451 research outputs found
A revision of Vicia subgenus Vicia using database techniques
No full textIn 2 volsAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:DX173353 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo
CWRML: representing crop wild relative conservation and use data in XML
No full textBackground
Crop wild relatives are wild species that are closely related to crops. They are valuable as potential gene donors for crop improvement and may help to ensure food security for the future. However, they are becoming increasingly threatened in the wild and are inadequately conserved, both in situ and ex situ. Information about the conservation status and utilisation potential of crop wild relatives is diverse and dispersed, and no single agreed standard exists for representing such information; yet, this information is vital to ensure these species are effectively conserved and utilised. The European Community-funded project, European Crop Wild Relative Diversity Assessment and Conservation Forum, determined the minimum information requirements for the conservation and utilisation of crop wild relatives and created the Crop Wild Relative Information System, incorporating an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) schema to aid data sharing and exchange.
Results
Crop Wild Relative Markup Language (CWRML) was developed to represent the data necessary for crop wild relative conservation and ensure that they can be effectively utilised for crop improvement. The schema partitions data into taxon-, site-, and population-specific elements, to allow for integration with other more general conservation biology schemata which may emerge as accepted standards in the future. These elements are composed of sub-elements, which are structured in order to facilitate the use of the schema in a variety of crop wild relative conservation and use contexts. Pre-existing standards for data representation in conservation biology were reviewed and incorporated into the schema as restrictions on element data contents, where appropriate.
Conclusion
CWRML provides a flexible data communication format for representing in situ and ex situ conservation status of individual taxa as well as their utilisation potential. The development of the schema highlights a number of instances where additional standards-development may be valuable, particularly with regard to the representation of population-specific data and utilisation potential. As crop wild relatives are intrinsically no different to other wild plant species there is potential for the inclusion of CWRML data elements in the emerging standards for representation of biodiversity data
Setting conservation priorities for crop wild relatives in the Fertile Crescent
No full textThe aim of this paper is to contribute directly to the systematic, long-term conservation of crop wild relatives (CWR) in the Fertile Crescent by setting conservation priorities to secure and improve CWR conservation in situ and ex situ as a means of underpinning global food security. We established the first priority list of CWR within the Fertile Crescent following several criteria comprising production value (m × p), projected production value (m × p), production area (ha), projected production area (ha), native status, energy supply (kcal/capita/day), protein supply (g/capita/day), fat supply (g/capita/day), occurrence status, gene pool, taxon group, and threat status. An inventory of 220 priority CWR was established for the Fertile Crescent region. We followed twelve prioritisation approaches and assessed 21,080 species. About 4% of the total species (835 species) were identified as CWR that have socio-economic value for the region. These 835 CWR species were prioritised to create the CWR priority list which consisted of 220 species (1% of the total species assessed). The majority of the CWR priority list (185 species) were related to cereal, vegetable, and industrial crops and 35 of them are related to fruits and trees. The CWR priority list includes crop wild relatives of the genera Aegilops (20 species), Lactuca (11 species), Avena (11 species), Carthamus (11 species), Allium (9 species), Thinopyrum (10 species), and Triticum (3 species). We present the first inventory of 220 priority CWR for the Fertile Crescent. The inventory helps to improve in situ and ex situ conservation and the genetic diversity of CWR. Both the inventory and the methodology applied in prioritisation can be used in setting national, regional, and global conservation strategies. The recommendations will help the Fertile Crescent meet its targets in conserving CWR diversity as well as making sure that CWR genetic resources are preserved to prevent and tackle global food insecurity
Ecogeographic survey and gap analysis of Lathyrus L. species
No full textThe genetic diversity of the genus Lathyrus
is of significant importance, particularly for its role
in sustaining the livelihoods of local communities
living under very harsh conditions and its potential
to adapt to climate change. Grasspea (L. sativus) is
the most widely used species and to a lesser extent
L. cicera and L. ochrus, each is used for animal feed in
many parts of the world and food in poorer regions, but
human over-consumption of the seeds can lead to
lathyrism, a disease caused by neurotoxins. This study
has added substantial information and accuracy to the
existing global Lathyrus database by combining
diverse datasets and by adding information of major
herbaria from Europe. This global Lathyrus database,
available at ICARDA, was used to conduct gap
analysis to guide future collecting missions and
in situ conservation efforts for highest priority species
originating from the Mediterranean Basin, and Caucasus,
Central and West Asia region. The results
showed the highest concentration of Lathyrus priority
species are found in the Fertile Crescent countries,
France, Italy and Greece. The area either side of the
Lebanese/Syrian border near Tel Kalakh, Syria was identified as the hotspot and the overall priority
location for establishing the first in situ genetic
reserve. The gap analysis for ex situ conservation
shows that only six species (representing 16.6 %) of
the 36 priority species are adequately sampled. Only L.
cicera has already been well sampled among the
closely related species to cultivated species L. sativus,
indicating further collecting of L. amphicarpos, L.
