Rainforest Germplasm Conservation Program

Summary

Australia’s ancient rainforests are home to a diverse array of native plants and animals. Their moist, lush microclimates support a number of threatened flora and fauna including the Tall Astelia (Astelia australiana), Slender Tree Fern (Cyathea cunninghamii) and the Otway Black Snail (Victaphanta compacta). Rainforests were once more widespread across Victoria when the climate was cooler. Since that time, they have since retracted to cooler, wetter parts of the state. Climate change now poses one of the biggest threats to these ecosystems and large tracts have been lost to bushfires (particularly in 2019/20). These fragile and beautiful ecosystems are also heavily impacted by human activity such as timber harvesting, disease and land clearance.

The Rainforest Germplasm Conservation Program aims to collect rainforest seed and reproductive tissue (known as ‘germplasm’) for long term storage at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and the Australian Plant Bank. Cryopreservation involves storing seeds at very low temperatures to maintain their viability. Due to their unique characteristics, rainforest seeds can be challenging to store in these cryogenic seedbanks.

Project Strategy

Stage One

The first stage of the Rainforest Germplasm Conservation Program is a pilot project that will scope a three year Statewide program. Important rainforest sites will be selected and key rainforest flora will be identified and assessed for suitability for long term cryogenic storage. Volunteers will then be trained in the collection of rainforest germplasm and join us in the field to assist us to document, trial and refine germplasm collection and storage methodologies. This pilot project is currently funded.

Stage Two

The second stage of the Rainforest Germplasm Conservation Program is a larger program to implement the pilot program. This will involve the large scale storage of germplasm from dominant rainforest species from key rainforest communities across Victoria. This will assist to mitigate the extinction of these unique ecological communities by providing seed for future regeneration works. Stage Two is currently unfunded.

Partners

The Australian PlantBank

The Australian PlantBank is Australia’s largest native seedbank. Australian PlantBank is saving threatened plants and communities from extinction by conducting vital research and providing a state-of-the-art seed conservation service. In 2019, the Australian PlantBank was awarded the prestigious Global Seed Conservation Challenge award. Scientists from the facility are at the forefront of research into methods to conserve drying-intolerant and freezing-sensitive rainforest seeds.

Victorian Conservation Seedbank

The Victorian Conservation Seedbank is an initiative of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria working in collaboration with the Millennium Seed Bank based at Kew Botanic Gardens, England. The primary endeavour of the Victorian Conservation Seedbank is to secure threatened and endemic flora. They collect native seed from wild populations across Victoria and store them at the Victorian Conservation Seedbank and the Millennium Seed Bank.

Conservation Status: All Victorian Rainforest is threatened and listed under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act, 1999.
Estimated Cost of Project: $600,000
Funding Received: $30,000
Duration: 3.5 years