Agro-Biodiversity Spatial Assessment and Genetic Reserve Delineation for the Pollino National Park (Italy)

Abstract

Ancient fruit trees, grape vines, traditional crop and garden cultivars have been inventoried in Pollino National Park by adopting a spatial sampling grid which covers 23 different municipalities (∼1500 Km 2) and 190 surveyed sites. Each site is a circle with a visible radius of 200-250 m. The spatial analysis of the diversity of plant genetic resources has been conducted with prefixed landscape units (size: 4 Km × 4 Km). Overall, 49 different woody long cycle (455 ancient cultivars) and 53 short cycle species (102 ancient cultivars) have been scored. Long cycle species exhibit higher cultivar richness than short cycle species. The analysis has recognized that pre-Columbian indigenous cultivars had not been displaced by the American species introduced after the 16 th century. In addition, it is confirmed that small-scale poly-production, under conditions of spatial niche variation, is associated to high species and cultivar richness. The mapped realized niche, for both pre-and post-Columbian genetic resources, includes the actual genetic reserve suitable for in situ conservation of plant agro-biodiversity. Agro-biodiversity models, drivers of genetic erosion, and realistic responses to genetic erosion are outlined.

Agrobiodiversity conservation enhances food security in subsistence-based farming systems of Eastern Kenya

“…This observation was consistent with the findings of Figliuolo and Cerbino [35] and Torrico [36] in which subsistence farmers cultivate a high diversity of legumes and vegetables, which contribute directly to livelihoods, and conservation of agrobiodiversity. Common bean recorded the highest diversity of up to eight species.…”

“…Kamucere is one of the new bean varieties introduced recently into the area [13]. According to Figliuolo and Cerbino [35], farmers avoid bean varieties, which are not compatible with the local conditions, and this might explain the low percentage of some bean varieties in the study sites. Additionally, non-cultivation of a species by farmers was driven by a range of factors including lack of seeds, marketability, consumer preferences and lack of sufficient land [32].…”

Nutritional Characterization of Two Rare Landraces of Turnip (Brassica rapa. var. rapa) Tops and Their On-Farm Conservation in Foggia Province

“…In recent years, on-farm conservation has been proposed as an agro-biodiversity preservation strategy that allows evolutionary processes to continue [17,18]. For on-farm sustainable management and maintenance of landraces, the identification and the highlighting of the chemical and nutritional properties of their products may represent an added value that could promote the preference of consumers and hence their cultivation by farmers.…”

“…For on-farm sustainable management and maintenance of landraces, the identification and the highlighting of the chemical and nutritional properties of their products may represent an added value that could promote the preference of consumers and hence their cultivation by farmers. However, sustainable strategies for on-farm conservation of landraces also needs information concerning the agroecological features [17,19] and the socioeconomical contexts of the territory where they are cultivated [20][21][22].…”