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Journal of Botanic Gardens Conservation International
Volume 18 • Number 1 • February 2021
From genes
to genomes:
botanic gardens
embracing new
tools for conservation
and research
Volume 18 • Number 1
IN THIS ISSUE...
EDITORS
Suzanne Sharrock EDITORIAL:
Director of Global
Programmes FROM GENES TO GENOMES: BOTANIC GARDENS EMBRACING NEW TOOLS FOR
CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH .... 03
Morgan Gostel
Research Botanist, FEATURES
Fort Worth Botanic Garden
Botanical Research Institute
of Texas and
Director, GGI-Gardens
NEWS FROM BGCI .... 06
Jean Linksy FEATURED GARDEN: THE NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
Magnolia Consortium
Coordinator, ECOLOGICAL PARK & BOTANIC GARDENS .... 09
Atlanta Botanical Garden
PLANT HUNTING TALES: GARDENS AND THEIR LESSONS:
THE JOURNAL OF A BOTANY STUDENT
Farahnoz Khojayori .... 13
Cover Photo: Young and aspiring scientists assist career
scientists in sampling plants at the U.S. Botanic Garden for TALKING PLANTS: JONATHAN CODDINGTON,
the Global Genome Initiative (U.S. Botanic Garden).
DIRECTOR OF THE GLOBAL GENOME INITIATIVE .... 16
Design: Seascape www.seascapedesign.co.uk
BGjournal is published by Botanic Gardens Conservation
International (BGCI). It is published twice a year.
Membership is open to all interested individuals, institutions
and organisations that support the aims of BGCI.
Further details available from: ARTICLES
• Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Descanso
House, 199 Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3BW UK.
Tel: +44 (0)20 8332 5953, Fax: +44 (0)20 8332 5956,
E-mail: info@bgci.org, www.bgci.org BANKING BOTANICAL BIODIVERSITY WITH THE GLOBAL GENOME
• BGCI (US) Inc, The Huntington Library, BIODIVERSITY NETWORK (GGBN)
Art Collections and Botanical Gardens,
1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino, CA 91108, USA.
Ole Seberg, Gabi Dröge, Jonathan Coddington and Katharine Barker .... 19
Tel: +1 626-405-2100, E-mail: usa@bgci.org
Internet: www.bgci.org/usa THE GLOBAL GENOME INITIATIVE FOR GARDENS:
• BGCI (China), C/O South China Botanical Garden, CAS CONSERVATION PRIORITIES AT THE INTERFACE OF BOTANIC GARDENS
723 Xingke Rd. Guangzhou, 510650, Guangdong, China AND BIODIVERSITY GENOMICS
Tel: (86)20-85231992, Email: xiangying.wen@bgci.org
www.bgci.org/china/
Jean Linsky and Morgan Gostel .... 21
• BGCI (Southeast Asia), c/o Singapore Botanic Gardens,
1 Cluny Road, Singapore 259569 RIO DE JANEIRO BOTANICAL GARDEN AND THE GLOBAL GENOME
• BGCI (Africa), Kirsty Shaw, BGCI Africa Office, IUCN Eastern INITIATIVE FOR GARDENS
and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO), Luciana Ozório Franco, Juliana Ribeiro Mattos, Marcus Nadruz Coelho
P.O. Box 68200 - 00200, Nairobi, Kenya,
Tel. +254 (0)725295632 Skype: bgci_kirsty,
and Rafaela Forzza .... 24
Email: kirsty.shaw@bgci.org, Internet: www.bgci.org
• BGCI (Russia), c/o Main Botanical Gardens, LEARNING HOW TO SEQUENCE BIODIVERSITY BEFORE ITS GONE
Botanicheskaya st., 4, Moscow 127276, Russia. Rachel Meyer .... 28
Tel: +7 (095) 219 6160 / 5377, Fax: +7 (095) 218 0525,
E-mail: seed@aha.ru, www.bgci.ru
CRYOPRESERVATION FOR THE FUTURE
BGCI is a worldwide membership organisation established
in 1987. Its mission is to mobilise botanic gardens and Fay-Wei Li, Tsung-Yu Aleck Yang and Chia-Wei Li .... 32
engage partners in securing plant diversity for the well-
being of people and the planet. BGCI is an independent
GENETIC AND GENOMIC STUDIES OF NATIVE MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC
organisation registered in the United Kingdom as a charity
(Charity Reg No 1098834) and a company limited by PLANTS MAINTAINED IN BOTANICAL GARDEN AND LIVING COLLECTIONS
guarantee, No 4673175. BGCI is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) IN GREECE: THE EXAMPLE OF ORIGANUM SPP.
non-profit organisation in the USA and is a registered non-
profit organisation in Russia.
Eirini Sarrou, Ioannis Ganopoulos and Eleni Maloupa .... 34
Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily
reflect the views of the Boards or staff of BGCI or of its
members.
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) 02
EDITORIAL:
FROM GENES
TO GENOMES:
BOTANIC GARDENS
EMBRACING
NEW TOOLS FOR
CONSERVATION
AND RESEARCH
Young and aspiring scientists assist career scientists in sampling plants at the U.S. Botanic Garden for the Global Genome Initiative (U.S. Botanic Garden)
Welcome to the The GGBN was founded in 2011 in order 5. Enable targeted, strategic collection
latest edition of to promote access to information about, to fill crucial biodiversity gaps.
BGJournal, which is and legal exchange of, the biodiversity
produced in genomic samples maintained by its To date, 97 organizations have joined
partnership with the members. It provides a platform to unite GGBN, mainly natural history collections
the Global Genome biobanks from across the world in order to: and botanical gardens, but also seed
Initiative for Gardens banks, culture collections as well zoos,
Programme, part of 1. Enable data-mining and analysis via one aquariums, veterinary and agricultural
the Global Genome Biodiversity Network consistent database of global genomic collections.
(GGBN). Our cover photograph is of the resources,
United States Botanic Garden in As Morgan Gostel and Jean Linsky
Washington DC, which has provided both 2. Collaborate to ensure consistent quality explain in their article on pages 21-24,
financial and technical support to the standards for DNA and tissue collections, in 2015, recognizing the vast plant
Smithsonian’s Global Genome Initiative – diversity that is housed in the world’s
particularly GGI-Gardens that has engaged 3. Improve best practices for the botanic gardens, the Smithsonian’s
productively with our community of preservation and use of such collections, Global Genome Initiative (GGI) founded
botanic gardens. BGCI is very grateful to GGI-Gardens, an international
USBG for the support they have provided 4. Harmonize exchange and use of genetic partnership dedicated to sampling
to this initiative, which is just the latest in a materials in accordance with national and and preserving plant biodiversity
long standing and important partnership international legislation and conventions, in from the world’s extraordinary
between our two organisations. particular the Nagoya Protocol, and living collections.
