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AbstracTyler t1_je14rei wrote

Reply to comment by logantauranga in A virtual tour of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault by logantauranga

Does it go a step further and backup seeds for general biodiversity of wild spaces? Not just those plants which are directly food related?

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Surcouf t1_je1xhqe wrote

Most of the seed deposited are crop variants sent by various countrie's genebanks. They're copies of all their local crops seeds basically.

However, some genebanks not entirely dedicated to crop species have been sending backup seeds there. There's a huge collection of north american trees and another collection of british wildflowers for example.

The Vault's mission statement is to preserve any seeds the signatories of the international treaty sends. While most of the world's genebanks are primarly concerned with agriculture or species of use for humans, there is a growing interest in preserving other wild species for research and ecosystem preservation.

The Vault's only half full right now, and the capacity can be upgraded if need be.

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