The Buzau-based Plant Genetic Resource Bank (BRGV) has been equipped with a GPS-type device that will allow experts to map the plants in the spontaneous flora in order to monitor over time the protected, unique species such as the edelweiss, the yellow woodland tulip, the mountain carnation, peonies or medicinal plants with special properties, informs Agerpres.
According to the BRGV, the said GPS system is capable of recording the coordinates of a certain plant under analysis, with the results being then centralized in a computer for the researchers to use in creating the maps whereby they can monitor over time the development of the species in the field. The system has an error margin of up to 4 cm.
"The device works even if there is no signal, the moment we reach an area with signal coverage, it loads the data and retraces the route we took from a certain plant we are interested in, then stores in its memory its precise location. Basically, with the help of a computer we draw up those spreading maps, respectively we determine the distance to the plant in question, its exact location, the distance between the plants. The device can later lead us with a very high precision of 4 cm back to the said spot. If we go to the mountains to identify a daffodil, we load it into the program and we can revisit it in a few years to see if it still exists, if it managed to multiply," BRGV director Costel Vinatoru told AGERPRES.
Against the backdrop of climate change, the device provides experts with information on the evolution of plants threatened with extinction or allows the recording of new species that could develop in the context of changes in ecosystems.
"We have certain data and measurements that prove the effects of climate change, especially in the plant world. There are endangered species, others that have gone extinct or become invasive, and with the help of this GPS we can collect information about the evolution of species in a monitored area. A plant GPS is a first for Romania. (...) Romania has lost a lot of species, over 1,200 plant species are under threat and need to be protected, and this GPS helps us to develop monitoring programs. We are interested in medicinal and aromatic plants from the spontaneous flora, which should not go lost," said the researcher.
The species that could be mapped with the help of the GPS device and monitored over time include the edelweiss, several varieties of peony, the yellow woodland tulip, but also other medicinal or energetic plants with special properties.
"We pay particular attention to the place where the plants grow, which are the limiting factors, which are the favorable conditions for the development of the plants in that area. This way, we identify the limiting conditions for the spreading of the plants, in order to be able to help them develop. We are talking about both vegetables and the spontaneous flora that are important for us, for instance we have 6 varieties of wild carrot under GPS monitoring, then there are the flowering, aromatic and medicinal plants, plus ornamental, energetic plants such as the amaranth, with over 600 species," the BRGV director explained.
According to the experts, the data collected from the field could be organized in the form of plant "birth certificates" that would prove their origin.
"If we know the location, the land type, the conditions in which a plant developed, this is practically a birth certificate, we can have a clear traceability of the respective species and the future generations can use this data and continue the research," pointed out by Costel Vinatoru.
The BRGV's strategy involves the genotypic and phenotypic investigation of plants, as well as the conservation of plant genetic resources ex-situ and in-situ, in the short, medium and long term, in accordance with international legislation.
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