A4.

25S

Student

Activity 4.25 More than just saving seeds

Purpose

To discuss and evaluate the methods used by seed

banks in the conservation of endangered plants.

Seed banks
Watch the video about the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) that accompanies this activity, read the
SNAB AS textbook and visit the MSB website and find out more about the creation of a worldwide
seed conservation network to safeguard wild plant species. Then answer the questions that follow.

Questions
Q1 Draw a flow chart to summarise the processes involved in the storage of seeds in a seed bank.
Q2 The scientists operating the seed bank need their seeds to remain viable while in storage. Seeds are
considered viable if they can germinate and produce a radicle (young root) which protrudes through the
seed coat (testa). However, with time all seeds lose their ability to germinate. Why may seeds lose their
viability with time?
Q3 Some plant species seeds are longer-lived than others. Seed longevity is measured as the time for
viability to fall to 50%. For example, seeds of wood anemone, Anemone nemerosa, a British woodland
herb only survive seed bank storage for a year or two at best, whereas sunflower seeds and oil-seed
rape have predicted longevity of 165 years and 843 years respectively.
a What are the advantages of seeds being long-lived in the wild?
b Why is it useful for researchers at the seed bank to know the longevity of the seeds in their care?
Q4 The Millenium Seed Bank Project (MSBP) is conducting research to determine the longevity of the seeds
they store. Figure 1 shows the results some of the results research completed as part of the Save our
Seeds project. Look at the results on page 2.
a
b

Identify the shortest-lived and longest-lived species.

Comment on the longevity of the buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus), and the chrysanthemum
(Chrysanthemum leucanthemum).
M yosotis arvensis
H ypericum perforatum
Prunella vulgaris
Plantago lanceolata
R anunculus sceleratus
C hrysanthem um leucanthem um
O riganum vulgare
D ipsacus fullonum
Brassica napus
R um ex acetosa

100

Germination (%)

80

Figure 1 Results of an
experiment to
investigate longevity of
10 species.

60

40

20

0
0

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

Storage tim e (days)

Source: Millenium Seed Bank Save Our Seeds Project

Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology, Pearson Education Ltd 2008. University of York Science Education Group.
This sheet may have been altered from the original.

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A4.25S

Activity 4.25 More than just saving seeds

Student

Q5 The MSB Project identifies habitats and species that are a priority for seed conservation. Many partners
within the Project focus seed collection on particular species. What features are used to decide which
species are collected?
Q6 MSBP collections are being used for the reintroduction of species to the wild. Describe one example
from the UK and one from aboard.
Q7 International partnerships are an important feature of conservation and reintroduction programmes.
Explain why the priorities of the scientists at the MSB need to be balanced with those of international
partners.
Q8 Describe how seed bank collections can be used for research and education..
Q9 There is much discussion about the role of zoos in the conservation of endangered species. People
express views both for and against. Discuss whether the concerns that many people have about zoos
also apply to seed banks.

Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology, Pearson Education Ltd 2008. University of York Science Education Group.
This sheet may have been altered from the original.

2 of 2