Sarah Ogletree
9/23/2010
10:46 PM
Early 20th century Russian botanist, Nikolai Vavilov, created the preserve containing one of the world’s largest collections of rare seeds and crops, now known as Pavlovsk Station (near St. Petersburg, Russia). He gathered seeds worldwide, and now the reserve holds more than 5,000 varieties of fruits and berries. Many within the collection are extremely durable in cold temperatures, and disease resistant. For these reasons among others the collection is unique and extremely valuable. "Ninety percent of the seeds and crops at the Pavlovsk station are found in no other collection in the world." However, researchers now find themselves in a fight for the preserve, as Russia’s elite push for the building of a housing development which will destroy an estimated three-quarters of the priceless collection. Researchers have begun an international campaign to save the station. They fear that if the housing development is built, it will only be a matter of time before the rest of the preserve is developed. They have devoted their life to this project, as Vavilov and many others did before them, and to see so much time, energy, and irreplaceable information destroyed would be an incredible waste. At this point, it appears their largest bargaining chip lies in the fact that the research done at the preserve relates directly to climate change, the destruction of wild habitats, and effects of industrial agriculture, topics that are of extreme importance worldwide, and it is necessary more than ever before to preserve botanical genetic diversity, particularly among food crops. The campaign has gained support much support. Among other notable scientists and organizations the campaign has received the support of the International Society for Horticultural Science, and there is an undeniable sense of hope surrounding the situation.
The plant-life collection held at the Pavlovsk Station, and genetic engineering talking place there is extremely valuable. Diverse and adaptable plant life is very important in today’s society as we experience and combat situations such as climate change. Obviously, I agreed completely with the overall thesis presented, though I did appreciate the way the article presented the other side of the issue. The article stated that it had been reported the preserve was not being utilized to its full extent, and that little research (in comparison to previous years) is being conducted today, due to budget cuts and other factors. This shows fair reporting, which I love! Still, the presence of this information does not change how valuable the collection is, or its relevance to modern society.
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/new_hope_for_efforts_to_save_vavilovs_priceless_plant_legacy___/2320/
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