CU's seed museum: Safeguarding rare indigenous trees for future
CU campus has a collection of 306 species of indigenous plants
Rows of neatly lined shelves holding hundreds of jars of formalin-soaked seeds from rare and endangered tree species—a sight that evokes a sci-fi movie set. However, this is Chittagong University's Seed Research Laboratory.
Although a research facility, students and researchers who work there fondly refer to it as a "seed museum".
The laboratory, under the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences (IFESCU), Chittagong University, houses a rare collection of seeds of more than four hundred indigenous species.
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In addition to acquiring knowledge about the appearance, origins, storage, and longevity of these indigenous rare tree seeds, the institute's students are also actively engaged in a range of experiments involving these precious seeds.
Kamal Uddin, former professor of the institute, told The Business Standard that the laboratory started its journey in 2006 when a private organisation named Aranyak Foundation took the initiative to conserve the tropical forests of Bangladesh.
"As part of that initiative, a project was launched to collect seeds and produce seedlings of various native species of trees," he recalled.
"While accompanying students on seed collection expeditions in various national forests, we discovered the rarity and endangered status of several native tree species. Simultaneously, our seed research centre expanded its efforts by collecting seeds from nearly endangered species.
"We encountered challenges in obtaining certain seeds, but collaborated with organisations like the Chattogram Hill Tracts tribes, the Forest Department, and the Forest Research Institute to successfully collect them.
"Our efforts extended beyond seed collection, involving germination, on-campus planting, seed profiling, and educating our students about native tree species."
The professor said their current goal is to create a comprehensive seed catalogue providing detailed information about each seed, including its plant and fruit characteristics, germination time, storage requirements, and shelf life.
Professor Kamal went on to say that there were more than 15,000 nurseries in the country that neither know about indigenous trees nor show much interest in the production of seedlings.
"Now they [nurseries] are getting interested and starting to work after we have given them ideas about different species of indigenous trees. We have taken this initiative to save native species of trees that are still surviving or endangered from near extinction and are succeeding", he highlighted as a success of the laboratory.
In response to a question, he said all types of seeds can be used for research and teaching, but most of the seeds cannot be germinated to produce seedlings, which is a limitation of this museum.
"We have developed a living repository on the university campus as it is not possible to bring back the seeds if any of the trees here become extinct. Our campus has a collection of 306 species of indigenous plants which is more than that of the National Botanical Garden in Dhaka," he said with pride.
Professor Mohammad Akhtar Hossain, director of the IFESCU, said every forest has its own ecosystem and naturally evolves over centuries, introducing foreign species can disrupt their ecosystems.
"To prioritise indigenous trees, our laboratory and museum are dedicated to restoring endangered species and preserving the germplasm of various endangered plants," he added.
The director hoped the seed museum would enrich and contribute more to the conservation of native species of trees in the future.
