Synopses & Reviews
The richness of tropical plant diversity is widely recognized and the full range of this diversity is often not well appreciated. This wide diversity includes wild relatives of existing crops or landraces and also many neglected or underutilized species with potential as food sources, medicinal or ornamental uses. The rapid loss of these plant species is also very much recognized as they are under threat from a rapidly increasing population pressure and from natural and manmade disasters. The importance of germplasm conservation is being increasingly realized with expanded effort to conserve tropical plant species by a wide range of countries and international agencies. In situ and ex situ approaches are both needed for optimal conservation. Research on utilization, characterization of the germplasm and development of conservation techniques is being carried out in order to fully safeguard the diversity and to obtain the best storage available for the collections. Information on these approaches is scattered in journals, book chapters and technical reports from scientists in all corners of the world and not readily available to all interested parties. Hence, we feel that it is timely to present these various conservation efforts all in one place. To this end we approached researchers involved in conservation of tropical plant species with diverse viewpoints and from diverse locations to contribute to this book. We hope to provide a review of the methods and current status of conservation of a range of tropical plant species. Plants included in this volume are from the major crops, fruit, oil palm, coconut and forestry species. In addition ornamentals with a focus on orchids, and the spices and medicinal plants are represented. This book also provides information on the richness of tropical plant diversity, the need to conserve, and the potential utilization of these genetic resources. Future perspectives of conservation of tropical species are discussed. Besides being useful to researchers and graduate students in the field, we hope to create a reference for a much wider audience interested in the conservation of tropical plant diversity.
Synopsis
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
H.F. Chin, Barbara Reed, M.N. Normah.
Section I: Conservation Methods
1. Conservation of tropical plant genetic resources - In situ approach -Ramanatha Rao ([email protected]) and Bhuwon Sthapit
2. Collecting the wild relatives of crops in the tropics - Duncan Vaughan ([email protected]), Yasuko Yoshida, Masaru Takeya and Norihiko Tomooka
3. Seed banks for future generation - H.F. Chin ([email protected]), Paul Quek and U.R. Sinniah
4. Pollen cryobanking for tropical plant species - S. Ganeshan ([email protected]), P. E. Rajasekharan, B. S. Ravish T. Vasantha Kumar
5. In vitro genebanks for preserving tropical biodiversity - Barbara Reed ([email protected]), Sandhya Gupta2, and Esther E. Uchendu
6. Cryopreservation - Florent Engelmann ([email protected])
7. Biomarkers from molecules to ecosystems and biobanks to genebanks -
Keith Harding ([email protected]) and Erica Benson ([email protected])
Section II: Current status
8. Conservation of Tropical Fruit Genetic Resources - Normah M.N. ([email protected]), S.K. Malik, I. Salma, Makeen A.M.
9. Conservation of orchids the gems of the tropics - Irawati ([email protected])
10. Conservation of oil palm and coconut genetic resources - Rajanaidu N and Ainul M.M ([email protected])
11. Conserving tropical leguminous food crops - Ng Nyat Quat ([email protected])
12. Tropical and Subtropical Root and Tuber Crops - David Tay ([email protected])
13. Cereals - Fiona R. Hay ([email protected]), N. Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton, Bonnie J. Furman, Hari D. Upadhyaya, K.N. Reddy, S.K. Singh.
14. Diversity & Conservation of Tropical Forestry Species in Southeast Asia - Marzalina Mansor ([email protected])
15. The In Vitro Conservation of Plants Native to the Brazilian Amazon and Atlantic Forests - Eduardo da Costa Nunes, Fernanda Kokowicz Pilatti, Cristine Luciana Rescarolli, Erica E. Benson, Ana Maria Viana ([email protected]),
16. Ex situ conservation of plant genetic resources of major vegetables -Andreas Ebert ([email protected])
17. Conservation of spices and tree borne oil seed crops - Rekha Chaudhury ([email protected]) and S.K.Malik
18. Conservation of medicinal plants in the tropics - Neelam Sharma ([email protected]) and Ruchira Pandey ([email protected])
Section III: Future perspectives
19. Global challenges for agricultural plant biodiversity and international collaboration - Ehsan Dulloo [email protected]
20. Major research challenges and directions for future research - Florent Engelmann ([email protected]) and Ramanatha Rao
Section II: Current status
8. Conservation of Tropical Fruit Genetic Resources - Normah M.N. ([email protected]), S.K. Malik, I. Salma, Makeen A.M.
9. Conservation of orchids the gems of the tropics - Irawati ([email protected])
10. Conservation of oil palm and coconut genetic resources - Rajanaidu N and Ainul M.M ([email protected])
11. Conserving tropical leguminous food crops - Ng Nyat Quat ([email protected])
12. Tropical and Subtropical Root and Tuber Crops - David Tay ([email protected])
13. Cereals - Fiona R. Hay
Synopsis
The book is designed to provide a review on the methods and current status of conservation of the tropical plant species. It will also provide the information on the richness of the tropical plant diversity, the need to conserve, and the potential utilization of the genetic resources. Future perspectives of conservation of tropical species will be discussed. Besides being useful to researchers and graduate students in the field, we hope to create a reference for a much wider audience who are interested in conservation of tropical plant diversity.
Synopsis
This book reviews the methods and current status of conservation of tropical plant species, covering the richness of tropical plant diversity, the need to conserve, the potential utilization of genetic resources, along with future perspectives on conservation.
About the Author
Normah M. Noor, Ph.D., received her B.A. in Biology from Macalester College (Minnesota), her M.S. in Crop Science from Michigan State University and her PhD in Seed Science from Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (Agriculture University of Malaysia). She is a Professor at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (National University of Malaysia) as well as Director of its Institute of Systems Biology. Her groundbreaking work leading to the development of a technique for the cryopreservation of embryonic axes of rubber represented seminal work in the cryopreservation of recalcitrant seeds.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents Preface Introduction Tropical Biodiversity Need for conservation -M.N. Normah, H.F. Chin, Barbara Reed. Section I: Conservation 1. Conservation of tropical plant genetic resources - In situ approach -Ramanatha Rao (
[email protected]) and Bhuwon Sthapit 2.