Fig. 1: In situ crop wild relatives (CWR) are suggested to play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity by regulating diverse ecosystems and geochemical cycles. | Nature Communications

Fig. 1: In situ crop wild relatives (CWR) are suggested to play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity by regulating diverse ecosystems and geochemical cycles.

From: Blueprints for sustainable plant production through the utilization of crop wild relatives and their microbiomes

Fig. 1

a Managed agricultural ecosystems (e.g., pure stand of wheat) exhibit lower biodiversity, fewer ecological interactions, and a weak metabolic circular economy (MCE), where nutrient and energy flow cycles from root to shoot, into the environment, and back again are less efficient. b In contrast, in situ cultivation of CWR in nature-near ecosystems supports a rich diversity of microbes and variety of life-forms, including microfauna with stronger MCE and ecological interactions. Created with BioRender.com.

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