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) • 03-04 03
GGI-Gardens coordinates with the GGBN
to ensure the samples are preserved in
well-managed biorepositories and that
genomic samples are made available for
the international research community.
Their article indicates how you can
contribute to this initiative and, aptly, our
interview this month is with Jonathan
Coddington, the Director of the Global
Genome Initiative (pages 16-17).
One collaborating institution is the Rio de
Janeiro Botanical Garden (JBRJ) (pages
24-27) which, gap analysis showed, has
541 unique species, that is species not
being found in any other botanical garden
in the world. As a contributing partner to
GGI-Gardens, JBRJ has made more than
6,500 DNA and tissue samples of the
Brazilian flora discoverable through the
GGBN data portal, adding approximately
1,200 species to GGBN. Young and aspiring scientists assist career scientists in sampling plants at the U.S. Botanic Garden for the
Global Genome Initiative (U.S. Botanic Garden)
GGI-Gardens and the GGBN adhere
scrupulously to the spirit, laws and plant material selection. For this reason, Last but not least, our featured garden in
regulations associated with the Nagoya a wide variety of products with different this edition is the Northwestern University
Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing, qualities of raw material and essential Ecological Park & Botanic Gardens
and on pages 28-31 Rachel Meyer at the oils, are produced and therefore selection (NUEBG), a private university garden in
University of California Santa Cruz, and breeding represent a key role of the the Philippines established as a living
describes the journeys her students take quality assurance system. Understanding laboratory of the flora of Northwestern
in navigating the Nagoya Protocol, local the genetic structure and variability of Luzon (pages 9-12). The NUEBG is an
permits, and finding synergies with fellow different oregano species and ecotypes 8-hectare haven for biodiversity in an
researchers. improves not only their botanical otherwise degraded and transformed
description and/or identification, but landscape, and the leadership role that
On pages 32-33 the Dr. Cecilia Koo also the development of conservation the garden plays in preserving Luzon’s
Botanic Conservation Center (KBCC) strategies for future breeding purposes. remaining biodiversity is an inspiration
describe their impressive programme In addition, the development of ‘modern’ to us all.
that aims to preserve and safeguard high- -omics technologies and state-of-the-art
quality tropical plant materials for future analytical tools provide great Happy reading, and please don’t hesitate
genomic and transcriptomic studies. opportunities for the sustainable use to get in touch with your ideas for future
To this end they have established a of, as yet ‘unimproved’, plant species. issues of BGjournal.
cryopreservation facility at KBCC
comprising 40 liquid nitrogen tanks, each Our plant collection feature in this issue is
with a capacity to hold 6,000 samples. To an inspiring piece by Farahnoz Khojayori, Paul Smith
date, a total of 8,489 accessions, relating who describes her collecting trips in Secretary General, BGCI
to 4,392 taxa, have been cryopreserved. Texas, in the summer of 2019 in the
company of Morgan Gostel and Seth
The application of DNA sampling and Hamby (pages 13-15). Like three
genomic studies to plant conservation botanical musketeers, they travelled to
and use is described by another GGI 13 botanical sites, including botanical
Gardens partner, the Balkan Botanic gardens, nature centres, wildlife refuges,
Garden of Kroussia (BBGK) on pages and state parks and were inspired by the
34-39. Origanum vulgare L. is a typical people they met and worked with.
species of Mediterranean ecosystems, Amongst their achievements, they
growing in dry, sunny places from sea collected herbarium vouchers and
level up to 1500 masl and, due to cross genome quality tissues preserved in
pollination and plasticity, the species is liquid nitrogen and silica gel for 250 taxa
extremely variable and polymorphic. of plants. Amongst these were five new
However, oregano crops commonly use taxa at the family level and 115 new
wild populations without the appropriate species added to the GGBN database.
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) 04
FEATURES
NEWS FROM BGCI
FEATURED GARDEN:
THE NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY ECOLOGICAL PARK & BOTANIC GARDENS
PLANT HUNTING TALES:
GARDENS AND THEIR LESSONS: THE JOURNAL OF A BOTANY STUDENT
TALKING PLANTS: INTERVIEW WITH JONATHAN CODDINGTON,
THE DIRECTOR OF THE GLOBAL GENOME INITIATIVE
One of the four orchid houses at the Dr Cecilia
Koo Botanic Conservation Centre (KBCC)
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) 05
FEATURE
NEWS FROM BGCI
The webinar, entitled Lipstick on a fig
tree: Why planting trees avoids the real
problems (and may make things worse)
can be viewed on line here: BGCI shares
expertise on tree planting at the World
Biodiversity Forum | Botanic Gardens
Conservation International
One-third of the The Red List of
world’s oaks at risk Oaks 2020
Christina Carrero, Diana Jerome, Emily Beckman, Amy Byrne, Allen J. Coombes,
of extinction Min Deng, Antonio González Rodríguez, Hoang Van Sam, Eyen Khoo, Ngoc Nguyen,
Iyan Robiansyah, Hernando Rodríguez Correa, Julia Sang, Yi-Gang Song, Joeri Strijk,
John Sugau, Weibang Sun, Susana Valencia-Ávalos and Murphy Westwood
An estimated 31% of the
world's oak species are
threatened with extinction
according to data compiled
in a new report by BGCI,
The Morton Arboretum and
the International Union for
Local villagers helping with reinforcement planting of Quercus brandegeei seedlings planted in Mexico. Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Tree
Magnolia omeiensis. (The Morton Arboretum) Specialist Group. The Red List of Oaks
2020 details for the first time the
Here we present a selection of the most Ten Golden Rules for reforestation: distributions, population trends and threats
recent news stories from BGCI. Please 1. Work with local people; facing the world’s estimated 430 oak
browse our website to keep up-to-date 2. Maximize biodiversity recovery to meet species, and will serve as a roadmap for
with the latest news and events from multiple goals; conservation action.
BGCI and the botanic garden community. 3. Select the right area for reforestation;
www.bgci.org 4. Use natural forest restoration wherever According to the researchers, an estimated
possible; 41% of the world’s 430 oak species are of
Ten Golden Rules for 5. Select tree species that maximise conservation concern. Nearly one-third
Reforestation (or planting the biodiversity; (31%) are considered threatened with
right tree in the right place 6. Use resilient tree species that can adapt extinction. This proportion of threatened
to a changing climate; species is higher than threat levels for
BGCI, together with researchers from 7. Plan ahead; mammals (26%) and birds (14%). The
RBG Kew have set out ten golden rules 8. Learn by doing; report indicates that the countries with the
for reforestation to ensure that restoring 9. Make it pay. highest number of threatened oak species
forests benefits people and the planet. are Mexico (32 species), China (36),
Find out more and read the full article Vietnam (20), and the United States (16).
