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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Griffin, Georgia » Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #162115
Title: BIOGRAPHY OF WILD ARACHIS: ASSESSING CONSERVATION STATUS AND SETTING FUTURE PRIORITIES

Author
item JARVIS, ANDREW - IPGRI
item FERGUSON, MORAG - ICRISAT
item WILLIAMS, DAVID - IPGRI
item GUARINO, LUIGI - IPGRI
item JONES, PETER - CIAT
item STALKER, H - NC STATE UNIVERSITY
item VALLS, JOSE - CENTRO NACIONAL DE RECUSO
item Pittman, Roy
item SIMPSON, CHARLES - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item BRAMEL, PAMELA - ICRISAT

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/25/2002
Publication Date: 6/1/2003
Citation: Jarvis, A., Ferguson, M.E., Williams, D.E., Guarino, L., Jones, P.G., Stalker, H., Valls, J.F., Pittman, R.N., Simpson, C.E., Bramel, P. 2003. Biography of wild arachis: assessing conservation status and setting future priorities. Crop Science. Crop Sci. (2003) 43:1100-1108

Interpretive Summary: The conservation status of wild Arachis spp. is not well characterized for its maintenance and possible future exploitation for the improvement of cultivated peanut, Arachis hypogaea L. Our objectives were 1) to use georeferenced observations of wild peanut (Arachis spp.), 2) to assess the conservation status of the genus, and 3) to prioritize future conservation actions. Species distribution predictions were made on the basis of 36 climate variables. Hotspots of species richness were found in Mato Grosso around Cuiaba and Campo Grande in Brazil and around the Serra Geral de Goias, northeast Brasilia. The current state of in situ conservation areas poorly represents wild peanut, with only 48 of the 2175 observations from National Parks. Several species were identified as being under threat of extinction. It is suggested that ex situ conservation efforts should focus on the area around Pedro Gomes in Brazil and around San Jose Chiquitos in Bolivia, where some of the species adapted to lower temperatures may be found.

Technical Abstract: The conservation status of wild Arachis spp. is not well charazterized for its maintenance and possible future exploitation for the improvement of cultivated peanut, Arachis hypogaea L. Our objectives were to use 2175 georeferenced observations of wild peanut (Arachis spp.) to assess the conservation status of the genus and to prioritize biologically and geographically future conservation actions. Species distribution predictions were made on the basis of 36 climate variables, and these data were synthesized with land-use data to map the potential distribution of each species, and hence the species richness of the whole genus, excluding A. hypogaea. hotspots of species richness were found in Mato Grosso around Cuiaba and Campo Grande in Brazil and around the Serra Geral de Goias, northeast of Brasilia. The current state of in situ conservation areas poorly represents wild peanut, with only 48 of the 2175 observations from National Parks. Several species were identified as being under threat of extinction. These included A. archeri Krapov. & W.C. Gregory, A. setinervosa Krapov. & W.C. Gregory (identification based on highly restricted ranges and land-use pressures); and A. ipaenis Kraprov. & W.C. Gregory, A. cruziana Krapov., W.C. Gregory & C.E. Simpson, A. Williamsii Krapov. & W.C. Gregory, A. martii Handro, A. pietrarelli Kraprov. & W.C. Gregory, A. vallsii Kraprov. & W.C. Gregory, and A. monticola Kraprov. & Rigoni (identification based on insufficient observations and lang-use pressures). It is suggested that ex situ conservation efforts should focus on the area around Pedro Gomes (300 km southeast of Cuiaba), 170 km south along the planned road from Cuiaba to Corumba, and around San Jose de Chiquitos in Bolivia, where some of the species adapted to lower temperatures may be found.