48 • Technologies To Maintain Biological Diversity 



Photo credit: G. Nabhan 



Hopi Indian garden of mixed crops illustrates ancient 

 horticultural traditions that persist on this continent. 



of local varieties of beans and other legumes 

 is grown, each variety intended for a particu- 

 lar dish in the traditional cuisine (3). 



A groviring number of Americans value tradi- 

 tional cultivars and breeds for their history and 

 for their esthetic and culinary qualities. Native 

 Americans, helped by grassroots organizations, 

 continue to grow traditional varieties of corn, 

 chiles, beans, and squash (91). Hispanic-Ameri- 

 can farmers in the Southwest prefer native corn 

 for its texture, flavor, and color, even though 

 its yield is only one-third to one-fourth of hy- 

 brid corn (64). The cultural value of rare live- 

 stock breeds is exemplified by Texas Longhorn 

 cattle (which have a prominent place in Amer- 

 ican history) and Navaho sheep (whose fleece 

 is important to Navaho weaving). 



Gardeners have organized national and re- 

 gional networks to conserve some plant vari- 

 eties because they have better taste, have links 

 with national, local, and ethnic history; are suit- 

 able for the home garden; and because of the 

 abundance of colors and forms found among 

 old and local varieties of potatoes, corn, beans, 

 and other crops (33,43,47,64,91). 



BENEFITS TO RECREATION AND TOURISM 



Millions of people worldwide derive benefits 

 from recreation and tourism provided by bio- 

 logical diversity. Without diverse ecosystems, 

 countries would lose tremendous amounts of 

 foreign exchange. Without wilderness areas, 

 national parks, or national forests, city dwellers 

 would have no place to "escape" the daily pres- 

 sures. Species diversity is essential to the mil- 

 lions of wildlife photographers, bird lovers, and 

 plant and animal watchers. And without ge- 

 netic diversity, horticulturists, gardeners, ani- 

 mal breeders, and anglers would find little en- 

 joyment in their avocations. 



Ecosystem Diversity 



State and National Parks in the United States 

 attract 700 to 800 million visitors per year 

 (73,74), and National Forests receive some 200 

 million visitors per year (93). One reason for 

 these visits— indeed, some surveys suggest the 

 main reason— is to enjoy the variety of land- 

 scapes the parks and forests protect (83). Sight- 

 seeing accounts for more recreation-visitor 

 days (52 million) in National Forests than any 

 other recreation activity except camping (60 

 million) (93). 



