Threatened Woody Plants of Georgia and Micropropagation as a Tool for In Vitro Conservation

Abstract

Georgia is the major part of the Caucasus; it is considered as one of the distinguished regions of the world with respect to biodiversity. The majority of Georgia’s biodiversity is connected with forest ecosystems, which cover about 38% of the country’s territories. In Georgia, as in other countries, many unique species of forest phytocenosis are threatened by extinction and/or genetic pollution due to the negative impact of various environmental and anthropogenic factors. Implementation of biotechnological approaches in practice for in vitro conservation of species can significantly speed up the processes of protection, thus guaranteeing the sustainability of the phytogenetic pool of the country. The present review summarizes the current status of several threatened woody perennials of the Red List of Georgia belonging to the genera Castanea, Quercus, and Betula, which are the dominant or edificatory species of forest phytocenosis. The feasibility for their in vitro propagation for conservation purposes is discussed.