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<p>Agrobiodiversity is the cornerstone of food security, nutritional well-being, and sustainable rural livelihoods. The North-Western Himalayan region, spanning Jammu &amp; Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand (28°&#xa0;43′–37°&#xa0;05′ North latitude and 72°&#xa0;40′–81°&#xa0;02′ East longitude), constitutes a unique agro-ecological niche marked by altitudinal diversity and rich endemic flora. The region harbors a wealth of traditional landraces of cereals, pulses, millets, and a wide variety of underutilized fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants, which exhibit valuable traits for climate resilience, nutritional enhancement, and ecological sustainability. This biological wealth is increasingly threatened by genetic erosion driven by habitat destruction, urbanization, changing dietary patterns, and the widespread adoption of high-yielding, input-intensive cultivars. Habitat destruction fragments populations into small, isolated units, increasing genetic drift and inbreeding, rapidly eliminating alleles and reducing effective population size. Urban expansion accelerates this process by creating highly homogeneous and hostile environments, where only a few generalist species survive, leading to the decline or local extinction of many native genotypes. The combined effects of habitat loss, fragmentation, pollution, and invasive species drastically diminish the genetic base of species, undermining their adaptive potential and evolutionary resilience. Climate change further exacerbates these challenges through altered precipitation patterns, rising temperatures, glacial retreat, and emerging biotic and abiotic stresses. This review explores the ecological, nutritional, and economic significance of the region’s agrobiodiversity and outlines key strategies for its conservation and sustainable utilisation. It includes&#xa0;both <i>in situ</i> and <i>ex situ</i> conservation, diversification, area expansion, germplasm enhancement through pre-breeding, and integration of modern genomic and phenomic tools. Revitalizing local landraces and wild relatives of both conventional and neglected crops offers a transformative pathway for developing climate-resilient and sustainable agroecosystems. The review advocates the strategic harnessing of this hidden biological wealth to counter agrobiodiversity loss and mitigate the impacts of climate change.</p>

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Agrobiodiversity in the North-Western Himalayas: A Pillar for Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Agriculture

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月7日

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  • Heena Sharma,
  • Tuhina Dey,
  • Prerna Johar,
  • Diksha Khajuria,
  • Aastha Sharma,
  • Ankita Kapoor

摘要

Agrobiodiversity is the cornerstone of food security, nutritional well-being, and sustainable rural livelihoods. The North-Western Himalayan region, spanning Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand (28° 43′–37° 05′ North latitude and 72° 40′–81° 02′ East longitude), constitutes a unique agro-ecological niche marked by altitudinal diversity and rich endemic flora. The region harbors a wealth of traditional landraces of cereals, pulses, millets, and a wide variety of underutilized fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants, which exhibit valuable traits for climate resilience, nutritional enhancement, and ecological sustainability. This biological wealth is increasingly threatened by genetic erosion driven by habitat destruction, urbanization, changing dietary patterns, and the widespread adoption of high-yielding, input-intensive cultivars. Habitat destruction fragments populations into small, isolated units, increasing genetic drift and inbreeding, rapidly eliminating alleles and reducing effective population size. Urban expansion accelerates this process by creating highly homogeneous and hostile environments, where only a few generalist species survive, leading to the decline or local extinction of many native genotypes. The combined effects of habitat loss, fragmentation, pollution, and invasive species drastically diminish the genetic base of species, undermining their adaptive potential and evolutionary resilience. Climate change further exacerbates these challenges through altered precipitation patterns, rising temperatures, glacial retreat, and emerging biotic and abiotic stresses. This review explores the ecological, nutritional, and economic significance of the region’s agrobiodiversity and outlines key strategies for its conservation and sustainable utilisation. It includes both in situ and ex situ conservation, diversification, area expansion, germplasm enhancement through pre-breeding, and integration of modern genomic and phenomic tools. Revitalizing local landraces and wild relatives of both conventional and neglected crops offers a transformative pathway for developing climate-resilient and sustainable agroecosystems. The review advocates the strategic harnessing of this hidden biological wealth to counter agrobiodiversity loss and mitigate the impacts of climate change.