EVOLTREE Summer School: Assisted migration for adapting forests to climate change
Forest trees have evolved at species and population levels to adapt to the local environment in which they grow. Such local adaptations lead to genetically differentiated populations, with traits that enable them to adapt to biotic and abiotic stress factors. As climate changes, forest tree populations are likely to respond in three possible ways: adapt, migrate, or become locally extinct.
Given the limitations in tree migration and rapid adaptation, it has been increasingly realised that human-facilitated realignment will be required to match the populations to the environment to which they are adapted. Such facilitated movement is commonly referred to as assisted migration, assisted colonisation, assisted relocation, or facilitated migration.
This summer school aims to provide in-depth insight on “Assisted Migration of forests in climate change” with a focus on models to guide decision support. Participants will get hands-on experience in developing models to identify and spatially map adapted and maladapted populations of forest tree species in climate change. Candidates will also have a real-time understanding of the design, issues, and challenges of forest provenance trials through a guided excursion to provenance trials and forest nurseries.
Should you need more information, please contact: debojyoti.chakraborty@bfw.gv.at
