Heli Fitzgerald

Crop wild relatives (CWR) are wild plant taxa that are closely related to crops and other cultivated species. The importance of conserving CWR genetic diversity as a valuable source of variation for plant breeding has been regularly brought forward, and knowledge about the distribution of genetic diversity within and among natural populations can aid in efficient conservation and increased availability of CWR genetic resources. Within the Nordic countries (Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland), the European wild strawberry, Fragaria vesca L., has been recognized as a CWR of priority. However, information about the distribution of its within- and among-population genetic diversity in the Nordic countries is limited. In total, 180 individuals from twelve populations covering the majority of the Nordic range of F. vesca were genotyped with 14 microsatellite markers. Overall, populations had high inbreeding coefficient F _IS values, although a large variation was observed across the region. In agreement with expectations, populations from higher latitudes tended to have less genetic diversity and a higher presence of genetically identical individuals, possibly the result of clonal propagation. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that genetic diversity was primarily distributed among populations within countries, supporting a regional conservation approach. Analysis of the geographic distribution of the genetic diversity with STRUCTURE and principal component analyses and calculation of pairwise F _ST values revealed that the studied individuals formed clusters which partially, but not completely, corresponded to the geographical origin of the populations. The inclusion of multiple individuals per populations allowed geographic clustering to be detected on a finer scale than previously described. Ex situ conservation of F. vesca is recommended mainly to improve availability of these genetic resources for research and breeding and based on the within- and among-population distribution of genetic diversity, prioritizations are suggested.

Introduction . Crop wild relatives (CWR) play an important role in combatting threats to global food security and the adverse effects of climate change on food production. At the same time, climate change is predicted to lead to significant challenges for species survival, including Nordic CWR taxa. Aim . The modelling of future climate scenario effects on Nordic priority CWR taxa was undertaken to set priorities for in situ and ex situ conservation for both species and areas. Methods . We modelled the effect of future climate change on suitable habitats for 84 taxa under two CMIP6 Shared Socio-economic Pathways scenarios (SSP 2-4.5, and SSP 5-8.5). The present potential distribution range was compared to the status by year 2100. Results . The results revealed that even modest climate change causes negative effects in many species. There was large variation among the species’ responses to climate change, but over half of the taxa showed a reduction in suitable future habitats under both SSP scenarios. Threatened and mountainous species appear to be more negatively affected than the rest of the priority CWR taxa. Conclusions . We recommend in situ conservation with active management of Nordic CWR, prioritizing ex situ collection for species vulnerable to climate change. In addition, regular monitoring of CWR populations is essential to detect diversity loss and guide management, and a comprehensive Nordic CWR in situ network, integrated with ex situ conservation, is critical for long-term species survival.

The current global crisis of biodiversity loss calls for urgent conservation actions for many species, not the least wild species related to crop plants. These crop wild relatives are considered harbouring genetic diversity of major importance for future crop plant improvement, e.g. adaptation to climate change. Hence, their conservation needs to be a priority. To ensure the long-term conservation and to maximize the utility value of these species, it is important that as much of their genetic diversity as possible is conserved. Thus, the distribution of intraspecific diversity must be taken into consideration when planning conservation efforts. Caraway, Carum carvi L., has been cultivated since medieval times and is today one of the most important spice crops worldwide. In order to identify populations that would be of particular interest for in situ and ex situ conservation and for use in plant breeding we evaluated the geographic distribution of intraspecific diversity in populations of Carum carvi in the Nordic region (Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland). Using a genotyping by sequencing approach, we genotyped 198 individuals from 16 Nordic populations. The amount of intrapopulation genetic diversity was similar among populations (mean H_e = 0.29), and the diversity was structured in an east–westerly manner, probably reflecting colonisation patterns associated with different glacial refugia. In addition, some populations likely have a history shaped by human interventions. The results have important conservation implications and based on the outcome of this study, populations of conservation priority are suggested.

Plant genetic resources (PGR) serve as the cornerstone for global varietal enhancement and food security. However, these resources face significant threats, including diversity erosion and extinction, are often inadequately conserved, and frequently remain inaccessible for practical use. Traditionally, PGR have been primarily conserved through population seed samples stored ex situ in genebanks. In contrast, complementary in situ techniques – whether involving crop wild relatives in genetic reserves or crop landraces on-farm – have largely remained experimental. The demand from breeders for a broader diversity is driving a more integrated approach that combines ex situ and in situ methods. This paper posits that such an integrated strategy would be mutually advantageous for PGR, biodiversity and farmer-based conservation communities. As a foundation for future PGR science, we propose the three 'Principles of PGR Conservation and Use Congruence' and outline the practical processes involved in in situ and on-farm conservation. We also review the challenges associated with integrating ex situ and in situ conservation, specifically addressing how collaborative resource management can be established, how potential resource users can access in situ and on-farm conserved PGR, how to promote user access to in situ conserved populations, and the progress made thus far in integrating in situ and ex situ efforts. While it is acknowledged that full integration may be unrealistic without adequate resources for Genetic Resource Centres and the rectification of skill gaps, the potential to significantly enhance the long-term, sustainable conservation of PGR diversity holds profound existential benefits for humanity in the 21st century.

Crop wild relatives (CWR) are valuable wild plant species that can be used as genetic resources providing adaptive traits to crop plants and therefore they play an important role in future food security. This paper describes in situ and ex situ conservation planning of CWR species in Finland and includes the following parts: (a) drafting of the national CWR priority list, (b) undertaking the in situ conservation gap analysis and (c) identifying ex situ conservation gaps and multi-species collecting sites for the CWR in Finland. As a result of the study, essential information was acquired, which will enhance future planning of active science-based practical conservation of CWR in Finland. Based on the new data and earlier work, a number of conservation recommendations are presented. This national work has been carried out in connection with the larger Nordic regional CWR co-operation.

The collections policy of the Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus is hierarchically structured. The general collections policy defines the overall principles and guidelines. The sub-collections policies, such as the Living collections policy, comply with and apply the general collections policy and specify its guidelines and instructions, taking the special nature of the sub-collections into account. The living plant collections policy guides the care of the collections in the botanic gardens and the seed bank, excluding DNA and tissue samples which are covered by a separate genomic resources policy. The purpose of the collections policy is to help guide the care of the garden collections and the processing of information relating to the collections, thereby providing the basis for developing the botanic gardens.

Crop wild relatives (CWR) can provide one solution to future challenges on food security, sustainable agriculture and adaptation to climate change. Diversity found in CWR can be essential for adapting crops to these new demands. Since the need to improvein situconservation of CWR has been recognized by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (2010) and the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (2011–2020), it is important to develop ways to safeguard these important genetic resources. The Nordic flora includes many species related to food, forage and other crop groups, but little has been done to systematically secure these important wild resources. A Nordic regional approach to CWR conservation planning provided opportunities to network, find synergies, share knowledge, plan the conservation and give policy inputs on a regional level. A comprehensive CWR checklist for the Nordic region was generated and then prioritized by socio-economic value and utilization potential. Nordic CWR checklist was formed of 2553 taxa related to crop plants. Out of these, 114 taxa including 83 species were prioritized representing vegetable, cereal, fruit, berry, nut and forage crop groups. Thein situconservation planning of the priority CWR included ecogeographic and complementarity analyses to identify a potential network of genetic reserve sites in the region. Altogether 971,633 occurrence records of the priority species were analysed. A minimum number of sites within and outside existing conservation areas were identified that had the potential to support a maximum number of target species of maximum intraspecific diversity.

In the context of flourishing crop wild relative (CWR) conservation studies and initiatives at the national level, the purpose of this chapter is to...