Publication

Genetic resources of cork oak should be conserved in several in situ populations representing the ecogeographic range of the tree. Each population should consist of at least 250 trees to ensure at least 50 reproductive trees.
The seed used to artificially regenerate large populations or to establish new ones should be collected from local populations or populations growing under similar edaphoclimatic conditions. However, seeds should not be collected for this purpose in years of low seed production.

In small and marginal populations, conservation activities should aim to promote regeneration to increase the population size. Where seed set is good, the main approach may be to protect the seed and seedlings from grazing and browsing animals. However, if the seed set is low, as a result of too few reproductive trees for example, seeds should be collected and seedlings raised in nurseries before being planted out in the location from which the seed was obtained.