Publication

This report offers a way to measure the conservation and use of the genetic diversity of forest trees across Europe in a standardized way. This indicator is based on an agreed revision of a commonly adopted framework allowing to measure this diversity and monitor its conservation and utilization over time.

The Forest Europe process had adopted a general set of Criteria and Indicators for sustainable forest management as a tool to aid forest policy formulation and decision making, forest monitoring, and communication. Six criteria reflect complementary aspects of sustainable forest management in the pan-European region. These are currently being assessed by a set of 34 quantitative and 11 qualitative indicators.

Indicator 4.6 is a quantitative indicator which contributes to Criterion 4 (Maintenance, conservation and appropriate enhancement of biological diversity in forest ecosystems) by focusing on the conservation and use of genetic resources. It is this indicator that has been revised, because it was not very informative on the conservation of genetic diversity nor fully standardised across countries.