The alarming current and predicted species extinction rates have galvanized conservationists in their efforts to avoid future biodiversity losses but for species extinct in the wild, few options exist. We posed the question, can these be restored, and if so, what role can ex situ plant collections (i.e. botanic gardens, germplasm banks and herbaria) play in the recovery of plant genetic diversity? We reviewed the relevant literature to assess the feasibility of recovering lost plant genetic diversity using ex situ material and the chances of survival of subsequent translocations. Thirteen attempts of recovering species extinct in the wild were found, most of which from material preserved in botanic gardens (12) and seed banks (2). A single case of a locally extirpated population was recovered from herbarium material. Eight (60%) of these cases were successful or partially successful translocations of the focal species or population, while the other five failed or was too early to judge. Our review exposes the many constraints of using ex situ source material for the restoration of plant genetic diversity to the wild, but also highlight the opportunities that modern collecting practices present for plant conservation. Limiting factors are the scarcity of available source material stored ex situ, low viability and reduced longevity of the material, low genetic variation, lack of evolution (especially for material stored in germplasm banks and herbaria) and socio-economic constraints. However, our review suggests that all types of ex situ collections may effectively contribute to plant species conservation, if their use is informed by a thorough understanding of the aforementioned issues. For these reasons, we conclude that the recovery of plant species currently classed as extinct in the wild is not 100% successful and the possibility to achieve this should not be used as a justification for insufficient in situ conservation efforts. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

中文翻译：

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异地收集及其恢复灭绝植物的潜力

令人震惊的当前和预测的物种灭绝率激发了保护主义者避免未来生物多样性丧失的努力，但对于野外灭绝的物种，几乎没有选择。我们提出了一个问题，这些可以恢复吗？如果可以，异地植物收藏（即植物园、种质库和植物标本室）在恢复植物遗传多样性方面可以发挥什么作用？我们回顾了相关文献，以评估使用异地材料恢复失去的植物遗传多样性的可行性以及后续易位的存活机会。发现了 13 种恢复野外灭绝物种的尝试，其中大部分来自植物园 (12) 和种子库 (2) 中保存的材料。从植物标本馆材料中回收了一个当地灭绝种群的案例。其中 8 个 (60%) 的案例是焦点物种或种群的成功或部分成功易位，而其他 5 个案例失败或判断为时过早。我们的评论揭示了使用异地来源材料恢复野生植物遗传多样性的许多限制，但也强调了现代收集实践为植物保护提供的机会。限制因素是易地储存的可用源材料稀缺、材料活力低且寿命缩短、遗传变异低、缺乏进化（特别是储存在种质库和植物标本馆中的材料）和社会经济限制。然而，我们的审查表明，所有类型的异地收集都可能有效地促进植物物种保护，如果它们的使用是通过对上述问题的透彻了解而获得的。出于这些原因，我们得出结论，目前归类为野外灭绝的植物物种的恢复并非 100% 成功，实现这一目标的可能性不应作为原地保护工作不足的理由。本文受版权保护。版权所有。