Survey of crop wild relative plant species in Denmark

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Crop wild relatives (CWR) are plant species closely related to crop species, including livestock fodder grasses, fruit producing trees and shrubs, and medicinal plants. CWR include natives with long site persistence and local adaptation but also naturalized species that can withstand the climatic and competitive conditions when introduced to a new area. It is of special interest to preserve genetically unique populations that potentially can withstand future changes in environmental conditions from e.g. climate change and other global change drivers. Thus, CWR species with certain traits that are adapted to the climate and soil type of a particular region can be a potential resource for the improvement of crop species.

The main objective of this study was to survey the occurrences of CWR species and estimate their population sizes in a standardized and repeatable way.

The survey was done at four sites in Denmark: Husby Klit and Stråsø in West Jutland, Mols in East Jutland, and Kattrup in North-West Zealand, which represent a west to east gradient across the country, and therefore include different environmental conditions, species pools, and genetic variation.

Across all four sites, a total of 195 plots were surveyed and 53 CWR species found. The viability of and main threat on each species population was assessed in situ. The results are published in the following report: https://figshare.com/articles/book/Crop_Wild_Relatives_-_Population_inventories_in_Denmark_2023/25592187

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