Stephen B. Brush
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300100495
- eISBN:
- 9780300130140
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300100495.003.0008
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
This chapter, which discusses problems on genetic erosion and offers a theoretical framework to improve understanding of genetic erosion, suggests two ecological models that might serve to generate ...
More
This chapter, which discusses problems on genetic erosion and offers a theoretical framework to improve understanding of genetic erosion, suggests two ecological models that might serve to generate more robust crop ecology. Modern niche theory and metapopulation analysis offer numerous insights and advantages to efforts to understand genetic erosion. A shared insight is that general population processes, such as genetic erosion, are affected by environmental heterogeneity. Modern niche theory and metapopulation analysis provide a middle ground between general theory and site specificity. The chapter discusses how the application of formal population models to crops presents daunting challenges—to define key variables and specify functional relationships. The need to include both biological and social variables and functional relationships is particularly difficult to satisfy.Less
This chapter, which discusses problems on genetic erosion and offers a theoretical framework to improve understanding of genetic erosion, suggests two ecological models that might serve to generate more robust crop ecology. Modern niche theory and metapopulation analysis offer numerous insights and advantages to efforts to understand genetic erosion. A shared insight is that general population processes, such as genetic erosion, are affected by environmental heterogeneity. Modern niche theory and metapopulation analysis provide a middle ground between general theory and site specificity. The chapter discusses how the application of formal population models to crops presents daunting challenges—to define key variables and specify functional relationships. The need to include both biological and social variables and functional relationships is particularly difficult to satisfy.
Stephen B. Brush
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300100495
- eISBN:
- 9780300130140
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300100495.003.0007
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
This chapter discusses the issue of genetic erosion, and attempts to deconstruct the history of this scientific and agricultural policy problem. The threat of genetic erosion helped spur a large ...
More
This chapter discusses the issue of genetic erosion, and attempts to deconstruct the history of this scientific and agricultural policy problem. The threat of genetic erosion helped spur a large international effort to collect and conserve genetic resources that are the heritage of generations of crop evolution. The concept of genetic erosion is plausible, but it was formulated without the benefit of detailed case studies of crop ecology in cradle areas of crop evolution. The chapter finds that although genetic erosion has occurred in many cropping systems, there is now ample evidence that it is a complex and context-dependent process conditioned by local differences in environment, economy, and culture. In some cases, local conditions have limited genetic erosion. The chapter also reveals that the hypotheses which are the logical underpinning of the genetic erosion concept are disputed by ecological and cross-sectional analysis.Less
This chapter discusses the issue of genetic erosion, and attempts to deconstruct the history of this scientific and agricultural policy problem. The threat of genetic erosion helped spur a large international effort to collect and conserve genetic resources that are the heritage of generations of crop evolution. The concept of genetic erosion is plausible, but it was formulated without the benefit of detailed case studies of crop ecology in cradle areas of crop evolution. The chapter finds that although genetic erosion has occurred in many cropping systems, there is now ample evidence that it is a complex and context-dependent process conditioned by local differences in environment, economy, and culture. In some cases, local conditions have limited genetic erosion. The chapter also reveals that the hypotheses which are the logical underpinning of the genetic erosion concept are disputed by ecological and cross-sectional analysis.
