Seed banks are essential repositories of biodiversity for future generations from "summary" of Seeds of Science by Mark Lynas
Seed banks are often described as 'arks' or 'fortresses' for plant life, safeguarding the genetic diversity of the world's flora for future generations. These repositories of biodiversity play a crucial role in ensuring the resilience and adaptability of crops in the face of climate change, pests, and diseases. By storing seeds from a wide variety of plant species, seed banks are essentially preserving the building blocks of our food supply. The importance of seed banks lies not only in their role as insurance against unforeseen environmental challenges but also in their potential to unlock the genetic potential of plants for future agricultural development. With advances in biotechnology and genomics, scientists are able to study the genetic makeup of seeds stored in seed banks to identify traits that could be beneficial for breeding new crop...
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