Initiatives for the protection of forest genetic resources

The conservation of genetic diversity is crucial for the maintenance of the adaptability of forest tree populations. Main international and regional initiatives for the conservation of forest genetic resources are presented in this article. Key players at the international level are the FAO and the IUFRO, while at the European level MCPFE and EUFORGEN have been most active. During the last decades, conservation of forest genetic resources has changed its focus, from the maintenance of economically important species, provenances or genes, to the enhancement of the adaptability of forest populations towards future environmental changes. Thus, the conservation of forest genetic resources, besides the activities connected with ex situ collections of reproductive material and tree breeding programmes, involves forest management measures and guidelines and becomes a cross-cutting issue, not only for forestry, but for other economic activities influencing forests as well.