Why is it important for a population to be genetically diverse?
What is genetic diversity?How is diversity created? In the process of inheritance, nucleotides (although not always whole genes) are shuffled and recombined to form new combinations that are different than the parents. Every individual is a unique combination of alleles from its parents (unless it has been clonally propagated from just one parent; see box on cloning). What is genetic diversity?“Genetic” means related to traits passed from parent to offspring “Diversity” means having a range of different things Genetic Diversity refers to the range of different inherited traits within a species. In a species with high genetic diversity, there would be many individuals with a wide variety of different traits. Genetic diversity is critical for a population to adapt to changing environments. If a highly selected and low diversity strain, like fish populations grown for aquaculture, is introduced into the wild population, it will reduce the population’s ability to adapt to changes. For an activity featuring genetic diversity, find the activity page here. Water and food, climate regulation, even the interactions between human spirit and nature. These are all ecosystems services, and the secrets of how they work are hidden in genes. Often when we think of biological diversity, what first comes to mind are all the different species on Earth. But that’s only part of the story. Biodiversity is also the incredible variety within a species. Trillions of characteristics are hidden in organisms’ genomes; the result of all the biological information from thousands of ancestors and millions of years of evolution. All the biological data and variation that makes life on our planet work is encoded in DNA. This is known as genetic diversity. It strengthens the ability of species and populations to resist diseases, pests, changes in climate and other stresses. Gene variations underpin their capacity to evolve and their flexibility to adapt. Food and Genetic DiversityOne way to better understand the importance of genetic diversity is to consider what happens when it is severely reduced. The FAO has warned that declining genetic diversity in food and agriculture makes food crops and livestock more susceptible to disease and farmers more vulnerable to crop failure. This in turn puts global food security at risk. Unsustainable agricultural practices can contribute to genetic uniformity in the agriculture sector. Earth’s genetic library is also under threat from habitat loss and habitat fragmentation, which prevent different populations of the same species from mingling. Safeguarding Genetic DiversityAt the global, national and local levels, steps are being taken to safeguard this critical natural resource. Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are developing goals, targets and indicators for genetic diversity for inclusion in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, to be adopted at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) in October 2021. Other international instruments addressing genetic diversity include the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Sustainable Development Goals. Gene banks that save millions of seeds from around the world, botanical gardens that showcase dazzling plant collections and pastoralists who raise traditional livestock breeds all contribute to preserving biological information for the future. With the changing climate, disease epidemics and other environmental risks factors we face, genetic diversity could be the difference between survival and extinction for many species – including, eventually, our own. More information: |