains the following information:
Field collection data for all species (ecology, population etc.)
Germination data for all species
Development of SNGF’s commercial operations
Development of SNGF’s
English language web pages, and inclusion of
their seed catalogue.
All requests for Malagasy seed received by Kew are passed on
to SNGF
FUTURE WORK
The major challenge for the MSBP over the next few years is to develop
a targeting and collecting programme that ensures that Madagascar’s
most threatened species are banked first. This will mean developing
our GIS capacity, and linking with other conservation
projects and organisations in Madagascar.
CONTACT
Paul Smith, International Co-ordinator, Millennium Seed Bank, Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place, Ardingly, West Sussex RH17 6TN, UK.
Email
Guy Rakotondranony, Director, SNGF, BP 5091, Ambatobe, Antantarivo, Madagascar.
Email:
Also see Millennium
Seed Bank Project in Madgascar pages.
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