Agrobiodiversity

Abstract Agrobiodiversity is a term coined toward the end of the last millennium after the Rio conference on biodiversity. Important features of agrobiodiversity have been developed from a synthesis of biodiversity research and the genetic resources approach. The aim of agrobiodiversity is to include all crops and livestock, wild relatives, interacting species‐pollinators, symbionts, pests, parasites, predators, and competitors. As in the discussions of biological diversity, three levels are generally acknowledged: genetic diversity, species diversity, and the diversity of ecosystems. Genetic erosion, that is, the disappearance of a large number of traditional races and breeds and the predominance of a limited number of high‐bred organisms, leads to a tremendous loss of valuable genes. This particular process within agrobiodiversity is under intensive discussion, but a coherent theory has yet to be developed. In addition, for the strongly interacting elements of agrobiodiversity a generalized model is still far from being available.