The Conservation of Plant Biodiversity

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.