The 10 golden rules, set out in a paper here: Ten golden rules for reforestation
published in the journal Global Change to optimize carbon sequestration, Find out more here; One-third of the
Biology, focus on protecting existing biodiversity recovery and livelihood world's oaks at risk of extinction, according
forests first, putting local people at the benefits - Di Sacco - - Global Change to new BGCI report | Botanic Gardens
heart of projects, and using natural Biology - Wiley Online Library Conservation International
regrowth of trees where possible.
The rules highlight that planting trees is World Biodiversity Forum
complex and there is no universal, easy
solution to a successful reforestation. Planting the right tree in the right place
was also the key massage promoted by
A virtual conference on the topic is being BGCI at the recent World Biodiversity
held from February 24-26, organised by Forum. BGCI joined experts from the
RBG Kew and BGCI. It will bring together University of British Colombia and the
a series of global perspectives to debate University of Sāo Paolo in a virtual event
and challenge the myth that “all tree that also highlighted the importance of
planting is good” and to discuss best leveraging the expertise available in
practice for protecting and restoring the botanic gardens worldwide for tree
(The Morton Arboretum)
world's forests. planting and restoration.
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) • 06-08 06
Tree Conservation Fund GGI-Gardens Awards Program Global Botanic Garden Fund, is pleased to
announce 14 grants to botanic gardens
BGCI’s newly launched Tree The GGI-Gardens Awards Program aims to and arboreta in nine countries. The
Conservation Fund is an initiative to promote partnership activities to preserve awardees will collect genome-quality plant
enable businesses, philanthropic and understand the Earth’s genomic tissue samples from their living collections
organisations and governments around diversity of plants. The Awards Program and preserve them in a network of publicly
the world to contribute to the essential aims to support collection and accessible bio-repositories.
effort to save the world’s threatened tree preservation activities at botanic gardens
species. At least 3,500 tree species are around the world. The Program, funded by https://www.bgci.org/news-events/14-
on the brink of extinction and urgent GGI-Gardens and United States Botanic botanic-gardens-awarded-grant-to-preser
action is required. Through this fund, Garden, and administered through BGCI’s ve-global-plant-biodiversity/
BGCI aims to develop partnerships with
local communities and land managers to
ensure that tree planting sustainably Institution Country
supports biodiversity and will provide the
scientific and horticultural expertise to Atlanta Botanical Garden United States
bring the right tree to the right place. Core Facility Botanical Garden, University of Vienna Austria
Desert Botanical Garden United States
Find out more: BGCI’s Tree Conservation Inala Jurassic Garden Australia
Fund – Saving the world’s threatened tree Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro Brazil
species Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden
India
and Research Institute
Kunming Botanical Garden China
Montgomery Botanical Center United States
Northwestern University Ecological Park
Philippines
& Botanic Gardens (NUEBG)
Royal Botanic Garden Jordan
San Diego Botanic Garden United States
The Huntington United States
Tooro Botanical Gardens Uganda
Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden,
China
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Desert Botanical Garden
Montgomery Botanical Center
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) 07
1st International Congress of
Historical Botanical Gardens
Over recent
years, there has
been a renewed
interest in the
care and value
of historic botanical gardens – those
with built heritage, historical collections,
or historical connections. Such gardens
have made a major contribution to our
understanding of the origin and
development of botanical science, and
to related disciplines such as herbal
medicine, ethnobotany and
ethnopharmacology. They have also
influenced many of the crops we grow,
Marsh awards Anthropology and Conservation the food we eat and the trees, shrubs
Virtual Conference: 25-29 and herbs that adorn our streets, parks,
BGCI is pleased to announce Jeannie October, 2021 and gardens. However, unless prompt
Raharimampionona from Missouri action is taken, many of these unique
Botanical Garden’s Madagascar BGCI is delighted to be a co-organiser of resources risk falling into neglect, decay
programme as the winner of the 2020 the upcoming Anthropology and or in some cases total loss. The 1st
Marsh Award for International Plant Conservation Virtual Conference, International Congress of Historic
Conservation and Tara Moreau from UBC organised by the Royal Anthropological Botanical Gardens will be held in
Botanical Garden as the winner of the Institute. This major interdisciplinary Lisbon, 11-12 October 2021.
2020 Marsh Award for Education in conference aims to explore ways in which
Botanic Gardens. conservation and people go together, Find out more: 1st International
recognising that conservation can only be Congress of Historic Botanical Gardens
Find out more here: BGCI Announces properly achieved with the full participation (historicalbotanicgardenscongress.org)
2020 Marsh Award Recipients | Botanic of, and in full recognition of the rights of
Gardens Conservation International Indigenous Peoples. BGCI accreditation
Global botanic garden fund The call for panel proposals is now open, BGCI’s Accreditation Scheme
awards with a deadline of 12 March. BGCI members distinguishes botanic gardens from
can propose panels, or join the conference non-botanic gardens.
BGCI’s Global Botanic Garden Fund aims as a delegate, at the Fellows rate.
to support plant conservation and https://www.bgci.org/our-work/services-
sustainable development, especially in Find out more: Anthropology and for-botanic-gardens/bgci-accreditation-
smaller gardens, by disbursing small Conservation 2021 (therai.org.uk) scheme/
grants every year. In 2020, BGCI received
151 applications from more than 50
countries and 60 institutions. Following The following botanic gardens achieved BGCI Botanic Garden
review, 40 grants worth more than Accreditation since the last issue of BGjournal:
$82,000 have been awarded.
Funding for the Global Botanic Garden Universitetshagene, Norway
Fund was made possible in 2020 by Botanic Garden, Lund University, Sweden
contributions from The Botanist Jardin Botanique de l'Université de Fribourg, Switzerland
Foundation, the Gibson Charitable Trust,
crowd-sourced funding through the
BigGive Christmas Challenge, and the
BGCI/PlantSnap Covid-19 appeal. The following botanic gardens achieved BGCI Advanced Conservation
Practitioner Accreditation since the last issue of BGjournal:
A full list of grant recipients can be found
here: BGCI Announces 2020 Global Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve, Bahamas
Botanic Garden Fund Recipients | Botanic
Gardens Conservation International
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) 08
FEATURE
Author: Michael Agbayani Calaramo
FEATURED GARDEN
THE NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
ECOLOGICAL PARK & BOTANIC GARDENS
The NUEBG expedition team (Michael Agbayani Calaramo)
Racing against time to conserve the critical flora of the Northwestern Luzon, However, with no government support and
Philippines - The challenging role of a private university garden working to dependent solely on the university’s annual
budget, this is a challenging task.
secure local plant diversity in a typhoon prone region of the country.
