Reintroduction of Rare Plants: Genetics, Demography, and the Role of Ex Situ Conservation Methods

Many endangered plant species have been reduced to so few populations and such low numbers that timely collection and storage of seed has become imperative. If donor populations become extinct or seriously depleted, then off-site, or ex situ, samples can be used to reintroduce or augment populations in the wild. The strategic value of an ex situ component for plant conservation has been articulated by Falk (1987, 1990, 1992), who also helped establish the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC). The CPC is a national network of botanic gardens and arboreta that is attempting to assemble a genetically representative collection of our nation’s most rare and endangered plants while it is still possible to do so.