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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
Research priorities for conservation of metallophyte biodiversity and their potential for restoration and site remediation
Restoration Ecology, Volume 12, No. 1, Year 2004
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Description
Plants that have evolved to survive on metal-rich soils-metallophytes-have key values that must drive research of their unique properties and ultimately their conservation. The ability of metallophytes to tolerate extreme metal concentrations commends them for revegetation of mines and metal-contaminated sites. Metallophytes can also be exploited in environmental technologies, for example, phytostabilization, phytoremediation, and phytomining. Actions towards conserving metallophyte species are imperative, as metallophytes are increasingly under threat of extinction from mining activity. Although many hundreds of papers describe both the biology and applications of metallophytes, few have investigated the urgent need to conserve these unique species. This paper identifies the current state of metallophyte research, and advocates future research needs for the conservation of metallophyte biodiversity and the sustainable uses of metallophyte species in restoration, rehabilitation, contaminated site remediation, and other nascent phytotechnologies. Six fundamental questions are addressed: (1) Is enough known about the global status of metallophytes to ensure their conservation? (2) Are metallophytes threatened by the activities of the minerals industry, and can their potential for the restoration or rehabilitation of mined and disturbed land be realized? (3) What problems exist in gaining prior informed consent to access metallophyte genetic resources and how can the benefits arising from their uses be equitably shared? (4) What potential do metallophytes offer as a resource base for phytotechnologies? (5) Can genetic modification be used to "design" metallophytes to use in the remediation of contaminated land? (6) Does the prospect of using metallophytes in site remediation and restoration raise ethical issues? © 2004 Society for Ecological Restoration International.
Authors & Co-Authors
Whiting, S. N.
Australia, Melbourne
University of Melbourne
Reeves, R. D.
New Zealand, Palmerston North
Massey University
Richards, D.
United Kingdom, London
Rio Tinto Plc
Johnson, Michael S.
United Kingdom, Liverpool
University of Liverpool
Cooke, John A.
South Africa, Durban
University of Kwazulu-natal
Malaisse, François P.
Belgium, Liege
Université de Liège
Paton, Alan
United Kingdom, Richmond
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Smith, James Andrew Charles
United Kingdom, Oxford
University of Oxford
Angle, Jay Scott
United States, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
Chaney, R. L.
United States, Washington, D.c.
Usda Agricultural Research Service
Ginocchio, R.
Chile, Santiago
Centro de Investigacion Minera y Metalurgica
Jaffré, T.
New Caledonia, Noumea
Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement Noumea
Johns, R.
United Kingdom, Richmond
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
McIntyre, T.
Canada, Gatineau
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Purvis, O. W.
United Kingdom, London
The Natural History Museum, London
Salt, David E.
United States, West Lafayette
Purdue University
Schat, H.
Netherlands, Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Zhao, F. J.
United Kingdom, Harpenden
Rothamsted Research
Baker, Alan John Martin
Australia, Melbourne
University of Melbourne
Statistics
Citations: 326
Authors: 19
Affiliations: 17
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1111/j.1061-2971.2004.00367.x
ISSN:
10612971
Research Areas
Disability
Environmental
Genetics And Genomics
Health System And Policy