Plant biodiversity assessment of locally cultivated crops and household food security in Northern Iran

Abstract

Background Locally cultivated crops play an important role in the food security. The biodiversity of these crops can be important for the livelihood of households in current and future generations. This research aims to study the socio-economic, agronomic, and ecological aspects which contribute to the maintenance of crop diversification and food security in the study area. Method Based on latitude and topography 10 villages were randomly selected, which was done in a study with 227 household farm managers. Food security was evaluated based on the species richness, and area under cultivation of food groups, and the probit logistic regression model was used for evaluation. Probit regression, also known as probit models, is used when the output or dependent variable of the model is bivariate. In inverse probit models, the standard normal distribution is modeled as a linear combination of predictor variables. In this situation, the application of normal regression methods is not applicable because the distribution occurred in two levels. In this study, it is assumed that the protection of biodiversity of local plants is related to food security, and for this reason, we have used this model. Results The findings showed that socio-economic status of different households and farms in this coastal area is one of the key factors affecting the biodiversity of locally cultivated crops. Local cultivars, especially those of rice, are resistant to most environmental factors and contribute to family food security. Food security and rice abundance are significantly correlated in all of the research area’s communities. Conclusions To ensure the sustainability, and health of production, and to ensure food security, planting various crops in this study area is recommended. Future research is needed to focus on solutions and technologies rich in diversity tailored to the socio-economic and environmental factors of locally cultivated crops.