Documenting in situ plant genetic resources

Article 2 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) defines "in-situ conditions" as the conditions where genetic resources exist within ecosystems and natural habitats, and, in the case of domesticated or cultivated species, in the surroundings where they have developed their distinctive properties.

The documentation of genetic resources conservation measures is not new in principle, but the existing documentation systems for genetic resources are suited to the requirements of data recorded during ex situ conservation and evaluation.