Role of Seed Banks in the Conservation of Plant Diversity and Ecological Restoration

An appropriate method for conservation of a particular plant gene pool needs extensive approach, collaborate the different ex situ and in situ methods. Gene banks are a type of bio repository that preserves genetic material. According to Dekker, 1997, [12] a seed bank stores seeds to preserve genetic diversity; hence it is a type of gene bank. There are currently more than 1,000 seed banks exist around the world, varying in type, size and focus. The world's largest secure seed storage is Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Whereas in India, Indian Seed Vault is the largest secure seed bank lies in a high-altitude mountain pass on the Chang La seed vault in Ladakh. Seed banks are maintained with the objectives of improving the effectiveness of sustainable management and conservation of biodiversity through adequate conservation and preserving the genes that plant breeders need to disease resistance, nutritional quality, drought tolerance, taste, increase yield etc. of crops. There are two most important studies regarding seed bank, i.e., soil seed bank and canopy seed bank. In agroecosystem, soil seed bank is more closely related to weed seed bank study [8]. According to Karim et al., 2018 [15], Parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L., Family: Asteraceae) is an invasive alien species threatening the biodiversity and the environment in Malaysia. A canopy seed bank or aerial seed bank is the aggregate of viable seed stored by a plant in its canopy. Canopy seed banks occur in plants that delays seed dispersal for some reason. Seed dispersal in serotinous species is normally triggered by fire and seeds are short‐lived after release, germinating during the first favourable period [9]. Therefore, Seed banks have a vital role to play in supporting integrated strategies for conservation and sustainable use of plants. The cost effectiveness of seed banking technology clearly depends on the seed biology of the target species, and the role that the collection will play in long-term conservation and ecological restoration strategies. Seed bank recognises the opportunity to provide ecological restoration materials to users. Seed banks respond to the increasing demand for seed and provide information to support habitat restoration and also reintroduction of threatened species.