The Noah's Ark For Plants Beneath The English Countryside

Inside bomb-proof frozen vaults underneath the English countryside hides a treasure trove of 40,000 species of wild plant seeds from around the world, many of which are in danger of disappearing

Ardingly, United Kingdom, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th May, 2023 ):Inside bomb-proof frozen vaults underneath the English countryside hides a treasure trove of 40,000 species of wild plant seeds from around the world, many of which are in danger of disappearing.

The world's largest seed bank, located in the sleepy countryside south of London, is in a race against time because two out of five plant species are threatened with extinction, according to scientists.

Britain's David Attenborough, a leading environmental figure of international renown, has called the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) "perhaps the most significant conservation initiative ever".

"The purpose is conservation of wild species through seeds, against those species becoming extinct, in the long run," explained John Dickie, the project's senior research leader.

The 70-year-old has been involved with the MSB since its inception in the late 1990s and the opening of its current home in 2000 to celebrate the millennium.

A total of 2.5 billion seeds are stored at the MSB in Wakehurst, 35 miles (56 kilometres) outside London, and at a branch of the capital's Kew Gardens botanical gardens.

They come in all shapes, colours and sizes, and belong to 40,020 different species originating from 190 countries.

Nearly 20 percent of the world's flora is preserved at Wakehurst, with priority given to plants that are threatened, particularly by climate change, and endemic plants that can only be found in one geographical area.

Plants that have a societal function, such as for medical or economic use, also have their place.

"Plant species are endangered for several reasons but mainly through land use change, and increasingly through climate change," said Dickie.

"Some plants will adapt. Others are not adaptable. At least they are here rather than not existing anymore," he added.

Wakehurst receives new seeds from all over the world every week and then the process of saving them begins.

That process is "based on the technology that has already been in use for crop species", said Dickie.

"It's not rocket science. Dry it, freeze it. It's just chemistry," he added, explaining that, once frozen, the seeds can be stored for decades, probably centuries.

Dickie's team of around 20 researchers and various volunteers works in public view in their glass-fronted laboratory.

Lucy Taylor is working on Albizia Polyphylla seeds that have arrived from Madagascar.

"Madagascar is a very interesting place for us. As it was disconnected from Africa, there's a unique flora. And there's also a lot of pressure on land," she said.

One of her jobs is to separate the empty seeds from the rest.