The Convention on Biological Diversity in 1992 placed obligations on nations to look after the biodiversity in their care and emphasized the link between conservation and use. Conservation for reasons of heritage and ecosystem function are now placed alongside conservation for use in crop improvement, and in this book, one of a pair arising from an EU project on crop wild relatives, the authors are working towards a synthesis of ideas from the crop and wild plant conservation communities to place a new focus on the in situ conservation of crop wild relatives. Despite a title that is not fully explicit, this book tackles the conservation of specifically crop wild relative genetic diversity in nature reserves and other protected areas.

The sharing of chapter authorship and editorial roles gives an impression of a narrow pool of expertise, yet the book can justifiably claim to be a comprehensive review, covering the background to the topic, the design and selection of appropriate reserves, their management, techniques for monitoring and reinstating diversity, and the interaction between in situ and ex situ conservation. One chapter tackles the drawbacks of in situ conservation of crop wild relatives, and in particular the vulnerability to change and the difficulty of access by users. Although climate change as a driver for population genetic and range change is discussed, a more comprehensive treatment would be valuable. Altogether, this book delivers well on its promise of synthesizing knowledge and management guidelines for students, researchers, conservationists and policy makers.