In preserving the natural heritage of the
NW Luzon, the plant conservation
T
he Northwestern University super typhoons is increasing, the fear program is seen as the institution’s social
Ecological Park & Botanic Gardens of losing the very delicate floristic blanket obligation. Its mission and vision is to
(NUEBG) is a private university is a growing concern, especially as conserve plant diversity for the future
garden in the Philippines established as disturbances on critical landscapes of the Filipino people, as a sustainable
a living laboratory of the flora of the constrict the natural provenance of source of food, medicine, clothing and
Northwestern Luzon. The eight-hectare narrow endemic species to a critical level. building materials as well as the source
garden is ultimately designed to carry out A further threat for this archipelagic of livelihood for many locals.
plant conservation in response to the country is its location in the Pacific ring of
alarming decline of forest cover. This loss fire where earthquakes and volcanoes are Botanical collections
of habitat is due to a number of factors, active. This is the reality of what is
including: rapid rural infrastructure happening in the NW Luzon in the The garden has an extensive plant
development; changing climate that has Philippines - a megadiverse country yet collection for research and education
triggered prolonged dry periods during the among the hotspots of diversity loss. purposes especially the Philippine
summer and intense monsoon rains during gymnosperms, ferns and allies, aroids,
the wet season; and the over exploitation As a result of the Northwestern University orchids, Zingibers, Asclepiads, Aralias,
of natural resources that aggravates the management review & forum in 2007, the Myrtaleans, Legumes, Malvids, Euphorbs,
loss of local biodiversity. Annually there are concept of saving plant diversity in the NW and Philippine endemic trees. It also
an average of twenty typhoons that pass Luzon was envisaged, and this was the houses numerous exotic species and
over the country. As the prevalence of reason for the establishment of NUEBG. important flora of the different continents.
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) • 09-12 09
As a member of the worldwide botanic
community, it engages with a wide range
of visitors from the scientific community
who use botanical specimens for DNA
and phytochemistry work. Its living
collections are also arranged or grouped
systematically and provide a conducive
place for the study of plant systematics
or field botany, while special ecosystems
constructed to display specific flora are
used by ecology classes. Today the
botanic garden is immensely popular and
is becoming the central hub in the
northern Philippines for taxonomists and
plant researchers, especially since the
opening of the Herbarium of the
Northwestern Luzon Philippines (HNUL),
which houses more than twenty thousand
collections to date.
Rediscovering the vegetation of
the NW Luzon. The NUEBG entrance rotunda (Michael Agbayani Calaramo)
Plant expeditions were launched from coastal ecosystems up to the limestones Extent of the biological research
2007-2017 where the research unit of the and montane tropical rainforests. The
garden had a chance to explore the NUEBG Biological Diversity Research Unit The NUEBG team is comprised of
diversity of NW Luzon. The decade long traces the collection sites of Elmer Drew botanical staff, university academic
fieldwork enabled the team to document Merrill from the early 1900’s and is trying to personnel, researchers, volunteers, and
important plant species which were not recollect the 400 species that are endemic private enthusiasts. This team has been
yet included in the existing flora list. to the region. While the vegetation has carrying out a meticulous documentation
Some are so rare that very few individuals changed over a century, some of the of the flora and fauna of the entire NW
thrive in the wild. Taken as a whole, the species are already extirpated from their Luzon from the west of Cagayan and the
flora of the region is hugely diverse and a type locality. These species are Ixora entire Ilocos region down to the Zambales
wholistic program is needed to save this ilocana, Syzygium ilocanum and Psychotria mountain range in the south. Aside from
unique assembly. palimlimensis. But because of far-reaching floristic sampling the team is also engaged
exploration, thanks to numerous research in wildlife documentation. The Asian
The NUEBG continues to explore the grants that the university has received, the Raptor Research Conservation Network
remaining forest fragments of the region. NUEBG team have found new extant has partnered with the team since 2015
It has been able to identify 11 major populations of these species outside their and has documented numerous migratory
vegetation types, from arid and mangrove previous distribution range. birds which are vital indicators of the
status of the vegetation where they stay.
This work documented the first Philippine
country record of the Black Stork in
December 2018. Moreover, the NUEBG
team is an active participant in the Asian
Waterbird Census and numerous wildlife
conservation and monitoring advocacy
programs. It has also presented numerous
papers in international symposia and fora.
Working with local organisations
The NUEBG biological diversity research
unit also played an important role in the
floristic inventory of 5 national parks in
the region and the establishment of a
new protected area in the province of
Ilocos Norte. It works diligently with the
Department of Environment & Natural
Resources to conserve key species of the
region and identify critical ecosystems
Taxonomy classes (Michael Agbayani Calaramo) that need protection.
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) 10ensure that there are backup specimens
that can be relied upon whenever there is
devastation - and the most efficient
strategy is through seed conservation.
In 2013 the NUEBG started to collect
and save seeds in a freezer, as stocks
to maintain its living collections. They
are propagated every time a typhoon
damages a collection, or to increase
the species population at the gardens.
However, this program was on a short-
term basis due to lack of seed banking
protocols and management expertise.
Then, in 2018, the garden director
attended a seed conservation training
course at the Millennium Seedbank, and
View of the gardens (Michael Agbayani Calaramo) NUEBG became the first botanic garden
in the country to uphold the MSB seed
This is instrumental to most local Plant conservation and conservation techniques and protocols.
government units with a key role in the international collaboration
protection of critical vegetation. These NUEBG has spread its arms to numerous
vegetation types can be vast mafic The garden’s living plant collections are international collaborators in plant
ecosystems or coastal intertidal zones valued and provide hope for the flora of conservation. In 2020, the Dr. Cecilia Koo
which harbor endemic species. Dense the NW Luzon. These botanical Botanic Conservation Center (KBCC) in
tropical rainforests are endorsed to be collections contain considerable numbers Taiwan, which also experiences severe
part of protected landscapes. This is very of keystone species that will augment tropical storms, partnered with NUEBG
timely work as the Local Government and arrest the decline of plant to share expertise and conservation
Units (LGU) are updating their populations in the wild. However, the techniques to save the plants in peril
Comprehensive Land Use Plans garden itself is equally affected by along the Taiwan and Luzon island arc
(CLUP). This identification of important devastation and natural calamities, and flora. This partnership is one among
biodiversity spots is therefore included the NUEBG cannot afford to lose even a many possibilities to join forces in the
in their environmental protection and single species. As a long-term solution, battle to combat plant extinction in this
conservation strategy. the NUEBG must develop strategies to typhoon struck region.
