The key roles of seed banks in plant biodiversity management in New Zealand

The New Zealand flora is a mixture of indigenous and introduced species. The indigenous species have a high intrinsic value while the introduced species include all of the crop and pasture plants upon which the export-led economy depends. New Zealand must maintain both of these important sources of biodiversity in balance. Seed banks are useful tools for biodiversity management. In New Zealand, a seed bank for indigenous species has been a very recent initiative. By contrast, seed banks for introduced species have been established for over 70 years. The reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. For the economic species, conserved genetic diversity is used to enhance productivity and the environment. Large advances can be gained from species that are not used as economic plants. The gene-pool of white clover has been expanded by the use of minor species conserved as seeds in the Margot Forde Germplasm Centre. Keywords: Seed banks, biodiversity conservation, New Zealand flora