Plant and fungal use in Tusheti, Khevsureti, and Pshavi, Sakartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus

In this study, we documented traditional plant use in Tusheti, Khevsureti, and Pshavi and hypothesized that (i) plant use knowledge in general would be higher in isolated high elevation communities, and that (ii) use of home gardens would be much more restricted to lower elevation settings. Fieldwork was conducted in Khevsureti, Pshavi, and Tusheti. Interviews using semi-structured questionnaires were conducted with 74 participants. In the present study, we encountered 317 plant species belonging to 203 genera of 80 families being used in the research region. Of these, 197 species were exclusively wild-harvested, 73 were grown in homegardens, and 47 were both grown in gardens and sourced in the wild. The ordinations in plant-space and in use-space were significantly fit by elevation of informant community, and community itself. Age and gender did not significantly fit the distribution of informants across either plant-space or use-space, respectively. Number of use-reports was highest across all communities in the food and medicinal use-categories, and informant consensus. Species with especially high use-diversity (UD) tended to be woody species although. Species with high use-value (UV) were mostly managed/domesticated species from home orchards, gardens, or farms. Plant species, and uses, found in our study, showed clear relations to the wider Eurasian cultural complex. The species number found was, however, far higher than in any published study from either the region or the wiser Mediterranean and Eurasia. The maintenance of home gardens in Georgia serves as socio-ecological memory. While the great variety of plant species used in the Georgian Caucasus might provide a reservoir for food security climate change is starting to affect both natural floristic diversity and gardens both in the Caucasus as well as continent wide

Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change: A Synopsis of Coordinated National Crop Wild Relative Seed Collecting Programs across Five Continents

The Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change Project set out to improve the diversity, quantity, and accessibility of germplasm collections of crop wild relatives (CWR). Between 2013 and 2018, partners in 25 countries, heirs to the globetrotting legacy of Nikolai Vavilov, undertook seed collecting expeditions targeting CWR of 28 crops of global significance for agriculture. Here, we describe the implementation of the 25 national collecting programs and present the key results. A total of 4587 unique seed samples from at least 355 CWR taxa were collected, conserved ex situ, safety duplicated in national and international genebanks, and made available through the Multilateral System (MLS) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (Plant Treaty). Collections of CWR were made for all 28 targeted crops. Potato and eggplant were the most collected genepools, although the greatest number of primary genepool collections were made for rice. Overall, alfalfa, Bambara groundnut, grass pea and wheat were the genepools for which targets were best achieved. Several of the newly collected samples have already been used in pre-breeding programs to adapt crops to future challenges.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Adapting agriculture to climate change: a synopsis of Coordinated National Crop Wild Relative Seed Collecting Programs across five continents.

Na publicação: Marcelo B. Medeiros

Ethnobotany of Samtskhe-Javakheti, Sakartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus

7-24Samtskhe-Javakheti was formed in the 1990s in southern Georgia from the historical provinces of Meskheti, Javakheti and Tori. The majority of the inhabitants are ethnically Armenian, with a Georgian minority. We documented traditional plant use in Samtskhe-Javakheti, and hypothesized that (1) plant use knowledge in general would be higher in isolated high elevation communities, and that (2) use of home gardens would be much more restricted to lower elevations. Fieldwork was conducted July–August 2013, July–August 2014, and September–October 2015, using semi-structured questionnaires. We encountered 261 plant species belonging to 161 genera of 70 families being used in the region. Of these, 160 species were exclusively wild-collected, 81 grown in homegardens, and 20 were both grown in gardens and collected wild. Most species and uses were widely used across the region, with some particular species in the low lying villages, that allowed a wider variety of species to be grown and gathered. The elevation of informant community significantly fit the ordination in plant-space and use-space. In addition, community significantly fit the ordination for both plant-space and use-space. Informant age significantly fit the plant-space ordination only, while informant gender was not significant in either space

Unequal brothers – Plant and fungal use in Guria and Racha, Sakartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus

7-33Guria and Racha are historical provinces of Republic of Georgia, located on the South-facing macro-slope of the western part of the Greater Caucasus (Racha) and East of the Lesser Caucasus towards the Black Sea (Guria).In this study we documented traditional plant use in Guria and Racha, and hypothesized that (1) plant use knowledge in general would be higher in isolated high elevation communities, and that (2) use of home gardens would be much more restricted to lower elevation settings. Fieldwork was conducted in Lechkhumi in July–August 2014, and in Guria and Racha in July-August 2016. Interviews using semi-structured questionnaires were conducted with 32 participants (10 women and 22 men), with oral prior informed consent. We encountered 338 plant species belonging to 252 genera of 101 vascular plant families, 4 undetermined species, and 20 fungal species and 15 undetermined fungi, belonging to at least 16 genera of 16 families being used in the research region. Of these 223 species were exclusively wild-collected, 110 were grown in home gardens, and 56 were both grown in gardens and collected in the wild. Plants and their uses mostly overlapped among the areas within the region, with a slightly wider divergence in uses than in plants. The environmental fit analysis showed that a large degree of this variation was explained by differences among participant communities. The elevation of the participant community significantly fit the ordination in plant-space and explained a large degree of the variation in plant species reported but not in use-space. Gender was not significant in plant-space or use-space

