2.3 Similarities and Differences Between Biodiversity and Agrobiodiverslty 29
Another example comes from India, in 1995, when 5,311 original accessions of
the Assam Rice collection collected in the 1960s had deteriorated or had been lost
through unavoidable circumstances. The collection could be restored only because
India had sent the duplicated material to IRRI (IPGRI, 1995).
2.3
Similarities and Differences Between Biodiversity and
Agrobiodiversity
If biodiversity is used as a synonym for plant genetic resources in general and
agrobiodiversity for PGRF A, it implies that agrobiodiversity is only a subsystem
of biodiversity and that both can therefore be treated in one system. Although
there are similarities between biodiversity and agrobiodiversity, the existing
differences recommend a differentiation of both diversity forms. Both systems
interact and overlap with each other, while each system has its own, characteristic
features. For instance, modem agriculture is a major cause of the extinction of
plant varieties for food and agriculture. Furthermore, modem agriculture causes
the extinction of wild plant species (see Chaps. 2.2 and 3.2) because of
monoculture, intensive use of agricultural chemicals, and over-mechanization.
Nevertheless, the pressure on land has been reduced in industrialized countries
only because of modem intensive agriculture and can be reduced in low-income
countries in future as well. Therefore, causing the extinction of varieties of
agricultural crops, modem agriculture provides area for the conservation of
biodiversity by increasing the area productivity. In other words, intensive
agriculture enables a reduction of the pressure to take non-agricultural land into
production, consequently, minimizing pressure on biodiversity outside of
agricultural fields. Hence, modem agriculture is capable of maximizing the level
of biodiversity by reducing the necessary cultivated area, but is minimizing the
level of biodiversity in farmers' fields.
Conservation is another interaction and overlapping of biodiversity with
agrobiodiversity. In order to conserve wild plant genetic resources, it is essential
to conserve their habitat. The in situ conservation method is the most commonly
utilized conservation method for wild plant genetic resources. While conserving
wild plants in situ (e.g., habitat conservation), there is a spill over effect in terms
of wild relatives of crops which may be conserved in these habitats as well; they
are, however, neglected by the conservation efforts at present.
Although there are some important similarities, the differences are
overwhelming as can be seen in . Plant biodiversity is commonly defined by interspecies diversity as the variation of diversity between species. It is characterized
as a large amount of plant species, but a small amount of varieties in each species,
whereas agrobiodiversity is determined by a large amount of crop varieties of a
given crop, but a small amount of different crop species. Thus, agrobiodiversity is
commonly defined as intra-species diversity. Consequently the common method
for quantifying biodiversity is the number of species per defined area, whereas the
number of varieties per given crop per area defined quantifies the diversity of
Another example comes from India, in 1995, when 5,311 original accessions of
the Assam Rice collection collected in the 1960s had deteriorated or had been lost
through unavoidable circumstances. The collection could be restored only because
India had sent the duplicated material to IRRI (IPGRI, 1995).
2.3
Similarities and Differences Between Biodiversity and
Agrobiodiversity
If biodiversity is used as a synonym for plant genetic resources in general and
agrobiodiversity for PGRF A, it implies that agrobiodiversity is only a subsystem
of biodiversity and that both can therefore be treated in one system. Although
there are similarities between biodiversity and agrobiodiversity, the existing
differences recommend a differentiation of both diversity forms. Both systems
interact and overlap with each other, while each system has its own, characteristic
features. For instance, modem agriculture is a major cause of the extinction of
plant varieties for food and agriculture. Furthermore, modem agriculture causes
the extinction of wild plant species (see Chaps. 2.2 and 3.2) because of
monoculture, intensive use of agricultural chemicals, and over-mechanization.
Nevertheless, the pressure on land has been reduced in industrialized countries
only because of modem intensive agriculture and can be reduced in low-income
countries in future as well. Therefore, causing the extinction of varieties of
agricultural crops, modem agriculture provides area for the conservation of
biodiversity by increasing the area productivity. In other words, intensive
agriculture enables a reduction of the pressure to take non-agricultural land into
production, consequently, minimizing pressure on biodiversity outside of
agricultural fields. Hence, modem agriculture is capable of maximizing the level
of biodiversity by reducing the necessary cultivated area, but is minimizing the
level of biodiversity in farmers' fields.
Conservation is another interaction and overlapping of biodiversity with
agrobiodiversity. In order to conserve wild plant genetic resources, it is essential
to conserve their habitat. The in situ conservation method is the most commonly
utilized conservation method for wild plant genetic resources. While conserving
wild plants in situ (e.g., habitat conservation), there is a spill over effect in terms
of wild relatives of crops which may be conserved in these habitats as well; they
are, however, neglected by the conservation efforts at present.
Although there are some important similarities, the differences are
overwhelming as can be seen in . Plant biodiversity is commonly defined by interspecies diversity as the variation of diversity between species. It is characterized
as a large amount of plant species, but a small amount of varieties in each species,
whereas agrobiodiversity is determined by a large amount of crop varieties of a
given crop, but a small amount of different crop species. Thus, agrobiodiversity is
commonly defined as intra-species diversity. Consequently the common method
for quantifying biodiversity is the number of species per defined area, whereas the
number of varieties per given crop per area defined quantifies the diversity of