Advances in plant conservation genetics

Conservation genetics is a new field of research focusing on the studies and practices of biodiversity conservation based on the principles and techniques of population genetics. During the past decades, genetic studies have made increasingly great contributions to biodiversity conservation in theory and practice. In this paper, we briefly introduce the concept and history of conservation genetics, and highlight progress in plant conservation genetics. Four major aspects of conservation genetics in plants are addressed, including plant phylogenetic reconstruction and identification of conservation units, the relationship between genetic diversity and species fitness, population genetic structure and conservation strategies, as well as the identification and utilization of plant genetic resources. In addition, the great importance of genetic studies in plant conservation is discussed.