Crop Wild Relative Conservation and Use

Crop Wild Relative Conservation and Use

Edited by N Maxted, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, UK; B V Ford-Lloyd, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, UK; S P Kell, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, UK; J Iriondo, EUIT Agricolas, Universidad Politιcnica de Madrid, Spain; E Dulloo, Bioversity International, Italy; J Turok, Bioversity International, Italy

Pub Date: December 2007
Hardback
720 pages
Readership
Demonstrating the fundamental link between biodiversity conservation and its exploitation, this book provides key information for professional and academic conservationists, botanists, ecologists as well as policy-makers, government agencies, non-governmental organizations and farmers.

Main Description
Crop wild relatives (CWR) are species closely related to crop plants which can contribute beneficial traits, such as pest or disease resistance and yield improvement. These species are critical for improving agricultural production and increasing food security. They are also essential components of natural and semi-natural habitats as well as agricultural systems, and are therefore vital in maintaining ecosystem health. However, CWR, like any other group of wild species, are subject to an increasing range of threats: habitat loss, degradation and mismanagement, over-collection and climate change. Through an examination of the national, regional and global context of CWR, these authoritative studies present methodologies and case studies that review and provide recommendations for global conservation and use. Topics range from the establishment of conservation priorities and strategies, threat assessment and genetic erosion and pollution.