Ex situ Conservation of Mexican Flora from Arid Regions: How Well is it Represented in the FESIUNAM Seed Bank?

The FESI-UNAM Seed Bank (SB) holds over 5,200 accessions of approximately 2,500 species from Mexico's arid regions, with a notable concentration of endemic and threatened flora. The SB's collection includes 2,135 accessions from these zones, representing 1,182 species across 547 genera and 108 families. Regions like the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley and central Mexico dominate the collection, with Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Cactaceae comprising nearly half of the samples. However, significant gaps remain in representation, particularly for endangered or endemic species in underrepresented regions. The study identifies these gaps to guide future conservation efforts, emphasizing the need to bolster seed collections from arid zones to safeguard Mexico's unique biodiversity.

Rodríguez-Arévalo, I., Dávila-Aranda, P., García-Rojas, J. L., Ponce-Vargas, A., & Chávez-Hernández, M. G. (2025). Ex situ Conservation of Mexican Flora from Arid Regions: How Well is it Represented in the FESIUNAM Seed Bank? Arid and Semi-Arid Zones of Mexico: A Comprehensive Exploration of Biodiversity, Ecology, and Conservation, 335–394. https://doi.org/10.2174/9789815322460125010018