CWR checklist and inventory data template v.1

Abstract

The objective of this template is to help users to establish a CWR checklist and inventory in a systematic manner. The compilation of a CWR checklist and the collation of additional data for the prioritization of CWR species to include in a CWR inventory are the first steps in conservation planning and for the subsequent development of a National Strategic Action Plan for the conservation and sustainable use of CWR. A CWR checklist is a list of CWR taxa found in a defined geographic unit (usually a country or region), which comprises a list of taxon names and authorities. A checklist usually contains more taxa than can be actively conserved due to financial and human resources constraints (Maxted et al., 2013; Magos Brehm et al., 2017)—therefore, a list of priority taxa is drawn from the checklist to form the CWR inventory. To aid prioritization, information about the actual and potential utilization value of the CWR for crop improvement, Red List status, distribution and socio-economic value of the related crops is collated. The CWR inventory, usually developed only for the prioritized CWR taxa, contains additional information about the biology, uses and conservation status of the taxa. The descriptors used in the template were developed in the context of three major international CWR projects: PGR Forum (www.pgrforum.org), the UNEP-GEF CWR project (www.cropwildrelatives.org), and PGR Secure (www.pgrsecure.org) and take into account descriptors previously published (Kell et al., 2008; Moore et al., 2008; Alercia et al., 2012; Thormann et al., 2013). This template was developed within the framework of the ACP-EU funded project ‘In situ conservation and use of crop wild relatives in three ACP countries of the SADC region’ (SADC Crop Wild Relatives, www.cropwildrelatives.org/sadc-cwr-project/). The template is based on the "Crop wild relative checklist and inventory descriptors, v.1", published by Bioversity International and University of Birmingham