Seedlings for restoration work (Michael Agbayani Calaramo)
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) 11of important biodiversity restricted to the
northwestern edge of the island of Luzon.
It will continue to uphold its:
Vision for Mother Earth:
NUEBG will lead a group of academic
plant scientists in Luzon to respond to
the needs of Northwest Luzon’s
diminishing ecosystems and respond
to the environmental needs of its local
communities as affected by natural
calamities, human exploitation, and
the changing climate.
Mission for Humanity:
A mission that would uplift the life of the
local people by educating the younger
populace to conserve the region’s natural
Screen House for newly acquired collections (Michael Agbayani Calaramo) resources (including the ecological
aspects used for ecotourism, the fertile
Ecological restoration projects iloconense, Robiquetia ilocosnortensis, lands for agriculture, the marine
Robiquetia roycimatui, Thrixspermum ecosystem and forest reserves which are
NUEBG has several in situ field work nicolasiorum, Dendrobium elineae), a the backbone of biodiversity) which are
sites. A 21 ha Anisoptera thurifera forest carnivorous plant (Nepenthes enigma), vital components of human survival.
located in Piddig Ilocos Norte is one of a begonia (Begonia palemlemensis), and
the most unique sites due to a an endemic shrub (Psychotria triflora). The NUEBG is seeking support from the
remarkable stand of a dipterocarp And more exciting discoveries are waiting international community to conserve the
species thriving in very arid seasonal for submission. island arc flora of Luzon, Taiwan and Japan
mafic vegetation. The NUEBG team, as they are of utmost conservation priority.
in collaboration with the Far Eastern The future of NUEBG
University Herbarium researchers in Michael Agbayani Calaramo,
Manila (FEUH), are conducting a While the Northwestern University Northwestern University Ecotourism
monitoring and conservation effort to operates as a private entity, its scope Park and Botanic Gardens,
restore the natural stand of dipterocarps and extent of biodiversity work marks Laoag City,
and its coexisting flora. These an indelible achievement in the Ilocos Norte,
exceptional trees are becoming documentation and conservation 2900 Philippines
endangered as they are affected by
climate change and habitat loss due to
annual forest fires.
Another 100 ha ecological restoration site
in Tadao Pasuquin, in the same province,
was launched in 2013 where a list of
carefully selected framework species
was used to augment the declining
vegetation. The site is a limestone forest
with patches of mafic vegetation.
This site is also a watershed and this
restoration combats the decline in forest
cover and degradation that could result
in low water supply for the surrounding
community.
Discoveries and publications
Despite the few scientific staff at the
garden, the decade-long NUEBG
exploration has enabled the production of
scientific writings. Eight new species to
science have been published from 2015-
2018. These include orchids (Cleisostoma Seed banking at NUEBG (Michael Agbayani Calaramo)
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) 12FEATURE
Author: Farahnoz Khojayori
PLANT HUNTING TALES
GARDENS AND THEIR
LESSONS: THE JOURNAL
OF A BOTANY STUDENT
Dr. Morgan Gostel teaching a student how to identify and collect a plant tissue sample at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. (Farahnoz Khojayori)
“Take the question to nature” proliferated a vast repository of genomic generation of field scientists, with
data, but often times that data’s value is specialized experience in identifying and
understanding the diversity of this Earth.
M
any centuries ago, the undermined by the lack of precise
philosopher Francis Bacon species information. Furthermore, the
encouraged people to “take the existing data only encompasses a small Significance of gardens
question to nature” and explore the percentage of known and existing
morphological diversity of the world with species on earth, most of which still Botanical gardens are a vast living
their own eyes and hands. This was the remain undescribed. Thus, the Global collection of plants. Analogous to zoos or
method of the ancients such as Aristotle Genome Initiative (GGI) was created to aquaria, botanical gardens often host
and Theophrastus, the father of Botany, facilitate the identification and collection plants from foreign and far-flung parts of
who through meticulous study of of non-human taxa across the Tree of the world to provide a tangible glance at
morphological features of the plants were Life, with a special focus on dark taxa diversity to the local people. Even Linnaeus
able to gather valuable information about that have no existing genomic himself attempted to recreate the biblical
their properties and share them with the information. Situated within the garden of Eden in the botanical gardens of
public. As time went on, botanists and Smithsonian Institution, GGI attempts to Uppsala University by sending his students
philosophers became entirely reliant on collect and preserve genome-quality to collect plants from remote parts of the
this previously collected information and tissues from all non-human species, and world. However, not many of those plants
often failed to interact with the world deposit them on the Global Genome survived the harsh winters of Sweden.
around them. Thus Bacon’s frustration Biodiversity Network repository so that Similarly, Islamic cultures fascinated with
encouraged people to seek answers to the collections may be accessible by heaven, attempted to recreate paradise
their questions within nature itself. researchers to enable new advances and gardens filled with glorious plants and
Recently, the acceleration of genomic discoveries. But a far more lasting impact later memorialized those gardens
tools and reduction of their costs have of the initiative is to train a new through weaving onto carpets.
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) • 13-15 13Fig. 2: Notable collections including
(A) Ansellia africana, (B) the rare Dalea hallii,
(C) explosive Caesalpinia gilliesii, and
(D) common Larrea tridentata. (Farahnoz Khojayori)
offered an unprecedented explosion of
botanical diversity. Over the course of
three days we made 97 collections from
the John Fairey Garden, nature areas
around the coast, and the Mercer Botanic
Gardens. When we started our trip in
Peckerwood, working with Adam Black,
we were not prepared for the diversity we
encountered. In a short afternoon of
surveying, we had managed to collect
more samples than an entire day in our
recent ventures in Fort Worth. Each plant
was different than the next, from tall
trees, to succulents and palms, to hidden
ferns, and boisterous flowers with their
showy personalities. The diversity before
us was simply awe-striking. At one point,
as we stood in the corner of the
greenhouse and Adam presented
specimen after specimen, we
synchronized to the point of not even
needing to talk. I would go and cut a
During the renaissance, botanical tissues, and provides access to vast specimen to press for a herbarium
gardens became a staple feature of genomic resources for plants to voucher, remove a couple leaves and
universities, where cultivation of plants, researchers across the world. pass them to Seth, who neatly
encouraged by the medical department, catalogued and separated them into the
fostered learning and medicinal use of A summer of botanical discovery tissue collecting vesicles. In the
plants. And as colonial pursuits vastly meantime, Morgan recorded every
explored the unknown corners of the During the summer of 2019, as part of the possible characteristic of the plant onto
world, botanical gardens became a GGI for Gardens, Dr. Morgan Gostel, Seth our field journal in iNaturalist. And then,
display of the conquests of empires. Hamby, and I travelled across seven of we would restart the procedure with the
At the same time, desire to grow foreign the ten ecoregions of Texas (Fig. 1). Our next specimen. By the time, we raised
plants rapidly increased interest in mission was to accurately determine our heads to look up, it was well into late
horticulture and development of glass species and collect genome quality afternoon, and the sun was setting. All
houses to preserve and display unique tissues of the local flora of Texas. In the we could do was marvel at over 70
tropical plants. Today, gardens embrace short span of three months, we travelled specimens, wedged tightly between two
the history of their origins through to 13 botanical sites, including botanical pieces of wood.
