Seed banking of mediterranean coastal plants: an analysis to identify current seed availability and gaps to guide future seed collection and habitat restoration activities

Abstract

Mediterranean coastal habitats and the biotic communities they harbor face a variety of threats and their conservation is a global priority. Reintroductions are an effective tool to reverse wild plant population declines, and seed banks can supply the plant material required for these activities. Without accurate knowledge of what species are available at local seed banks, planning and performing reintroductions may be a challenge. In this study, we assessed the seed banking status of the characteristic species of target Mediterranean coastal habitats across 28 European and extra-European seed banks of the Mediterranean biogeographic region and answered the following questions: (1) how many accessions of the target species are currently banked? and (2) what has been the trend of seed collection for the target species in the last 50 years? We found that only half of the target species are stored in at least one seed bank, with many occurring in one seed bank as a single accession; for less than half of the target species, the surveyed seed banks had access to a propagation protocol; only 10% of the considered accessions have been used for in situ conservation activities; and seed collection efforts have increased exponentially over the last five decades. Mediterranean seed banks should prioritize future collection efforts on underrepresented species and habitats; and make good use of existing seed bank networks to share seeds and knowledge.