Genetic resources - The key to adaptation of forests to global change
Brussels, 13 December 2019, 8.45 - 12.30
The aim of this science-to-policy event is to present and discuss the relevance and implications of recent research findings and guidelines for policy and practice. The main focus is the role of forest tree biodiversity, in particular genetic diversity, for the adaptation of forests to climate and land use change.
This event is jointly organized by four European research and implementation projects - GenTree, SUSTREE, SPONFOREST and LIFEGENOMON – and the EUFORGEN programme.
The agenda
8.45 - 9.30 - Registration and welcome coffee
9.30 - 11.00 - Presentations of recent findings from the four EU research projects on the conservation and sustainable use of forests and their genetic resources
- Barbara Vinceti, Bioversity International (International), GENTREE project (H2020)
- Santiago C. González-Martínez, INRA (France), SPONFOREST project (BiodivERsA)
- Silvio Schüler, BFW (Austria), SUSTREE project (Interreg)
- Hojka Kraigher, SFI (Slovenia), LIFEGENMON project (LIFE)
- Michele Bozzano, EFI (International), EUFORGEN programme
11.00 - 12.30 - Panel discussion involving the presenters and the participants
12.30 - 13.30 - Lunch
Background
Global environmental and land use changes have considerable and long-lasting impact on forests in Europe, modifying the functioning of forest ecosystems and species interactions, thereby affecting the provision of ecosystem services. Trees are long-lived organisms and thus individual trees and tree populations need to withstand significant and rapid environmental changes over their life span and across generations. The capacity of European forests to adapt to such changes, and to continue to provide essential ecosystem services to the society, depends largely on their diversity at species and intraspecific level.
Several ongoing transnational research and implementation initiatives examine the state and resilience of forests under unprecedented global changes. Their findings provide substantial information for existing EU regulatory frameworks and enable to derive new policy recommendations.