magnificent displays of the Earth’s gardens, nature centers, wildlife refuges,
wonders. But they also serve roles to and state parks. As part of our efforts, we
preserve and protect valuable plants that collected herbarium vouchers and
can no longer thrive in their rapidly genome quality tissues preserved in
depleting natural habitats. Thus, gardens liquid nitrogen and silica gel for 250 taxa
have become a refuge for plants, and of plants. Amongst these were five new
today, some of the only living individuals taxa at the family level and 115 new
of species can be found in gardens. species added to the GGBN database.
Some notable gems of the collection
Once GGI began to harvest tissues include Dalea hallii, Aquilegia longissima,
across the world for the repository, Ophioglossum engelmannii, and Larrea
Professor Vicki Funk dared the program tridentata (Fig. 2).
director to start collection efforts in
gardens, knowing full well the vast Anthropogenic angels
treasures stored in each one. Thus, the
GGI for Gardens partner was born, and As we honed our collecting skills into a
quickly expedited the vast collection of well-oiled three-person force, we traveled
plants across the world. At its core GGI- to the infamous city of Houston.
Gardens fosters collection of genome Positioned uniquely on the confluence of Fig. 1: Map of the collecting sites for GGI Gardens
quality plants, preservation of botanical four disparate ecoregions, Houston during the summer of 2019. (Farahnoz Khojayori)
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) 14It was at this point that I discovered the
anthropogenic angels hidden in each
garden. Botanists and naturalists like Bob
O’Kennon and Adam Black, spend their
entire lives dedicated to the understanding
and preservations of the world’s quickly
disappearing biodiversity. At Mercer
Botanical Gardens, I witnessed the stories
of the surviving city. Overwhelmed and
flooded by the disaster of Hurricane
Harvey, most of the garden was once
submerged underwater. Small potted
plants like Acanthostachys strobilacea,
were dislodged by the water and displaced
miles away by its turbulent waves. But as
the storm raged, rescuers joined the staff
from across the state and country to come
and recover the plants. Lost individuals
were found, returned, and continued to
thrive, showing the resilience of plants,
people, and gardens.
At Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute,
I witnessed the innovation of the human
spirit. Volunteers from the local area would
come together to cut down the dying
inflorescence of Yucca trees, trim the
leaves, and polish the wood to make
walking sticks for the hickers to enjoy the
desert terrain. Nearby, in the herbarium and
botanical gardens of Sul Ross University, Dr. Morgan Gostel preparing a herbarium voucher (left), Seth Hamby entering data into the field journal (right),
Dr. Michael and Mrs. Shirley Powell, and Farahnoz Khojayori collecting genome quality tissues (back-left). (Minette Marr)
dedicated decades to the classification,
description, and illustration of the vast flora Impact and future directions: resilience in the face of devastating
of the Trans-Pecos, in a magnificent tome circumstances. How a plant, a garden,
the Flora of the Trans-Pecos. Despite the exhaustion, heat, and even a community could survive, support each
danger posed by the elements and other, and thrive despite all odds. In
At our home base in the Botanical creatures before us, it was the single best Austin, I saw how one person could plant
Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) and its experience in my life. The lessons of a seed that set its roots throughout the
associated botanic gardens, I understood gardens transcend the boundaries of land to inspire a culture of conservation
the true scope of gardens. Since their botanical research. Each garden seemed and education. And in Fort Worth is
inception in 1934, the Fort Worth Botanic to have its own mission whether it was where I learned how to live. I learned that
Gardens house 23 unique gardens, and conservation, research, education, life is far more complex and richer than
are home to the largest collections of tourism, or a combination of those one could imagine; that each venture
Begonias on the western hemisphere. elements. Furthermore, unique programs posed an opportunity for an answer but
On the other hand, the recently adjoined at gardens provided a solace for the far more doors for newer questions. I
research institute houses nearly three larger community, bringing people witnessed the vast human compassion of
million herbarium vouchers and fosters together through volunteering, or botanists, the kindness of strangers, and
research on the frontiers of science. But education. But largely the gardens were the wisdom of those who have lived in
more importantly, they provide education, a refuge for plants, housing species that service of others, whether its plants or
conservation, and protection of the local could no longer be found in the wild and people. And so I walk a little wiser, but far
fauna. Their education ranges from typical preserving diversity through careful study more curious than ever, ready for the next
classroom lessons and internships for and nurture of each plant into their adventure. Today, I am pursuing my PhD
botanical students to advice and adulthood. At Big Bend Ranch State Park at the University of Cambridge. Seth
clarification in criminal botanical and the Davis Mountains Preserve, Hamby is the head gardener of the
mysteries. More importantly, the BRIT I witnessed the complexity of nature. Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute.
press publishes articles, books, and They taught me how plants and animals And Dr. Morgan Gostel continues to be a
reviews of botanical literature, cultivating survived and responded to the lifelong friend and mentor, inspiring new
botanical literacy across the world. And convergence of drastically different students with his endless kindness and
thus, each member of BRIT pushes the climates and geographies, and the burst passion for botany, leaving a profound
boundaries for the scope of gardens and of diversity that was the ultimate result. impact on our understanding of the world
the possibilities of botanical discovery. In Houston, I witnessed the lessons in and the scope of GGI Gardens.
