10 Percent Rule for Rare Plant Seed Collection without Endangering Plant Populations

When making conservation seed collections, preventing harm to the wild population of the focal species is a top priority. The “10 percent rule” aims to tackle this concern, balancing ex situ conservation seed collections and wild population survival, and this rule is central to the Center for Plant Conservation Best Plant Conservation Practices to Support Species Survival in the Wild. At its simplest, the 10 percent rule suggests that for a safe seed harvest, we should collect less than 10% of the yearly seed crop in 10% or fewer years, but there are multiple facets and intricacies to this rule. Learn more about the 10 percent rule and safe seed harvest in this video.