landraces
Locally adapted varieties
Landraces are traditional varieties of crops or livestock that have developed over time through natural adaptation to local conditions rather than formal breeding programs.
Unlike modern cultivars bred for specific traits, landraces maintain genetic diversity and often show resilience to regional pests, diseases, and climate: Farmers in the highlands still grow ancient maize landraces.
The term also applies to domesticated animals shaped by environment rather than selective breeding.
Allelic variation within populations
- allelesVariant forms of genes
- gene poolSpecies' total genetic diversity
- genotypeOrganism's complete allele set
- phenotypeObservable characteristics of organism
gene flow · mutation · open-pollinated · germplasm · heterozygosity · polymorphism · genetic drift · outcrossing
Custom passed through generations
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- indigenousOriginating in a region
- ethnobotanyScience of human-plant relationships
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
provenance · cultural · historical · ancestral · time-honored · patrimony · traditional knowledge · oral history
Land-cultivating occupation holders
- cultivationFostering growth through care
- cropsCultivated plants for harvest
- varietiesDistinct forms within category
- agronomyCrop and soil science
sustainable · agroecology · polyculture · domestication · propagation · horticulture · subsistence farming · smallholders
Differential reproductive success
- environmental stressPressure on natural systems
- resilienceCapacity to recover quickly
- acclimatizationAdjusting to new conditions
- fitnessGood physical shape
hardiness · drought tolerance · pest resistance · climate adaptation · stress tolerance · disease resistance · cold hardiness · survival
Maintaining something's condition
- seed banksStorage for genetic diversity
- ex-situOutside original place
- endangeredAt risk of extinction
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
Svalbard · gene banks · cryopreservation · rare breeds · extinction risk · repatriation · documentation · inventory
genetic diversity
Allelic variation within populations
- allelesVariant forms of genes
- gene poolSpecies' total genetic diversity
- genotypeOrganism's complete allele set
phenotype · gene flow · mutation · open-pollinated · germplasm · heterozygosity · polymorphism · genetic drift · outcrossing · hybridization
tradition
Custom passed through generations
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- indigenousOriginating in a region
- ethnobotanyScience of human-plant relationships
folklore · provenance · cultural · historical · ancestral · time-honored · patrimony · traditional knowledge · oral history · ceremonial use
farmers
Land-cultivating occupation holders
- cultivationFostering growth through care
- cropsCultivated plants for harvest
- varietiesDistinct forms within category
agronomy · sustainable · agroecology · polyculture · domestication · propagation · horticulture · subsistence farming · smallholders · traditional farming
natural selection
Differential reproductive success
- environmental stressPressure on natural systems
- resilienceCapacity to recover quickly
- acclimatizationAdjusting to new conditions
fitness · hardiness · drought tolerance · pest resistance · climate adaptation · stress tolerance · disease resistance · cold hardiness · survival · ecological niche
preservation
Maintaining something's condition
- seed banksStorage for genetic diversity
- ex-situOutside original place
- endangeredAt risk of extinction
threatened · Svalbard · gene banks · cryopreservation · rare breeds · extinction risk · repatriation · documentation · inventory · characterization