The GlobWetland project uses remote sensing and GIS to address the threats faced by the world’s wetlands. Do we know how many crop wild relatives are found in wetlands? Or even how threats to wetlands affect genetic diversity in adjacent agricultural areas? I think plant genetic resources people and the ecosystem conservation crowd need to link up a bit more, and I can’t help thinking that wetlands might be pretty good meeting ground.
You’re right, we don’t know how many crop wild relatives are found in wetlands. But we do know that wetlands provide resources such as wild rice (Zizania spp.) and that agriculture can destroy wetlands.