Advancing plant conservation: Moroccan researcher pioneers tools to track genetic diversity
As nearly 40% of plant species face extinction, Moroccan researcher Marwa El Graoui at the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) is revolutionizing plant conservation through open-source tools. Her innovative framework addresses critical gaps in seed conservation, positioning Africa as a leader in safeguarding global plant genetic diversity.
A race to save plant diversity
With accelerating climate change and habitat loss, scientists estimate that over 31% of the world’s vascular plant species are under threat. Seed banks and botanic gardens, collectively known as ex situ conservation, are essential backups for preventing species extinction. However, despite housing over seven million seed samples across 1,700 global gene banks, less than 20% of wild plant species are adequately represented.
This shortfall jeopardizes ecosystems and food systems, as wild plant species and their genetic diversity are vital for future crop resilience.
A new conservation metric
At UM6P, doctoral researcher Marwa El Graoui, based in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES), has developed an open-source framework to address these gaps. Her method combines publicly available data, geospatial modeling, and simplified software to assess how effectively genetic diversity is preserved and identify species needing urgent attention.
Focusing on wild Vigna species, El Graoui mapped their distribution across Africa as part of her doctoral research. Using geographic and environmental distances as proxies for genetic diversity, she developed an “adjusted range” method. This approach balances documented collection zones with predictive habitat models, avoiding under- or overestimations of species’ ranges.
Bridging data and accessibility
El Graoui packaged her framework into an open-source R library, allowing users to input occurrence data and climate variables to calculate conservation priorities. By leveraging data repositories like GBIF, the tool provides actionable insights for botanists, policymakers, and conservationists.
Her findings revealed underrepresented species in seed banks and opportunities for targeted field collections in biodiversity hotspots. Correcting mislabelled data in seed repositories, she demonstrated the urgent need for standardized data protocols to improve global conservation efforts.
Expanding the framework
While the tool has advanced conservation priorities, El Graoui acknowledges the potential for refinement. Incorporating genetic distance data and species-specific traits, such as seed dispersal patterns, could enhance the accuracy of conservation scores. She also urges the standardization of data labels across global repositories to prevent confusion between ex situ and in situ records.
UM6P’s research ecosystem supports this innovation, combining African field expertise with global resources. El Graoui hopes her open-source approach will inspire others to adapt and expand her method across different plant genera and regions.
Toward global conservation goals
As the global community pursues ambitious targets like the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework’s goal to protect 30% of land and water by 2030, robust ex situ conservation strategies are essential. Tools like El Graoui’s framework offer practical and scalable solutions to safeguard plant genetic diversity, ensuring ecosystems and food systems remain resilient in the face of global challenges.
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