Climate-adaptive, participatory field gene banks: A novel conservation strategy

Climate change already is causing range contraction and loss of genetic diversity at some species’ trailing edges. Because trailing edge populations often are those best adapted to climatic extremes, trailing edge genotypes are likely to contain adaptive traits important for a species’ survival or restoration in a post-climate change world. Thus, the loss of trailing edge genetic diversity may reduce possibilities for human-assisted adaptation and increase the likelihood of extinction. Traditional seed vaults cannot preserve plants with recalcitrant seed (including many oaks, buckeyes, chestnuts, others). For such species, we propose the novel conservation strategy of climate-adaptive, participatory field gene banks.