General reasons for setting up a dna bank

There are many reasons to set up a DNA bank for the flora of an oceanic insular hotspot like the Canaries, but we picked out these five major ones:

● All the information necessary to beget any plant is contained in its DNA molecule. Therefore, collecting and preserving DNA is one important step to understanding the origins and microevolution of the flora through scientific research, and to provide insight for biodiversity conservation strategies.

● At present, we don’t have access to all the information that the DNA molecule contains, but some day we might. Then, we will need referenced and well-preserved DNA collections to refine (or refute) all extant theories on biodiversity.

● If, at some point in the future, we can use molecular markers to complement morphological taxonomy in the identification of biodiversity, DNA banks will fulfill a role parallel to that of today’s herbaria: to watch over the types of the molecular operative taxonomic units.

● Although oceanic islands only harbor approximately 1/6 of the world’s plant species, it is likely that they have a good sample of the evolutionary history of the continental source areas (World Conservation Monitoring Center 1992), which is recorded in the DNA molecules.

● Because oceanic endemic floras have evolved in sheer geographical isolation and in relatively species-poor habitats, they are particularly sensitive to external changes. These and other features make islands invaluable, yet vulnerable, arks of floristic biodiversity. Thus, preserving the DNA of the fragile insular species is critical for present and future studies on how past major geological and climatic shifts have shaped the evolution of biodiversity on our planet, and to provide conservation guidelines to help the extant biodiversity elements survive future changes.