The Conservation of Plant Biodiversity

Klappentext The Conservation of Plant Biodiversity takes an evolutionary perspective to the conservation of plant biodiversity, stressing the need to explore both current and long-term issues. It highlights three conservation strategies: communities conserved in nature reserves; individual species conserved in nature reserves or botanic gardens; and domesticated plants, preserved mainly in germplasm collections. Because conservation biology has such a broad scope and relevance to the community at large, it is faced with several controversial issues such as the dichotomy between the preservation of individual species versus a broader focus on the ecosystem; the relative importance to give to endangered species; the design and management of reserves and the value of corridors; and the drive for increasing agricultural productivity through plant improvement versus the drive to maintain traditional peasant varieties in cultivation. Here, these and other issues are examined, by emphasizing and exploring the underlying scientific principles. The conservation of whole communities emerges as the paramount strategy for maintaining the evolutionary potential of plant life. Zusammenfassung Is it better to conserve plant biodiversity as seeds in a gene bank! as specimen plants in a botanic garden! or as part of a community? This book investigates the issues that face plant conservationists! who need increasingly to explore both current needs and those of the longer term. Inhaltsverzeichnis Preface; Part I. Introduction: 1. The biological system of conservation; Part II. Diversity and Conservation of Plant Genes: 2. The genetic diversity of wild plants; 3. The genetic diversity of cultivated plants; 4. The conservation of cultivated plants; Part III. Conservation of Plant Species: 5. Plant species conservation and population biology; 6. The conservation in situ of useful or endangered wild species; 7. Ex situ conservation of threatened and endangered plants; Part IV. Conservation of Plant Communities: 8. Community structure and species interactions; 9. Choosing plant community reserves; 10. Managing plant community reserves; 11. Conclusions; References; Index....

Zusammenfassung
Is it better to conserve plant biodiversity as seeds in a gene bank, as specimen plants in a botanic garden, or as part of a community? This book investigates the issues that face plant conservationists, who need increasingly to explore both current needs and those of the longer term.

Inhalt

Preface; Part I. Introduction: 1. The biological system of conservation; Part II. Diversity and Conservation of Plant Genes: 2. The genetic diversity of wild plants; 3. The genetic diversity of cultivated plants; 4. The conservation of cultivated plants; Part III. Conservation of Plant Species: 5. Plant species conservation and population biology; 6. The conservation in situ of useful or endangered wild species; 7. Ex situ conservation of threatened and endangered plants; Part IV. Conservation of Plant Communities: 8. Community structure and species interactions; 9. Choosing plant community reserves; 10. Managing plant community reserves; 11. Conclusions; References; Index.