An exploration of monitoring and modelling agrobiodiversity - From indicator development towards modelling biodiversity in agricultural systems on the sub-specific level
On a global level both for crop and livestock species there has been a general tendency towards uniformity in the culture of crops and livestock production systems. Local varieties are replaced by a small number of highly productive – non native – ones, dominating the world’s agriculture. The loss of diversity in cultivated varieties and livestock breeds also has been referred to as genetic erosion and may form a hazard for sustainable agricultural production or food security, agricultural products and income.
Agrobiodiversity indicators are available for use within GLOBIO
This report is the result of a first feasibility study regarding the development of a genetic (agrobiodiversity) module in GLOBIO to analyse and model the relationships between pressure factors and agrobiodiversity to assess past, present and future trends and their consequences on various human functions such as food security, poverty, environmental quality, landscape and wild biodiversity. This should contribute to the development of key agrobiodiversity indicators drawing on and coherent with the work under the CBD, FAO and in the European program Streamlining European Biodiversity Indicators (SEBI). Case studies showed that the 'Share of breeding female population between introduced and native livestock breeds' (EEA, 2007a,b) and the 'Share of major crop varieties in total production' (FAO, 2002) suit the concepts of GLOBIO. Although they are slightly different, they both describe the loss of agrobiodiversity at the intraspecific level.
Acknowledgements
This research is part of the project 'Widening the analytical scope of GLOBIO3 - Modelling Global Biodiversity' and was carried out by the Centre of Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN) in close cooperation with the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL). It was funded by the Research Programme International Cooperation and International Agreements of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Quality and Nature Management of the Netherlands (LNV).
Authors
Specifications
- Publication title
- An exploration of monitoring and modelling agrobiodiversity - From indicator development towards modelling biodiversity in agricultural systems on the sub-specific level
- Publication date
- 31 July 2009
- Publication type
- Publication
- Publication language
- English
- Product number
- 231