In situ and Ex situ Conservation of Commercial Tropical Trees - ITTO

476expensive, but perhaps a nationally based centre or institute in each of thecountries bearing with tropical rain forest ecosystems would be more realistic.Each institute would be responsible for the collection and exploration of soilmicrobial diversity in their own regions, unlike the current situation where all ofthe microbial collections are based in the developed countries’ sites. Once themethods have been established and become routine protocol, the obstacles forhuman resource availability are eliminated.Current technology provides powerful means for assessing soil microbialdiversity in the molecular level, not only allowing assessment of un-culturableorganisms, but also producing a universal database (of nucleic acid sequences)for international communication in both scientific and commercial perspectives.Most of the databases may be freely accessed, providing the chance fordeveloping countries to get some of the advantages. Moreover, efforts to linkthe genetic sequences with their functions would become reality by applicationof microarray (DNA chips), expression within bacterial artificial chromosomes(BACs), and activities in the protein engineering areas. The use of these methodswould promote the utilisation of mega-diversity in the soils, which would alsocover their conservation as well as their sustainable exploitation.Last but not least, tropical humid regions housing this mega-soil diversityshould focus on global initiatives in biodiversity supported by the currentadvances in the molecular technologies. Furthermore, the technologies-holdermight share the products and profits. A combination of a fair global policysupported by the advances in molecular technology would ensure sustainableinterest in and appreciation of tropical soil biodiversity and protect it fromextinction by human expansion. Figure 1 simplifies some of the biologicalpossibilities of utilising DNA diversity for possible commercially valuableproducts.ConclusionMicroorganisms represent a major part of the genetic diversity that iscrucial to maintaining the sustainability of ecosystems. Mega-diversity of tropicalrain forests, including that of their soil microbial communities is widelyacknowledged. The role of microbes in maintaining sustained forest productivityis also appreciated; however, this role may be declining due to the currentlevels of forest devastation that are frequently irreversible. Efforts on ex situor in situ conservation of macro-organisms (flora or fauna) have been a routineprotocol to mitigate the process and/or to rescue the diversity from extinctionas well as to sustain their use. Unfortunately, the role of soil microbial diversityin those conservation activities has received less attention. It is suggested thatpresent threats to ecosystem stability and sustainability can only be stopped if