Plants in the spa – the medicinal plant market of Borjomi, Sakartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus

25-34As part of a larger ethnobotanical inventory of Skartvelo (Republic of Georgia) we studied the medicinal plant market in Borjomi Spa since 2013. All of the venders in Borjomi featured the same set of medicinal plant mixtures, and essentially no plants were sold separately. Overall, the same 17 distinct mixtures were sold by all venders. Plants, according to the venders, were collected by them in the wider surroundings of Borjomi, and all mixtures were prepared at home. Although the preparations of medicinal plant mixtures in Borjomi seemed very controlled and standardized, the separation of all mixtures into their respective ingredients revealed that most mixtures either contained contaminants, and/or lacked ingredients claimed to be included. This study underlines that in many cases natural remedies sold in markets can be problematic, and that great care should be taken before using any medicine, whether allopathic or complimentary. Linguistic explanations for all plant names and indications are given

Germination responses of an invasive species in native and non-native ranges

Studying germination in the native and non-native range of a species can provide unique insights into processes of range expansion and adaptation; however, traits related to germination have rarely been compared between native and nonnative populations. In a series of common garden experiments, we explored whether differences in the seasonality of precipitation, specifically, summer drought vs summer rain, and the amount and variation of annual and seasonal precipitation affect the germination responses of populations of an annual ruderal plant, Centaurea solstitialis, from its native range and from two non-native regions with different climates. We found that seeds from all native populations, irrespective of the precipitation seasonality of the region in which they occurred, and non-native populations from regions with dry summers displayed similarly high germination proportions and rates. In contrast, genotypes from the non-native region with predominantly summer rain exhibited much lower germination fractions and rates. Also, percent germination was strongly correlated with variation in precipitation in winter, the season that follows germination for C. solstitialis. Specifically, germination was lower for native and non-native populations experiencing greater variation in winter precipitation. This correlation, however, was greatly influenced by the non-native region with summer rain, which also exhibited the greatest variation in winter precipitation among studied regions. These results suggest that rather than general climatic patterns, the degree of risk experienced at early developmental stages could exert an important control over the germination strategy of C. solstitialis populations in both native and non-native ranges. Also, these findings reveal a largely unique germination response in C. solstitialis genotypes growing in the non-native region with summer rain and high variation in winter precipitation. Our work raises the possibility that rapid adaptive changes in germination strategies may contribute to the success of globally distributed invaders.Centaurea solstitialis, from its native range and from two non-native regions with different climates. We found that seeds from all native populations, irrespective of the precipitation seasonality of the region in which they occurred, and non-native populations from regions with dry summers displayed similarly high germination proportions and rates. In contrast, genotypes from the non-native region with predominantly summer rain exhibited much lower germination fractions and rates. Also, percent germination was strongly correlated with variation in precipitation in winter, the season that follows germination for C. solstitialis. Specifically, germination was lower for native and non-native populations experiencing greater variation in winter precipitation. This correlation, however, was greatly influenced by the non-native region with summer rain, which also exhibited the greatest variation in winter precipitation among studied regions. These results suggest that rather than general climatic patterns, the degree of risk experienced at early developmental stages could exert an important control over the germination strategy of C. solstitialis populations in both native and non-native ranges. Also, these findings reveal a largely unique germination response in C. solstitialis genotypes growing in the non-native region with summer rain and high variation in winter precipitation. Our work raises the possibility that rapid adaptive changes in germination strategies may contribute to the success of globally distributed invaders.Fil: Hierro, Jose Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa; Argentina. University of Montana; Estados UnidosFil: Eren, Ozkan. Adnan Menderes Universitesi; TurquíaFil: Khetsuriani, Liana. Academy of Sciences; GeorgiaFil: Diaconu, Alecu. Institute of Biological Research; RumaniaFil: Török, Katalin. Institute of Ecology and Botany of HAS; HungríaFil: Montesinos, Daniel. Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación; EspañaFil: Andonian, Krikor. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Kikodze, David. Academy of Sciences; GeorgiaFil: Janoian, Levan. University of Armenia; ArmeniaFil: Villarreal, Diego. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Estanga Mollica, María E.. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Callaway, Ragan M.. University of Montana; Estados Unido