Thierry Vanderborght

TL;DR: The value of plant reintroductions as a conservation tool could be improved by an increased focus on species biology and using a higher number of transplants (preferring seedlings rather than seeds), and a consistent long-term monitoring after reintroduction.

TL;DR: Analysis of the status of the seed collection of the National Botanic Garden of Belgium by determining the germination capacity and viability of seeds that have been stored for 1–26 years shows that the quality of a seed collection should be estimated by its viability and not by its germination percentage.

TL;DR: It is highlighted that at least two thirds of the threatened species stored in European seed banks likely suffer from too low genetic diversity in the collections, and additionally the standards needed to maximize the usefulness of future collections are highlighted.

TL;DR: A set of variables for a centralized web-based interface which could provide the necessary information on plant reintroduction programs in a standardized and accessible form is proposed.

TL;DR: Dormancy loss is a common phenomenon in ex situ collections of short-lived wild plant species, and effective dormancy breaking and temporal distribution of seedling plantation during propagation should be incorporated in restoration and reintroduction protocols to minimize unwanted changes in seed traits.