The National Botanical Garden’s (JBN) seedbank aims to protect the more than 6,000 plant species native to the country. The goal of the seedbank, which was created in 2007, is to preserve the region’s germplasm for research purposes, as well as to promote reproduction, restoration of native species, habitat recovery in general and education using widely accepted protocols established by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
JBN director Ricardo Garcia said that, while other similar projects are focused on cultivation, this seedbank fundamentally aims to protect the flora native to Hispaniola, shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti, placing special attention on plants facing extinction.
The JBN has partnered with technicians with the UK Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, who have helped in the construction and management of the seedbank.
The bank “guarantees the conservation” of the island’s flora to counteract the effects of climate change, Garcia said, adding that the institution is an important resource to help Haiti, a country that has lost more than 70% of its forests.
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LAHT
17 July 2018