belinensis, L. chrysanthus, L. hirticarpus, L. hirsutus
and L. marmoratus is required. In addition, six
secondary priority Lathyrus species have no ex situ
collections (L. lentiformis, L. lycicus, L. phaselitanus,
L. trachycarpus, L. tremolsianus and L. undulatus) and
also require targeted collecting
Towards the conservation of crop wild relative diversity in North Africa: checklist, prioritisation and inventory
No full textCrop wild relatives (CWR) are wild species that are more or less genetically related to crops that can be used to introgress useful genes for improvement of productivity, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and quality of cultivated crops. They are important in crop improvement to achieve food security for an increasing population and to overcome the challenges caused by climate change and the new virulence of major diseases and pests. These genetic resources are increasingly threatened in their natural habitats through over-exploitation and land reclamation and degradation. Therefore, their efficient and effective conservation would be taxonomically and genetically valuable and will contribute to maintaining and promoting the sustainability of crop diversity, facilitating agricultural production and supporting the increasing demand for food, feed and natural resources. A checklist of 5780 Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) taxa from North Africa was obtained using the CWR Catalogue for Europe and the Mediterranean (PGR Forum). Of which consists 76% of the flora of North Africa. The checklist contains 5588 (~97%) native taxa and 192 introduced. Families with higher taxa richness are Fabaceae, Asteraceae, and Poaceae. These three families constitute more than 33% of the total taxa included in the checklist. About 9% (502) CWR taxa identified as a priority for conservation in North Africa using four criteria, the economic value of the crop, the relatedness degree of wild relatives to their crop, threat status using IUCN red list assessment, and finally the centre of origin and/or diversity of the crop. Of these, 112 taxa were assigned high, 268 medium and 122 low priorities for effective conservation. Those assessed as threatened using IUCN Red list and national assessment represent approximately 2% (119 taxa) of the CWR in the region. However, 21 taxa are assessed as critically endangered (CR), 53 as endangered (EN), and 45 as vulnerable (VU). Wild relatives of some globally important crops are present, with those related to wheat (Triticum aestivum L. and T. durum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgareL.) among the highest priority crops for the North Africa region. Amongst CWR assessed as threatened, only 8 (6.7%) CWR are related to food crops, Avena agadiriana B.R. Baum. et G. Fedak (VU), A. atlantica B.R. Baum et G. Fedak (VU), A. murphyi Ladiz. (EN), Beta macrocarpa Guss. (EN), Olea europaea subsp. maroccana Guss. (VU), Rorippa hayanicaMaire (VU) and Aegilops bicornis (Forssk.) Jaub. et Spach (VU). The wild relative of Safflower Carthamus glaucus M. Bieb is restricted to Egypt and Libya and assessed as rare in Egypt. The information available about the conservation and threat status of CWR in North Africa still lags behind, and more investigations are required
<i>In Situ, Ex Situ</i> Conservation
No full textIn situ and ex situ conservation focuses on the maintenance of species diversity within or away from their natural habitats, respectively. This article outlines why conservation is needed, the major threats to species, and how diversity is maintained at the ecosystem, species, and genetic levels. A model for biodiversity conservation is presented which includes: selection of target taxa for conservation, gene pool concepts, ecogeographic surveys, field surveying, clarification of conservation objectives, the two basic conservation strategies (. in situ and ex situ) and the range of conservation techniques, and ways that conservation is often linked to some form of utilization.</p
Probing the local environment of the supernova remnant HESS J1731-347 with CO and CS observations
No full textThe shell-type supernova remnant HESS J1731 − 347 emits TeV gamma-rays, and is a key object for the study of the cosmic ray acceleration potential of supernova remnants. We use 0.5–1 arcmin Mopra CO/CS(1–0) data in conjunction with HI data to calculate column densities towards the HESS J1731 − 347 region. We trace gas within at least four Galactic arms, typically tracing total (atomic+molecular) line-of-sight H column densities of 2–3× 10²² cm⁻². Assuming standard X-factor values and that most of the HI/CO emission seen towards HESS J1731 − 347 is on the near-side of the Galaxy, X-ray absorption column densities are consistent with HI+CO-derived column densities foreground to, but not beyond, the Scutum–Crux Galactic arm, suggesting a kinematic distance of ∼3.2 kpc for HESS J1731 − 347. At this kinematic distance, we also find dense, infrared-dark gas traced by CS(1–0) emission coincident with the north of HESS J1731 − 347, the nearby HII region G353.43−0.37 and the nearby unidentified gamma-ray source HESS J1729 − 345. This dense gas lends weight to the idea that HESS J1729 − 345 and HESS J1731 − 347 are connected, perhaps via escaping cosmic-rays.N. Maxted, M. Burton, C. Braiding, G. Rowell, H. Sano, F. Voisin, M. Capasso, G. Pühlhofer and Y. Fuku
A multivariate and cladistic study of Vicia L. ser. Vicia (Fabaceae) based on analysis of morphological characters
No full textVicia ser. Vicia, which includes the Vicia sativa aggregate, was studied by observing morphological variation. The study is an attempt to resolve the taxonomic relationships within the Vicia sativa aggregate by novel investigations along with a synthesis of the results obtained by previous researchers. The study has included some accessions and characters used previously, but has drawn accessions from a wider geographical range than has been attempted previously. Cluster analysis on the basis of 53 morphological characters justified the delimitation of four species within the series and six subspecies within the Vicia sativa aggregate. Accessions from South Asia could easily be incorporated in the classification, but some of the accessions from North Africa showed morphological differences. The morphometric data were coded using the gap weighting method of Thiele (1993) and used in a phylogenetic analysis to study the relationships between the taxa. The phylogenetic analysis, using 33 variables, showed Vicia pyrenaica closely related to Vicia sativa subsp. amphicarpa. A dichotomous key and a multi-access key to aid the identification of the taxa in the series are presented
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