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Introduction

Publication Type  Book Chapter
Authors  Eyzaguirre, Pablo B.; Linares, Olga F.
Year of Publication  2004
Editor  Pablo B. Eyzaguirre and Olga F. Linares
Book Title  In Home Gardens and Agrobiodiversity
City  Washington DC
Publisher  Smithsonian Books
Pages  1-28
Chapter  Introducti
Language  eng
Key Words  home gardens; agrobiodiversity; agroforestry systems; biodiversity; ecosystem resilience; sustainability; Shannon-Wiener species diversity index
Notes   In this introductory chapter to their edited book, Eyzaguirre and Linares review current research on home gardensi and introduce the focus of the volume which is ?how home gardens contribute to maintaining and enhancing biodiversity within agricultural systems? (1). The authors begin by summarizing several aspects of previous research on home gardens including variation in home garden structure and composition, the role of home gardens in local ecosystems and their contribution to biodiversity, species variation across home gardens, the social function of home gardens, the economic functions of home gardens, home garden management (specifically gender roles), and factors that can undermine the maintenance of biodiversity in home gardens. Building on previous work, this volume focuses on features of home gardens that are important for agrobiodiversityi: 1) home gardens serve as ?refuges for crops and crop varieties that were once more widespread in the larger agroecysystem? (16), 2) home gardens are ?sites for experimenting with the introduction of new cultivars resulting from exchange and interaction between cultures and communities? (16), and 3) home gardens are useful for the ?study of crop evolution and plant genetic resources because of the complex species diversity and interactions that characterize them? (16). Other chapters in the book present data from Cuba, Guatemala, Venezuela, Ghana, Nepal, Vietnam, and Ethiopia, and they consider how processes such as urbanization, migration, market forces, and economic policies affect agrobiodiversity in home gardens. Prepared by: Jan Gasco [JG], Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, California State University, Dominguez Hills, July 2006
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