[PCA] NEWS: Conservation Efforts Not Just for Tree Huggers

[Kwong, Olivia]

http://www.livescience.com/44507-computers-aid-plant-conservation-sean-hoban-nsf-sl.html

Conservation Efforts Not Just for Tree Huggers
Catherine Crawley, National Institute for Mathematical and Biological
Synthesis
March 31, 2014 10:49pm ET

As climate change stresses ecosystems, already rare plant species could,
sadly, go extinct. One solution is to collect plant and seed samples and
house them in seed banks or botanical gardens, preserving some genetic
diversity. Biologist Sean Hoban uses mathematical and computational tools
to develop guidelines for ecologists and others engaged in this work. A
postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute for Mathematical and
Biological Synthesis, Hoban helps determine how many seeds are needed and
where they should be collected to best represent a species' diversity. With
collaborators in Italy, France and elsewhere, he developed software to help
people plan the best preservation strategies, especially when conservation
funds are scarce. Well-planned seed collections, he says, are an important
tool in preserving endangered species and promoting agricultural
sustainability. He was first drawn to this work through his research on the
endangered butternut tree. Below, Hoban answers our ten questions.

See the link above for the full interview text.
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