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) 15FEATURE
INTERVIEW
TALKING PLANTS
In my scientific career I have worked biorepositories” involving 16 institutions
as a field botanist (e.g. publishing the from nine countries. It turned out that
candidate list of rare and endangered Germany had already solved many of the
plants of Massachusetts in 1978 for the database/informatics issues in their DNA
USA Endangered Species Act), was Bank Network. GGI built on that and
trained as an invertebrate zoologist, and helped to fund the development of the
then hired as a Smithsonian entomologist GGBN data standard, which is now
(spiders are not insects). I begin to compatible with all major natural history
publish on biodiversity in general in the collection database systems. This
1990’s, saw the necessity of genomics contribution meant that any institution
for research and conservation in the early had a data model for their genetic
2000’s, and co-authored the vision for the resources, and those data could be
Global Genome Initiative, “to preserve shared with the world via the GGBN data
and understand the genomic diversity portal. Membership in GGBN stands at
of Life,” which I now direct. 97 members from 35 countries, and is
growing rapidly. A number of these
For this issue of BGjournal, we were The past year has been very challenging institutions came in through GGI-
delighted to have the opportunity to talk to in many ways. Has the COVID-19 Gardens. Botanical Gardens and
Jonathan Coddington, the Director of the pandemic had a major impact on the arboreta, among all collections-based
Global Genome Initiative. work of the GGI and how have these institutions, have a uniquely important
impacts been overcome? opportunity and role in conserving their
You have been director of the Global discipline, plant diversity. GGN is a dues-
Genome Initiative (GGI) since 2015. Can GGI simply switched to digital work. paying organization, with its own rules
you tell us a bit about how your research Genomic samples require a lot of and by-laws. I think biological
on the systematics and behaviour of metadata, and can be difficult to collections-based institutions are coming
spiders led you to become interested in catalogue. It all happens on to realize that genomics is such an
global biodiversity genomics. spreadsheets. GGI has also been effective research and conservation tool,
supporting the inclusion of legacy that institutional survival and continued
genomic collections in the centralized relevance depends on incorporating
NMNH biorepository; cleaning up and some version of genomics collections.
importing those data is also time- Through GGBN and GGI-Gardens, GGI
consuming. However, we usually fund funds awards programs that are strongly
a lot of field and laboratory work, and weighted towards institutions in
COVID-19 has prevented that. underserved and biodiverse countries.
The GGI hosts the secretariat of the Apart from the pandemic, what do you
Global Genome Biodiversity Network. see as the major challenges facing the
How important is collaboration and GGI in the coming years?
networking to the success of the GGI
and how are such relationships GGI was never intended to be, and is not,
supported? a permanent program. We were
successful in fund raising for about two-
Networking and collaboration are thirds of our goal, but GGI will sunset at
fundamental to GGI. No single institution the end of 2021, having expensed many
can address or ameliorate the effects of millions of dollars. It was always our
environmental change, and the Global intent to spend big, and as fast as
South, is, after all, where most of prudence permitted. Genomic science
megadiversity occurs. Countries own widely acknowledges that access to high
their own patrimony—partnership and quality tissues is rate limiting, just as the
collaboration is the only way forward. still spotty “library” of DNA signatures,
An open liquid nitrogen tank at the Smithsonian’s Even before GGI had significant funding, which permit industrial, scalable
Biorepository. (Donald E. Hurlbert) we hosted in 2011 a workshop on “virtual taxonomic identifications, is crucial.
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) • 16-17 16Insofar as before GGI, no coherent the very few organizations that thinks This journal is produced by and for the
international framework or mechanism to about it ALL. For example, it is to me botanic garden community. Do you have
share computable biodiversity genomics startling that only about 10,000 taxonomic a favourite botanic garden and if so, why
data on samples existed, it seems families exist, and generally only about a is it your favourite?
possible that GGI has changed the world. dozen new ones are discovered per year.
(That doesn’t include lumping and splitting, Botany was the first natural history
As well as leading the GGI, you also or other rearrangements of known discipline I could really access, because
continue to have research and curatorial diversity.) I think we are pretty much done of excellent local field guides. I was about
responsibilities. Which aspects of your with the inventory of major lineages! GGBN eleven. At about 15 I started working as a
job do you find most interesting and has preserved, with its partners, about cross-country ditch digger (don’t ask),
rewarding? 5,700. We call the ones that are still out and I gobbled my lunch so I could spend
there, “dark” taxa. GGI provides guidance the rest of the time botanizing. Only
In spiders I still work on taxonomy, to many projects via gap analyses that tells about 25 miles away from my hometown
phylogeny, and evolution—the last major you what is preserved and what is not. (on rotted schist) was the Housatonic
effort was a review of the astonishing I enjoy focusing our efforts on the darkest River Valley—limestone! The difference
diversity of spider sexual biology. However, taxa we can find. Just at the moment, astonished me. My first and sentimental
it’s fair to say that I am thrilled to get as I am mesmerized by an isolated parasite favourite was Bartholomew’s Cobble in
many lineages as possible through the lineage found only in octopus kidneys Sheffield Massachusetts that specialized
current extinction bottleneck. GGI is one of (Dicyemida). in native limestone ferns. Maybe it is not
formally a garden, but it had a lot of
labels, and I’m pretty sure the staff kept
close track of their Lygodium palmatum
(Bernh.) Swartz. Living in the DC area, I
can easily get to the sumptuous gardens
in the Brandywine River Valley, but I do
like ones that showcase their local flora—
or have Welwitschia.
(Barney Wilczak)
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) 17ARTICLES
BANKING BOTANICAL DIVERSITY WITH THE GLOBAL GENOME BIODIVERSITY NETWORK (GGBN)
THE GLOBAL GENOME INITIATIVE FOR GARDENS:
CONSERVATION PRIORITIES AT THE INTERFACE OF BOTANIC GARDENS
AND BIODIVERSITY GENOMICS
RIO DE JANEIRO BOTANICAL GARDEN AND THE GLOBAL GENOME INITIATIVE FOR GARDENS
LEARNING HOW TO SEQUENCE BIODIVERSITY BEFORE ITS GONE
CRYOPRESERVATION FOR THE FUTURE
GENETIC AND GENOMIC STUDIES OF NATIVE MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS MAINTAINED
IN BOTANICAL GARDEN AND LIVING COLLECTIONS IN GREECE: THE EXAMPLE OF ORIGANUM SPP.
Fern house at the Dr Cecilia Koo Botanical
Conservation Centre (KBCC)
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) 18ARTICLE
Authors: Ole Seberg, Gabi Dröge, Jonathan Coddington and Katharine Barker
BANKING BOTANICAL
BIODIVERSITY WITH
THE GLOBAL GENOME
BIODIVERSITY
NETWORK (GGBN)
Liquid nitrogen storage tanks at the National Museum of Natural History's biorepository in Washington DC (Donald E. Hurlbert)
E
xcluding algae, mosses, liverworts from, e.g., herbaria, frequently becomes substantially to the Global Genome
and hornworts it is estimated that a challenge: 1) the DNA in specimens is Biodiversity Network’s (GGBN:
there are nearly 400,000 known often fragmented; 2) historical www.ggbn.org) diversity of plant
plant species in the world, of which preservation techniques usually fail to samples. Together they have helped to
370,000 are flowering plants. Presently inhibit endo- and exonuclease activity; close important taxonomic sampling
around 2,000 new species are described or 3) the DNA can become almost gaps in conservation. However, there is
each year – though this number is inaccessible due to preservatives and no free lunch and any project, regardless
decreasing (Christenhusz and Byng, fixatives that cause widespread post- of its size needs to comply with the ABS
2016). Surprisingly approximately one mortem damage, interfering with (Access and Benefit) requirements on the
third of these known species may be sequencing (e.g. by cross-linking DNA use of genetic resources as a
found in botanic gardens, which also hold and proteins in formalin-preserved consequence of the Nagoya-Protocol.
