Agrobiodiversity

Agrobiodiversity is a fundamental feature of farming systems around the world. It encompasses many types of biological resources tied to agriculture, including: genetic resources - the essential living materials of plants and animals; edible plants and crops, including traditional varieties, cultivars, hybrids, and other genetic material developed by breeders; and livestock (small and large, lineal breeds or thoroughbreds) and freshwater fish; soil organisms vital to soil fertility, structure, quality, and soil health; naturally occurring insects, bacteria, and fungi that control insect pests and diseases of domesticated plants and animals; agroecosystem components and types (polycultural/monocultural, small/large scale, rainfed/irrigated, etc.) indispensable for nutrient cycling, stability, and productivity; and 'wild' resources (species and elements) of natural habitats and landscapes that can provide services (for example, pest control and ecosystem stability) to agriculture. Agrobiodiversity therefore includes not only a wide variety of species, but also the many ways in which farmers can exploit biological diversity to produce and manage crops, land, water, insects, and biota.

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