Plant Genetic Resources: Their Conservation and Utility for Plant Improvement
Biological diversity denotes the variability among the living organisms. Biodiversity provides the basic biotic resources that sustain the human race. This includes diversity within species and between species of ecosystems. Biodiversity is not merely a n
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Plant Genetic Resources: Their Conservation and Utility for Plant Improvement Tapan Kumar Mondal and Krishna Kumar Gagopadhyay Abstract Biological diversity denotes the variability among the living organisms. Biodiversity provides the basic biotic resources that sustain the human race. This includes diversity within species and between species of ecosystems. Biodiversity is not merely a natural resource; it is an embodiment of cultural diversity and the diverse knowledge of different communities across the world. India is also a vast repository of traditional knowledge associated with biological resources. Currently, there has been growing realization that biodiversity is the basis of sustainable agricultural production and food security as well as important factor for environment conservation. In India, agro-biodiversity deserves special attention to ensure conservation of valuable germplasm for perpetuity, sustainable use and development, and livelihood security. Thus, a better understanding of genetic diversity and its distribution is essential for its efficient conservation and use. In this chapter, we review the genetic diversity in plant genetic resources in India along with the methods of their management for plant improvement.
3.1 Indian Plant Biodiversity India, with a total area of 329 mha (2.4 % of world’s land area), is the seventh largest country in the world. The diverse ecology together with unique geological and cultural features has resulted to a wide diversity of habitats and sustains immense plant diversity at all levels. Out of 1.75 million species recorded so far in the world, India accounts for 7–8 % of recorded species of the world and ranks seventh in mammals, ninth in birds, and fifth in reptiles. In terms of endemism of vertebrate groups, India’s position is tenth in birds with 69 species, fifth in reptiles with 156 species, seventh in amphibians with 110 species, and tenth in plants with 5000 species.
T.K. Mondal (*) • K.K. Gagopadhyay National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Pusa Campus, New Delhi 110012, India e-mail: [email protected] © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2017 M.Z. Abdin et al. (eds.), Plant Biotechnology: Principles and Applications, DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-2961-5_3
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Table 3.1 Recorded plant species on eartha Taxonomic group Angiosperms Gymnosperms Pteridophytes Bryophytes Lichens Fungi Algae Virus/bacteria Total
Number of species World 25,0000 65,048 10,000 14,500 13,500 70,000 40,000 8050 4,06,700
India 17,500 48 1200 2850 2075 14,500 6500 850 45,523
% of world flora 7.0 7.4 12 19.7 15 20.7 16.3 10.6 11.8
Anonymous (2012)
a
India with 45500 different plant species represents nearly 11 % of the world’s known plant diversity. In higher plants (angiosperms), the country has about 17,527 different flowering plants accounting for more than 7 % of the world’s known flowering plants, out of which ~35 % of flowering plants are endemic (Table 3.1). The varied topographic, edaphic, and climatic conditions have yiel
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