Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

An island-wide survey of crop wild relatives was conducted in protected and non-protected areas, resulting in the preparation of ecogeographical descriptors for these crop species [ ] 210 Sustainable use of crop wild relatives Prior to 2004, little attention was giv- en to conserving and utilizing CWR in Sri Lanka and few had been com- prehensively studied or researched. A list of CWR in Sri Lanka was compiled using already published material on the Sri Lankan flora and the records of the national herbari- um. The list includes 410 species of food CWR, belonging to 47 families and 122 genera. Out of these, 366 are native species and 77 are endemic rel- atives of food crops, while 44 species are naturalized exotics. This is only a preliminary list, which needs to be further refined. To recognize the true genetic relationships of these species, detailed studies must be carried out. In general, CWR species of agricultural importance occur as members of disturbed communities within the major vegetation types of the country. Open canopy forest areas, secondary forests, disturbed grasslands and shrub jungles are rich in these plants. The wild relatives of fruit plants are largely associated with semi-evergreen, intermediate and wet evergreen forests. There are large numbers of agriculturally important wild species in different crop groups. A project titled ‘In situ conserva- tion of crop wild relatives through the enhanced information manage- ment and field application’ addressed the threat to these species, studying the wild relatives of rice, Vigna (mungbean), banana, cinnamon and pepper varieties. An island-wide survey of CWR was conducted in protected and non-protected are- as, resulting in the preparation of ecogeographical descriptors for these crop species. The project also deliv- ered a list of morphological charac- teristics and herbarium specimens of important taxa which are difficult to identify. Other activities included the collec- tion of ethnobotanical notes of wild relatives of priority CWR, prediction maps and distribution maps. The mapping of wild rice distribution in Puttalam District in North Western Province was accompanied by the declaration of these habitats as an En- vironmentally Protected Area under the Provincial Environment Statute of the province. In addition, aware- ness programmes were conducted for PA managers and relevant officials to integrate CWR conservation into the national PA system using informa- tion from ecogeographical surveys and descriptors. S ri Lanka possesses unique agrobiodiversity and its varied ecosystems are rich in crop wild relatives (CWR) — the wild relatives of crop ancestors and other related species. These plants are a critical source of genes for resistance to pest and diseases, as well as stresses such as droughts, floods and temperature changes. Most CWR populations are not found in Protected Areas (PAs) but they abound in buffer zone and are vulnerable to deforestation, urbanization and expansion of agriculture lands. Many species are being lost due to climate change and landslides, while some are in danger due to over extraction for food or medicines. A project to study them in situ is providing essential information to reverse this trend. Protected wild elephant in natural habitat Emily Goodhart on Unsplash Sri Lanka