Abstract:
Plant diversity sustains all animal life, and the genetic diversity within
plants underpins global food security. This text provides a practical and
theoretical introduction to the strategies and actions to adopt for conserving
plant genetic variation, as well as explaining how humans can exploit this
diversity for sustainable development. Notably readable, it initially offers
current knowledge on the characterization and evaluation of plant genetic
resources. The authors then discuss strategies from in situ and ex situ conservation
to crop wild relative breeding, exploring how these can be used to improve food
security in the face of increasing agrobiodiversity loss, human population
growth and climate change. Each chapter draws on examples from the literature
or the authors' research and includes further reading references. Containing
other useful features such as a glossary, it is invaluable for professionals
and undergraduate and graduate students in plant sciences, ecology,
conservation, genetics and natural resource management.