FAO/UNEP PROJECT ON THE CONSERVATION OF FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES
Report on Progress

With the financial support of UNEP ¹, FAO carried out a Pilot Study on the conservation of forest genetic resources in 1975. This study resulted in the publication “The Methodology of Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources” (FAO, 1975). Based on technical recommendations made in the study and on early results from exploration and international provenance trials established in the late 1960s and early 1970s, an FAO/UNEP project was started in 1975/76 for the conservation of genetic resources of selected forest tree species and provenances.

The project, which is now drawing to a close, includes elements of both in situ and ex situ conservation. It is hoped that it will act as a catalyst for further action in this field at national, regional and international levels.

The ex situ component of the FAO/UNEP project has met all expectations. During the past 5 years, more than 400 ha of conservation/selection stands of some 10 ha each have been established in 5 countries in Africa and 1 country in Asia, using a total of 11 provenances of 4 different species (see Table 1).

For the international stands, which have been partly financed by FAO and UNEP, an agreement has been drawn up between cooperating countries and FAO. According to this agreement, 50% of the seed which will eventually be produced by the stands should be made available to other countries, at cost price.

Because of the great interest in establishing further ex situ conservation / selection stands, a follow-up project on the ex situ conservation of forest genetic resources was started by DANIDA ² in 1980.

In addition to the international and bilaterally funded stands, some of the countries participating in the FAO/UNEP project have also established national ex situ conservation stands, mostly of the same species as those made available for the international project.

Agreements on in situ conservation have proved more difficult to achieve. Funding has to date been provided only for two botanical reserves in Zambia, for the in situ conservation of Baikiaea plurijuga (Zambesi Redwood, Zambian Teak). This action has been followed up by the allocation to Zambia by SIDA ³ of bilateral funds for botanical investigation of this species.

The lack of success in initiating more field projects on in situ conservation, when using certain minimum criteria for potential success, led FAO to organize in 1980 an Expert Consultation on in situ conservation of forest genetic resources. The aim of the consultation was to identify specific, urgent activities in this field and to draw up guidelines for the implementation of in situ projects. The conclusions and recommendations of the Expert Consultation are found in Annex I. The full Report on the Consultation will be published by FAO in the second half of 1981.

¹ United Nations Environment Programme
² Danish International Development Agency
³ Swedish International Development Authority.

TABLE 1

EX SITU CONSERVATION STANDS
FAO/UNEP Project 1108-75-05

¹ The area includes both international and national conservation stands established under the project.
² Numbers in parenthesis indicate area originally planned.
³ Joined the project only in 1980.

Annex I.

FAO/UNEP EXPERT CONSULTATION ON IN SITU CONSERVATION OF FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES ¹
(Rome, Italy 2 – 4 December 1980)

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

¹ Report in press

A.     To Governments

1. The Consultation pointed out the urgency of conservation of forest genetic resources and the fact that the main initiative for conservation must usually come from national governments. It recommended that governments include specific mention of the principles and practice of forest genetic resources conservation in statements of forest policy, and that forest services, national parks authorities and others responsible for managing forest land always include in their management plans sections devoted to conservation of forest genetic resources.

2. The Consultation concluded that the wide variation in the complexity and successional status of ecosystems, the breeding habits of species, and the political, social and financial constraints prevent the adoption of any single strategy for conservation. Complete protection is expedient to maintain climax forest, while deliberate human intervention may be necessary in the management of seral stages and of the transitional zones between ecosystems which often contain a high degree of genetic diversity. The Consultation recommended that countries review the full array of available strategies before deciding which best suits the particular conditions in a given area.

3. The Consultation noted that forest ecosystems include a whole array of species other than timber trees, which render valuable products and services or which are necessary for the stability of the ecosystem, and which should be included in the conservation strategy.

4. In implementing a national policy of forest genetic resources conservation, governments should ensure the closest possible cooperation between all authorities managing or dealing with forest land, e.g. forest services, national park authorities.

