Extinction risk of one pear wild relative in Iran and requirement for urgent conservation action

Document Type : Rare and Endangered Plant Species of Iran

Authors

1 Assistant Prof., Research Division of Natural Resources, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center (AREEO), Shahrekord, Iran

2 Prof., Research Institute of forest and rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.

3 Department of Plant Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, PO Box 1983963113, Tehran, Iran

10.22092/irn.2022.359071.1470

Abstract

There is a close relationship between biodiversity conservation and food security, and they are two sides of the same coin. Conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems has become a top priority for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Crop wild relatives (CWRs) have adapted to harsh soil and climate conditions and play a unique role in improving crop yields and adapting to different climates. The species of the genus Pyrus have considerable diversity among crop wild relatives of Iran. The conservation status of Pyrus farsistanica is discussed based on criteria B, C, and D (geographic range, small population size, very small or restricted population, respectively) of the IUCN Red List. The exact studies show this species is Critically Endangered (CR). Given the importance of this species and its severe decline, it is essential to take immediate action to propagate this species in botanical gardens and seed banks for long-term preservation. In addition, an education program is needed to educate the public about the importance of the value of this species. Moreover, the conservation of this valuable species as a “nature reserve" is necessary. The Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization should play an effective role in protecting the habitat, and encourage rural people to grow and propagate seedlings in gardens and yards. Seed storage in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran is strongly recommended.
 

Keywords

References

Browicz, K., 1972. Distribution of woody Rosaceae in W. Asia X. Pyrus syriaca Boiss. and Pyrus glabra Boiss. –Arbor. Kórnickie, 17: 19–33.
Chen, G. and Sun, W.B., 2018. The role of botanical gardens in scientific research, conservation, and citizen science. Plant Diversity, 40(4):181–188.
Dempewolf, H., Baute, G., Anderson, J., Kilian, B., Smith, C. and Guarino, L., 2017. Past and future use of wild relatives in crop breeding. Crop science, 57(3): 1070–1082
Ehrlich, P.R. and Wilson, E.O., 1991. Biodiversity studies: science and policy. Science, 253(5021): 758–762.
Estoque, R.C., Gomi, K., Togawa, T., Ooba, M., Hijioka, Y., Akiyama, Ch.M., Shogo, N., Akira, Y. and Keisuke, K., 2019. Scenario-based land abandonment projections: Method, application and implications. Science of the Total Environment, 692: 903–916.
FAO, 2008. Biodiversity to curb world’s food insecurity. Food and Agriculture Organisation, Rome. http://www.fao.org/ newsroom/en/news/2008/1000841/index.html.
Frey, W. and Probst, W., 1986. A synopsis of the vegetation in Iran. Contributions to the vegetation of southwest Asia. In: Kürschner, H. (ed), Contributions to the Vegetation of Southwest Asia. Wiesbaden, L. Reichert, pp. 9–43.
Hodgkin, T. and Hajjar, R., 2007. Using crop wild relatives for crop improvement: trends and perspectives. In: Maxted, N., Ford-Lloyd, B. V., Kell, S. P., Iriondo, J. M., Dulloo, M. E. and Turok, J. (eds.) Crop wild relative conservation and use, Wallingford, CABI, pp. 535–548.
IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee, 2016. Guidelines for Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Ver sion 11. Prepared by the Standards and Petitions Subcommittee. Downloadable from http://www.iucnredlist.org/doc- uments/RedListGuidelines.pdf.
Japelaghi, M., Gholamalifard, M. and Shayesteh, K., 2019. Spatio-temporal analysis and prediction of landscape patterns and change processes in the Central Zagros region, Iran. Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment, 15: 100244.
Karjalainen, E., Sarjala, T. and Raitio, H., 2010. Promoting human health through forests: overview and major challenges. Environmental health and preventive medicine, 15(1): 1–8.
Khoury, C.K., Achicanoy, H.A., Bjorkman, A.D., Navarro-Racines, C., Guarino, L., Flores-Palacios, X., Engels, J.M., Wiersema, J.H., Dempewolf, H., Sotelo, S. and Ramírez-Villegas, J., 2016. Origins of food crops connect countries worldwide. Proceedings of the royal society B: biological sciences, 283(1832): 20160792.
Khoury, C.K., Carver, D., Greene, S.L., Williams, K.A., Achicanoy, H.A., Schori, M., León, B., Wiersema, J.H. and Frances, A., 2020. Crop wild relatives of the United States require urgent conservation action. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(52): 33351–33357.
Leal, M.L., Alves, R.P. and Hanazaki, N., 2018. Knowledge, use, and disuse of unconventional food plants. Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine, 14(1): 1–9.
Maxted, N., Kell, S., Ford-Lloyd, B., Dulloo, E. and Toledo, Á., 2012. Toward the systematic conservation of global crop wild relative diversity. Crop Science, 52(2): 774–785.
Mozaffarian, V., 1998. A dictionary of Iranian plant names. Farhang Moaser, Tehran, 740p.
Myers, S.S., Smith, M.R., Guth, S., Golden, C.D., Vaitla, B., Mueller, N.D., Dangour, A.D. and Huybers, P., 2017. Climate Change and Global Food Systems: Potential Impacts on Food Security and Undernutrition.Annual review of public health, 38:259–277.
Rapaport, E.H. and Drausal, B.S., 2001. Edible plants. In: Levin, S., (ed.) Encyclopedia of biodiversity. New York, Academi Press, pp. 375–382.
Sayadi, S., Mehrabian, A. and Mostafavi, H., 2022. Diversity centers and distribution patterns of Eudicot crop wild relatives‎‏‏ of Iran:‎ priorities for conservation and important plant areas. Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity, 6(1): 1–19.
Silva, G.J., Souza, T.M., Barbieri, R.L. and Costa de Oliveira, A., 2014. Origin, domestication, and dispersing of pear (Pyrus spp.). Advances in Agriculture, 541097.
Sunderland, T.C., 2011. Food security: why is biodiversity important? International Forestry Review, 13(3): 265–274.
Thrupp, L.A., 2000. Linking agricultural biodiversity and food security: the valuable role of agrobiodiversity for sustainable agriculture. International Affairs, 76: 265–281.
Toledo, Á. and Burlingame, B., 2006. Biodiversity and nutrition: A common path toward global food security and sustainable development. Journal of food composition and analysis, 19(6-7): 477–483.
Tuxill, J., 1999. Appreciating the Benefits of Plant Biodiversity. In: Brown, L.R., Flavin, C., French, H. and Starke, L., State of the World 1999: a Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress Toward a Sustainable Society, W.W. New York, Norton. pp. 96–114.
Zamani, A., Attar, F. and Civeyrel, L., 2017. Leaf epidermis characters of Iranian Pyrus L.(Rosaceae) and their taxonomic implications. Genetic resources and crop evolution, 64(1): 159–176.
Zamani, A., Attar, F. and Maroofi, H., 2012. A synopsis of the genus Pyrus (Rosaceae) in Iran. Nordic Journal of Botany, 30(3): 310–332.
Zeraatkar, A., Ghahremaninejad, F. and Khosravi, A.R., 2022. Floristic study of suggested hunting-prohibited area of Dorodzan dam (Central Zagros, Iran), Rostaniha, 22(2): 230–249.
 
 
Iran Nature
Volume 7, Issue 5 - Serial Number 36
November and December 2022
Pages 129-136

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics