Abstract Crop wild relatives (CWRs) constitute a genetic resource for plant breeding, food security and sustainable agriculture, especially in the context of climate change and an increasing global population. As part of the ‘Conservation and Sustainable Management of Turkey’s Steppe Ecosystems’ project, a multi-species action plan (MSAP) was developed for the Karacadağ Steppe, a representative dryland grassland ecosystem in Southeastern Türkiye. This participatory, landscape-scale plan is intended for a dryland ecosystem that is home to numerous wild grass and legume species. The MSAP targets six key CWR taxa. Field-based ecological assessments and stakeholder consultations identified three core conservation zones – oak forest glades, honey forest glades and valleys – where overlapping species and shared threats enable integrated habitat protection. The plan addresses urgent challenges typical of dryland grassland systems, including early-season overgrazing and climate-driven drought, by proposing adaptive, community-led strategies for the long-term in situ conservation. This model demonstrates the feasibility and value of multi-species approaches to dryland biodiversity conservation, offering actionable insights for regional and global CWR protection frameworks. Furthermore, these findings emphasize the importance of inclusive, evidence-based planning for in situ conservation and present a replicable model for other dryland regions.
Topaloğlu et al. (Tue,) studied this question.