Final answer:
The replacement of hundreds of indigenous wheat varieties with a few modern ones in the Middle East has led to a loss of genetic diversity, which is essential for creating new crop varieties and ensuring food security.
Step-by-step explanation:
The implications of replacing indigenous varieties of wheat with a few modern high-responder varieties in the Middle East are significant. This shift towards monoculture farming practices typically results in a loss of genetic diversity, which can lead to reduced crop resilience against pests, diseases, and environmental stresses. Historically, a diverse gene pool has been crucial for breeding new crop varieties, with wild relatives of crops providing new gene variants necessary for this process. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is C. Loss of genetic diversity, poses risks similar to those experienced during the Irish potato famine due to low crop diversity.
Moreover, maintaining the genetic diversity of wild species related to domesticated species is essential for ensuring our continued food supply. Cultivating a large number of varieties, as was done historically, matched the cultural diversity of populations and was driven by the necessities of different growing conditions and crop rotation demands.