Why is plant science in the tropics important?
Most of the World’s population lives in the tropics, and that is where most of the world’s food shortages occur. It is more efficient to produce calories as plant material than as beef or fish or other meat, and the way to meeting the food needs of the world is through better plant breeding, and better production systems, such as the more sustainable management of grazing lands. The tropics are also the region of highest biodiversity – the world’s richest gene pool. Tropical rainforests contain some 3 million species of organisms – 50 to 75% of the world’s total! It is thought that only 16% of these have been described and named. This represents a rich source of potential foods and medicines. It also makes the tropics one of the most fascinating regions for study by biologists, with many untapped areas for new and rewarding research. Due to population pressures and unsustainable land management practices, the tropics are also subject to massive land degradation problems. Wet tropical f