41% of the known threatened species. tissues; see, Friedman and DeSalle,
Perhaps not surprisingly most of the 2008; Zimmermann et al., 2008). Building capacity to preserve the
species composition in botanic gardens Even though advances in sequencing world's biodiversity
is biased toward the temperate zone as technology have significantly broadened
that is where a substantial part of the the quality range of material that may GGBN was founded in 2011 in order to join
world’s botanic gardens are situated and potentially be sequenced, it remains the efforts of promoting access to
it is estimated that 76% of the tropical easier and much more efficient to use information about, and legal exchange of,
species are absent from the collection either fresh material or material stored the biodiversity genomic samples
(Mounce et al., 2017). This goes to show under optimal conditions, e.g., in maintained by its members. It provides a
the enormous role botanic gardens play biodiversity biobanks. platform to unite biodiversity biobanks
in achieving global conservation goals, from across the world in order to: 1) Enable
such as ex situ conservation of living During the last decade, a series of data-mining and strategic analysis across
plants, seed banks, and increasingly genomics projects with huge taxonomic one consistent database of global genomic
conservation genomics. scope have been launched, e.g., Earth resources, 2) Collaborate to ensure
BioGenome Project: Sequencing life for consistent quality standards for DNA and
Traditionally botanic garden collections the future of life (Lewin, 2018). Common tissue collections, 3) Improve best
were used for taxonomy and general to all larger genome projects is their practices for the preservation and use of
plant biology but the molecular revolution heavy reliance on easy access to such collections, 4) Harmonize exchange
has changed this dramatically, and the appropriate samples and botanic gardens and use of genetic materials in accordance
need for quickly preserved, properly are one excellent source of such relevant with national and international legislation
vouchered and correctly identified plant material. This fact has been very and conventions, in particular the Nagoya
material has increased significantly. The successfully explored by GGI-gardens Protocol, and 5) Enable targeted, strategic
use of traditionally preserved materials and its members, who have added collection to fill crucial biodiversity gaps.
BGCI • 2021 • BGjournal • Vol 18 (1) • 19-20 19Glossary:
Biodiversity repository
A publicly accessible curated collection
of biological material. Examples include
museum, herbaria, botanical gardens,
seed banks and zoos.
Biodiversity biobank
A subset of biodiversity repositories
and collections that store DNA, RNA
or tissue samples of biodiversity, (in
general excluding human material).
Natural history collection
Traditional (i.e. morphological and
-80C freezers at the National Museum of Natural History's biorepository in Washington DC (Donald E. Hurlbert) other) museum and herbarium
collections.
To achieve its mission, one of GGBN’s able to share their collections through
principal activities is the management of infrastructures such as GGBN in the near Genome sequencing
future, for the benefit of everyone and Genome, metagenome, transcriptome,
a globally distributed database of
and marker sequencing.
genomic samples linked to voucher major step towards implementing the
specimens – the GGBN Data Portal. Nagoya Protocol.
Genome quality
High-molecular weight DNA or RNA.
Connecting researchers to Literature:
collections Biodiversity genomics
, Christenhusz, M.J.M and Byng, J. W. DNA sequencing of biodiversity.
Historically, scientists seeking genomic 2016. The number of known plants
samples for research had no central species in the world and its annual Genomic sample
access point to simplify their search. increase.‒ Phyototaxa 261: 201–217 Any biological material preserved to
Thus, countless opportunities for keep its molecular properties (in general
research, development and conservation , Friedman, M. and DeSalle, R. 2008. excluding human material). Examples
have been lost due to a lack of access to Mitochondrial DNA extraction and include DNA, RNA, and tissue.
available biological resources. The GGBN sequencing of formalin-fixed archival
Exonuclease
Data Portal addresses this by providing snake tissue. Mitochondrial DNA
Degradation of DNA or RNA in living
researchers with a one-stop entrance to 19: 433–437.
organisms requires enzymes called
high-quality, well-documented, legally-
nucleases, viz, deoxyribonucleases
obtained DNA and tissue samples that , Lewin, H.A. et al. 2018. Earth
(DNAases) and ribonucleases (RNAses).
are compliant with access- and benefit- BioGenome Project: Sequencing life These both fall in two categories
sharing agreements (not least the Nagoya for the future of life. ‒ PNAS 115: exonucleases and endonucleases.
Protocol). GGBN members contribute to 4325-4333. Endonucleases cut the DNA or RNA
the Data Portal, which is globally molecules inside the molecule,
searchable, while samples remain the , Mounce, R., Smith, P. and exonucleases from either end.
property of, and properly attributed to, Brockington. S. 2017. Ex situ
the contributing member. Today 97 conservation of plant diversity in the DNA degradation
organizations have joined GGBN, mainly world’s botanic gardens. ‒ Nature Chemical breakdown of the DNA
natural history collections and botanical Plants 3: 795- 802. molecule. The half-life of DNA is 521
gardens, but also seed banks, culture years, hence fossils older than 5 or 6
collections as well as Zoos and Aquaria, , Zimmermann, J., Hajibabaei, M., million years don’t contain any DNA
veterinary and agricultural collections. Blackburn, D.C., et al. 2008. DNA anymore. To stop degradation a stable
GGBN is working together with other damage in preserved specimens cold and dry environment is needed,
stakeholders such as GBIF (Global and tissue samples: a molecular today usually achieved by storing DNA
samples in liquid nitrogen or -80C
Biodiversity Information Facility), INSDC assessment. Frontiers in Zoology
freezers.
(International Nucleotide Sequence 5: 18. doi:10.1186/1742–9994–5–18.
Database Collaboration), and ISBER
Tissue preservation
(International Society for Biological and Ole Seberg, In botany, tissues are normally stored
Environmental Repositories) in order to Natural History Museum of Denmark in silica gel in a stable and dry
provide tools and infrastructures for environment. For RNA analyses tissue
traceable and trackable molecular Gabi Dröge, must be stored in liquid nitrogen or -
research. In this issue the importance and Botanischer Garten 80C immediately after sampling.
role of botanical collections is highlighted und Botanisches Museum,
and we hope more collections will be Berlin-Dahlem, Germany
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