Genetically-diverse Landscapes
A concept of integrated conservation of genetic resources
Based on five case studies, the report ‘Hotspots of Genetic Resources for Animals, Plants, and Forests’ of the GenRes Bridge Project suggests a novel concept for integrated management and conservation of genetic resources with a primary focus on genetically-diverse landscapes.
Due to a range of threats, landscapes that were shaped by humans over millennia are rapidly changing, along with the genetic diversity they contain. Key threats include climate change, agricultural intensification, and human rural-to-urban migration. To halt the loss of genetic diversity and to preserve these resources, the landscapes that harbour the most diverse plant, animal and also forest genetic resources must be mapped and characterised.
The objectives of the work that produced the report ‘Hotspots of Genetic Resources for Animals, Plants, and Forests’ were (a) to identify European genetic diversity hotspots for plants, animals and forest trees, (b) to characterize genetically diverse landscapes - a relevant scale for management, and (c) to develop a concept for integrated management and conservation of the related genetic resources.
“We can’t afford losing genetic resources since our future food and environment depend on them.
Once a genetic resource is lost, it is lost forever.”
- Magda Bou Dagher
Our work has shown that the information on genetic resources for animals, plants and forest trees that is available in European databases is insufficient for identifying regional genetic diversity hotspots in Europe and neighbouring countries. Thus, the identification of genetically-diverse landscapes was based on expert knowledge. For the report, highly diverse landscapes within five countries, namely Norway, Slovenia, France, Italy and Lebanon were selected. In characterising each site, the report offers a brief description of its geography and why these landscapes merit detailed study. The agricultural history of the areas, how they are currently managed and the potential for integrated conservation of genetic resources all come under scrutiny.
We suggest a novel concept for integrated management and conservation of genetic resources. This has a primary focus on genetically-diverse landscapes, backed up by management plans, and anchored in overarching policy and legal frameworks, as well as in local stakeholder (farmers, forest owners) initiatives. Each landscape featured in the report has a distinct regional identity, with significant potential for both geographical branding and highlighting the links between local genetic resources, the landscape and local produce.
The advantage of the landscape approach is that the valuable genetic resources of crop wild relatives, animals and forest trees can be preserved jointly. In the same vein, costs are likely to be lower and benefits greater when resources of the three domains can be conserved under one single management plan instead of conserving each resource alone.
Using any landscape as a management unit that embraces all its genetic diversity will complement more commonly applied species-, breed-, or variety-oriented management and conservation approaches. To support effective integrated management and conservation of genetic resources with a primary focus on genetically-diverse landscapes, we suggest the following activities:
Identifying and mapping genetically-diverse sites across Europe and neighbouring countries
Characterising socioeconomic and scientific (i.e. genomic) bases for genetic resource retention in genetically diverse landscapes.
Developing protocols for gene-level, species-level and ecosystem-level conservation in genetically-diverse landscapes that guide the management of resources, sustain historic cultural heritage, and maintain ecosystem services.
Monitoring and backing-up genetic diversity in agricultural and forestry holdings and improving the availability of information for commercial activities in agriculture and forestry.
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