The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Longyearbyen, Norway, in the archipelago of the Svalbard Islands, is a seed bank housing thousands of seeds from all four corners of the globe. The seeds are preserved at a constant temperature of minus 18 degrees Celsius to ensure their survival. An insurance policy guaranteeing botanic continuity were the traditional genetic heritage to be lost.
So a seed-bank was set up on the spot, together with a hi-tech lab to study the plants, and in particular the exact moment they germinated. Selected seeds were then immersed in an ecological compost of water and natural nutrients to foster the contemporary germination of a number of species. The exact mixture used each time was different, according to the requirements of the project at any given point, the physical and chemical properties of the soil and the climate of the place.
So a seed-bank was set up on the spot, together with a hi-tech lab to study the plants, and in particular the exact moment they germinated. Selected seeds were then immersed in an ecological compost of water and natural nutrients to foster the contemporary germination of a number of species. The exact mixture used each time was different, according to the requirements of the project at any given point, the physical and chemical properties of the soil and the climate of the place.
