Cryopreservation of natural resources plant species and establishing cryobank is a national strategic necessity

The cryopreservation of plant genetic resources could preserve their viability for many years, even centuries. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands has had successful achievements on practical protocols for preservation of a wide range of forest, rangeland, desert and medicinal species during the past two decades and established the cryobank of natural resources species. The natural resources cryobank of Iran is a national long-term strategic plan, promising a very long-term, cost-effective and safe protection of plant genetic reserves of the country. This strategic action and prioritizing endangered, threatened, rare, and endemic species would hopefully prevent the specie's extinction of the country's natural resources in future. Also, if necessary, the extinct species could be brought back into nature.