5. The Consultation noted that many countries already possess a valuable network of various kinds of protected areas, e.g. strict natural areas, national parks, biosphere reserves, managed production forest. It concluded that there is usually a case for both large protected areas such as national parks and smaller ones such as the Virgin Jungle Reserves of Malaya or the Strict Natural Reserves of Nigeria. It recommended that countries survey the extent to which their existing networks are effective in conserving within-species genetic diversity, as distinct from ecosystem or species conservation, with a view to establishing supplementary conservation areas wherever necessary.

6. The Consultation noted that many countries had carried out detailed, systematic inventories of their forests for management purposes. Although the data available refer primarily to larger size classes and to currently commercial species, they nevertheless constitute a valuable source of information. The Consultation recommended that countries make full use of this information in determining the extent to which species are included in areas managed for gene conservation.

7. The Consultation noted that, as a supplement to protected areas such as Strict Natural Reserves, establishment of genepool management units in managed production forest could provide a simple but effective method of conserving genetic resources in some forest types. The Consultation recommended that, where appropriate, governments consider this form of management which can combine the sustained yield of forest produce with conservation of genetic diversity.

8. The Consultation noted the complementary roles of in situ and ex situ conservation. Whereas in situ is usually the only possible method for species without immediate economic importance, ex situ is often a valuable method for economic species endangered in their natural range.

9. The Consultation concluded that scientific knowledge of the biology of forests, especially tropical forests, is still meagre. It recommended that tropical countries should greatly strengthen their research effort in taxonomy, breeding systems, use of isozymes, seed physiology, ecology, utilization etc. Research is needed not only on wood-producing tree species but also on “minor” species such as fruit trees, rattans and shrubs, herbs or lians of pharmaceutical potential.

10. The Consultation noted the value of combining manipulative research treatments and strictly conserved areas for purposes of comparison on adjacent sites. It recommended the extension of this practice either through the use of paired plots or by siting manipulative experiments in the buffer zone surrounding a protected core area.

11. The Consultation recommended that governments encourage the inclusion of the conservation of forest genetic resources as an integral part of the curricula taught at forest schools and university forest faculties.

B.     To International Organizations

1. The Consultation recommended that FAO, IUCN, UNEP and Unesco promote national action programmes, coordinate international cooperative programmes for the long-term conservation of forest genetic resources, and continue to disseminate information on conservation through Newsletters such as “Forest Genetic Resources Information”, published by FAO's Forestry Department. In commending the recent publication of IUCN's “World Conservation Strategy”, it urged that all concerned give maximum publicity to this document. It also noted that the Ecosystems Conservation Group should provide a means of regular coordination of the activities of these four organizations in forest genetic resources conservation.

2. The Consultation noted that FAO's Committee on Forestry and its Regional Forestry Commissions could provide a readily available source of information and stimulation to member countries in the field of in situ conservation of forest genetic resources. It recommended that in future FAO include a section on genetic conservation in the outline for country statements submitted to sessions of the Commissions.

3. The Consultation recommended that IUCN and Unesco give prominence to the importance of conserving within-species genetic diversity when advising governments on the selection and management of, respectively, National Parks and Biosphere Reserves.

4. The Consultation recommended a project for the preparation of a practical manual on in situ conservation of within-species genetic diversity, for international use. This should include both the general principles of conservation and several case studies for specific ecosystems, species and populations.

5. The Consultation recommended pilot projects to survey the extent to which species and within-species genetic diversity are conserved in existing protected areas. This could be done through a survey of one or more important species (covering several countries) or of one or more selected developing countries (covering a range of species).

6. The Consultation recommended that International Agencies promote and coordinate the flow of information between countries on progress in in situ conservation of forest genetic resources. FAO's “Forest Genetic Resources Information” and IUCN's Red Data Book on endangered plant species provide useful information, but much more comprehensive information is needed on the conservation status of populations within species, especially endangered populations.

7. The Consultation emphasized the need for training in conservation of forest genetic resources. It recommended that international organizations, as well as governments, give special attention to in situ conservation when planning training courses in forest management, tree improvement etc. Provision should be made not only for technical training on how to conserve but, even more important, for the insertion of forest genetic resources-why to conserve- into the content of general management courses for top administrators and land use planners