Agrobiodiversity in Northeast India: A Review …
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• biological support to production via, for example soil biota, pollinators, and
predators;
• wider ecological services provided by agro-ecosystems, such as landscape
protection, soil protection and health, water cycle and quality, air quality.
Agrobiodiversity can be considered at three main levels- ecological diversity,
organismal diversity and genetic diversity, each forming a hierarchy of elements
(Heywood 1995). An important aspect of agrobiodiversity is that it recognizes the
great diversity of traditional farming systems and practices in many cultures in different parts of the world and the thousands of species that are locally cultivated or
semi-domesticated in homegardens or other polycultures, or harvested from the wild
in nearby habitats make a major and essential contribution to food security for hundreds of millions of people across the globe. India is one of the world’s largest and
oldest agricultural societies and is one of the world’s eight centres of crop plant origin
and diversity. At least 166 food/crop species and 320 wild relatives of crops have
originated here, which include rice, pigeon pea, turmeric, banana, jackfruit, mango
etc. Besides the high species diversity in Indian crops the genetic diversity within
them is also significant (Kothari 1997). However due to the impact of modernization
the traditional agrobiodiversity in the region is also faced with the threat of rapid
erosion.
2 Agrobiodiversity in Northeast India
Northeast India comprising of seven states represents an important part of the Eastern
Himalaya and Indo-Burma global biodiversity hotspot amongst the 36 recognized
global biodiversity hotspots. The Eastern Himalaya region encompasses Sikkim,
Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh, whereas the Indo-Burma region encompasses the
entire northeastern India, except Assam. The temporal and spatial variations caused
by diversity in geological orogeny has resulted into a marked difference in climate
and physiography, and consequently in distribution pattern of biotic elements, including the domesticated ones. Also, the spatial position and heterogeneous dispersion
of biodiversity elements has caused complexity in biogeographical patterns of the
region. The region holds great significance from ecological and evolutionary points
of view. A striking feature of the socio-economic profile of the region is prevalence
of tribal culture. The region is predominantly inhabited by distinctive ethnic groups
(often referred to as “tribals”) having unique socio-cultural practices (Arora 1997).
Much of the region’s agro biodiversity is in the custody of farming communities and
tribals who followed age old farming system, including shifting cultivation. These
farming communities are the custodians of landrace diversity/economic plant diversity accustomed to meeting their needs under subsistence farming (Arora 1997). This
region is rich in biodiversity and harbours largest number of endemics and Schedule I
species as compared to any other part of India. The region contributes considerably in
the form of wild relatives of several crop plants and domesticated animals. Out of the
119
• biological support to production via, for example soil biota, pollinators, and
predators;
• wider ecological services provided by agro-ecosystems, such as landscape
protection, soil protection and health, water cycle and quality, air quality.
Agrobiodiversity can be considered at three main levels- ecological diversity,
organismal diversity and genetic diversity, each forming a hierarchy of elements
(Heywood 1995). An important aspect of agrobiodiversity is that it recognizes the
great diversity of traditional farming systems and practices in many cultures in different parts of the world and the thousands of species that are locally cultivated or
semi-domesticated in homegardens or other polycultures, or harvested from the wild
in nearby habitats make a major and essential contribution to food security for hundreds of millions of people across the globe. India is one of the world’s largest and
oldest agricultural societies and is one of the world’s eight centres of crop plant origin
and diversity. At least 166 food/crop species and 320 wild relatives of crops have
originated here, which include rice, pigeon pea, turmeric, banana, jackfruit, mango
etc. Besides the high species diversity in Indian crops the genetic diversity within
them is also significant (Kothari 1997). However due to the impact of modernization
the traditional agrobiodiversity in the region is also faced with the threat of rapid
erosion.
2 Agrobiodiversity in Northeast India
Northeast India comprising of seven states represents an important part of the Eastern
Himalaya and Indo-Burma global biodiversity hotspot amongst the 36 recognized
global biodiversity hotspots. The Eastern Himalaya region encompasses Sikkim,
Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh, whereas the Indo-Burma region encompasses the
entire northeastern India, except Assam. The temporal and spatial variations caused
by diversity in geological orogeny has resulted into a marked difference in climate
and physiography, and consequently in distribution pattern of biotic elements, including the domesticated ones. Also, the spatial position and heterogeneous dispersion
of biodiversity elements has caused complexity in biogeographical patterns of the
region. The region holds great significance from ecological and evolutionary points
of view. A striking feature of the socio-economic profile of the region is prevalence
of tribal culture. The region is predominantly inhabited by distinctive ethnic groups
(often referred to as “tribals”) having unique socio-cultural practices (Arora 1997).
Much of the region’s agro biodiversity is in the custody of farming communities and
tribals who followed age old farming system, including shifting cultivation. These
farming communities are the custodians of landrace diversity/economic plant diversity accustomed to meeting their needs under subsistence farming (Arora 1997). This
region is rich in biodiversity and harbours largest number of endemics and Schedule I
species as compared to any other part of India. The region contributes considerably in
the form of wild relatives of several crop plants and domesticated animals. Out of the