Wild relatives of domestic species: socioecological resilience resource

Abstract

Wild relatives of domestic species are biotic elements whose reproduction is not controlled by human being at agricultural systems, but are important elements of its environments and resilience. On that sense project COBARB has delivered seedlings of species like Cedrela odorata and Juglans jamaicensis, which are wood species with a significant wild presence at the biosphere reserves of Sierra del Rosario and Cuchillas del Toa. Identification of a wild relative´s use is a very useful contribution to decide the introduction of a domestic relative to relief the use of a wild resource. This was the case of Cinnamomum aromaticum to replace Ocote acuneata, also generating a bigger use and market value.At both biospheres reserve-or probably all over the mountain systems where they are placed-there were identified more than 30 botanic genus of cultivated plants which have also indigenous wild relatives. Among them are especially significant Eugenia, Ipomea and Solanum. In consequence, there is still a huge scenery to strength synergies between INIFAT and the management of natural protected areas, which could be useful in agrobiodiversity conservation and resilience for them as well as for the increase of phytogenic amount and socioecological capacity building of INIFAT´s national gene bank.