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Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting is one of the most widely used molecular techniques in plant biology today. In this paper, we describe the application of the extremely sensitive nonradioactive biotin–streptavidin system to visualize AFLP fragments blotted onto nylon membranes. The protocol is tested for different plant species (from bryophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms) and primer combinations. Advantages of this protocol over other nonradioactive detection methods are discussed, and the suitability of the method for laboratories without automated sequencing facilities are emphasized.

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Even though plants represent an essential part of our lives offering exploitational, supporting and cultural services, we know very little about the biology of the rarest and most threatened plant species, and even less about their conservation status. Rapid changes in the environment and climate, today more pronounced than ever, affect their fitness and distribution causing rapid species declines, sometimes even before they had been discovered. Despite the high goals set by conservationists to protect native plants from further degradation and extinction, the initiatives for the conservation of threatened species in Europe are scattered and have not yielded the desired results. The main aim of this Action is to improve plant conservation in Europe through the establishment of a network of scientists and other stakeholders who deal with different aspects of plant conservation, from plant taxonomy, ecology, conservation genetics, conservation physiology and reproductive biology to protected area's managers, not forgetting social scientists, who are crucial when dealing with the general public.