A Novel Circa situm Approach to Conserve Forest Genetic Resources of the Western Ghats

is a rich repository of forest genetic resources in terms of wild fl ora, wild relatives of crop plants, edible fruits, medicinal plants and myriad agro-forestry systems. This paper discusses the importance and potentiality of novel approaches such as ‘Forest gene banks’ and ‘ circa situm conservation’. It also emphasizes creation of range-wide, spatially explicit big-database on circa situm conservation value of agro-forestry systems as well as to develop guidelines for establishment of circa situm gene banks across the country.