Forest genetic resources or forest tree genetic resources are
genetic resources
Genetic resources are genetic material of actual or potential value, where genetic material means any material of plant, animal, microbial genetics, microbial or other origin containing functional units of heredity.
Genetic resources is one of the ...
(i.e.,
genetic material
Nucleic acids are large biomolecules that are crucial in all cells and viruses. They are composed of nucleotides, which are the monomer components: a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base. The two main classes of nucleic aci ...
of actual or future value) of forest shrub and tree species. Forest genetic resources are essential for forest-depending communities who rely for a substantial part of their livelihoods on
timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...
and
non-timber forest product
Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are useful foods, substances, materials and/or commodities obtained from forests other than timber. Harvest ranges from wild collection to farming. They typically include game animals, fur-bearers, nuts, see ...
s (for example fruits, gums and resins) for food security, domestic use and income generation. These resources are also the basis for large-scale wood production in planted forests to satisfy the worldwide need for timber and paper. Genetic resources of several important timber, fruit and other non-timber tree species are conserved ''
ex situ'' in genebanks or maintained in field collections. Nevertheless,
in situ conservation in forests and on farms is in the case of most tree species the most important measure to protect their genetic resources.
Understanding diversity
A better understanding of the diversity of these species is crucial for their sustainable use and conservation. Monitoring patterns of distribution and genetic diversity of these species allows the prioritization of populations for
in situ conservation, identification of populations and species most at risk and existing gaps in genebank collections. This is vital information which helps tackle global challenges such as
food security
Food security is the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, healthy Human food, food. The availability of food for people of any class, gender, ethnicity, or religion is another element of food protection. Simila ...
and
climate change
Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...
.
''The State of the World's Forest Genetic Resources''
In 2014, the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates t ...
published the firs
State of the World's Forest Genetic Resources The publication addressed the conservation, management and sustainable use of forest tree and other woody
plant genetic resources of actual and potential value for human well-being in the broad range of management systems. It was prepared based on information provided by 86 countries, outcomes from regional and subregional consultations, and commissione
thematic studies Amongst th
ten key findings half of the forest species reported as regularly utilized by countries are threatened by the conversion of forests to pastures and farmland,
overexploitation
Overexploitation, also called overharvesting or ecological overshoot, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Continued overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource, as it will be unable to ...
, and the impacts of climate change.
On the basis of the information and knowledge compiled by
FAO
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition ...
for The State of World’s Forest Genetic Resources, the
Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture developed the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation, Sustainable Use and Development of Forest Genetic Resources.
This Global Plan of Action identifies 27 strategic priorities grouped into 4 areas:
#improving the availability of, and access to, information on forest genetic resources;
#conservation of forest genetic resources (''in situ'' and ''ex situ'')
#sustainable use, development and management of forest genetic resources
#policies, institutions and capacity-building.
Forest genetic resources and climate change
Even though this is a field with many uncertainties, it is evident that during the next 50–100 years climate changes will have an effect on the distribution of forest tree species and the composition of forests. Diversity of forest genetic resources enables the potential for a
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
(or a
population
Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...
) to adapt to climatic changes and related future challenges such as temperature changes,
drought
A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, ...
,
pests
PESTS was an anonymous American activist group formed in 1986 to critique racism, tokenism, and exclusion in the art world. PESTS produced newsletters, posters, and other print material highlighting examples of discrimination in gallery represent ...
,
disease
A disease is a particular abnormal condition that adversely affects the structure or function (biology), function of all or part of an organism and is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical condi ...
s and
forest fire
A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a bushfire ( in Australia), dese ...
s.
Though forest trees are known for showing great plasticity in their response to climate changes,
not all species are naturally capable to adapt at the pace necessary. For that reason human interventions, such as transfer of
forest reproductive material, may be needed. This is particular important for rare and scattered distributed species and species found on the edge of its
distribution range.
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]
See also
* Environmental DNA
Environmental DNA or eDNA is DNA that is collected from a variety of environmental samples such as soil, seawater, snow or air, rather than directly sampled from an individual organism. As various organisms interact with the environment, DNA ...
* Plant genetic resources
References
External links
Forest Genetic Resources Program of FAO
Bioversity International - Forest and Tree Genetic Diversity Research Program Bioversity International - Why forest and tree genetic diversity matters EUFORGEN
European Forest Genetic Resources Programme
Training guide on forest genetic resources for global foresters - Bioversity International
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forest Genetic Resources
Trees
Forest management
Conservation biology