Abstract In Katanga (southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo), the flora of copper and cobalt deposits is highly threatened by mining. Until mining activity ceases and restoration can take place, seed banking is one of the strategies to be considered for the conservation of these metallophytes of which 32 are strict endemics. In the tropics, however, many species have recalcitrant (desiccation-sensitive) seeds, making them unsuitable for long-term conservation. This study aimed at characterising the seed storage behaviour of 14 taxa of concern from metalliferous tropical grasslands in order to determine their storability in ex situ seed banks. Germination tests of 38 populations from 9 different sites were undertaken on fresh seeds and after 6, 12, 24 and 96 months in dry-cold conditions. The vast majority (93 %) of the sampled species exhibited high seed viability (>75 %). For each taxon studied, there was no significant decline in seed viability during storage. In general, seeds germinated faster after 8 years of storage. This study provides evidence that seed desiccation-tolerance is common among the metallicolous species of Katanga. This highlights their ability to be stored under dry-cold conditions, which opens the way for ex situ conservation programs in seed banks.

中文翻译：

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种子干燥耐受性是刚果民主共和国东南部金属热带草原受威胁分类群的共同特征

摘要 在加丹加（刚果民主共和国东南部），铜和钴矿床的植物群受到采矿的高度威胁。在采矿活动停止和恢复之前，种子库是保护这些金属植物的策略之一，其中 32 种是严格的地方性植物。然而，在热带地区，许多物种都有顽固的（干燥敏感）种子，使它们不适合长期保护。本研究旨在表征来自含金属热带草原的 14 种关注类群的种子储存行为，以确定它们在异地种子库中的可储存性。对来自 9 个不同地点的 38 个种群进行了新鲜种子的发芽试验，并在干冷条件下 6、12、24 和 96 个月后进行了发芽试验。绝大多数 (93%) 的采样物种表现出高种子活力 (>75%)。对于研究的每个分类群，在储存期间种子活力没有显着下降。一般来说，种子在储存 8 年后发芽得更快。这项研究提供了证据，证明种子干燥耐受性在加丹加的金属色物种中很常见。这突出了它们在干冷条件下储存的能力，这为种子库中的异地保护计划开辟了道路。