Forest Reproductive Material - Practice
The genetic makeup of Forest Reproductive Material (FRM) is directly affected by the decisions made by the various actors involved in its production chain. These decisions, which often ignore the genetic perspective, have a major impact on the survival, adaptive capacity, and productivity of future forests.
In 2021, the EUFORGEN Programme released the report on “Genetic aspects linked to production and use of forest reproductive material - Collecting scientific evidence for developing guidelines and decision support tools for effective FRM management”. The full report is available here.
The report’s main findings have been distilled into a new EUFORGEN publication series, “Focus on Forest Genetic Diversity”. This is an illustrated series comprising practical guidelines and recommendations to support forest owners & managers and nursery & seed orchard practitioners to go about their work in the best possible way for conserving forest genetic diversity. The series is divided into six modules, addressed to all actors involved in the production and use of FRM.
Theme 3 - Seed orchards
Key considerations in establishing and using clonal and seed orchards for forest reproductive materials
Seed orchards are plantations of selected trees designed to produce high-quality seeds for forest reproduction and improvement. These guidelines, proposed by the EUFORGEN community, offer scientifically backed recommendations for establishing and managing clonal and seed orchards, ensuring the production of superior genetic material for breeding, conservation, and sustainable forestry.
Theme 5 - Seed harvesting, treatment, storage, and nursery practices
How management practices can affect or influence genetic diversity of forest reproductive materials
Many factors can contribute to the loss of genetic diversity, such as the way seeds are collected and processed, as well as how seedlings are grown in nurseries. It is important to be aware of these risks and to take steps to protect FGR.
In this Theme you will find guidelines for the collection, treatment, and storage of seeds, as well as nursery production processes.
