The 9th World Forestry Congress was held in Mexico City from 1 to 10 July 1985. It was attended by more than 2,000 delegates from 105 countries. The meeting was sub-divided into 3 Technical Commissions, of which Commission I dealt with “Trends and new contributions in forest resources management”. Within Commission I, “Forest Genetic Resources” was dealt with in Theme 4. The Session on this topic was presided by Ing. Daniel Saldívar Castillo; Technical Secretaries were Dr. Teobaldo Eguiluz Piedra and Ing. Aníbal Niembro Roca; Ms. C. Palmberg, FAO, acted as Associate Technical Secretary.
The Session reported as follows:
TECHNICAL COMMISSION I
Theme 4: Conservation of forest genetic resources
I. BACKGROUND AND ISSUES
Genetic variation i.e. the variation found within and between species, serves several functions it constitutes a buffer against changes in environment (including pests and diseases) and climate; as well as the building blocks for selection and breeding by man for adaptability to a range of environments and end uses. Conservation of forest genetic resources is thus a means to achieve well-being and, in some cases, essential for the very survival of people, who depend in their daily lives on the many goods and services provided by the woody vegetation.
Genetic resources are a common heritage of mankind; they should be made available to promote development in present generations while, at the same time, their availability for the benefit of future generations should be assured.
The disappearence of impoverishment of genetic resources of plants is due to three main causes: changes in land use, leading to the destruction of natural ecosystems; over-utilization; and intensive breeding carried out without due attention to genetic conservation. In the case of trees and shrubs, the two first-mentioned reasons presently are the main causes for concern.
The establishment of protected areas can be an effective tool in genetic resource conservation. However, efficient conservation additionally requires knowledge of the biology of the species and of population structures and dynamics. It also requires appropriate management of the resources to allow species and ecosystems to realize their evolutionary potential.
The recognized steps in any genetic resource programme are: botanical and genecological exploration; in situ and ex situ conservation; the collection of reproductive materials; evaluation in replicated field trials to determine type and extent of genetic variation and its adaptability to a range of environmental conditions; and utilization, including selection and breeding. All of these steps are of importance, however, emphasis at any one time will depend on our knowledge of the species, pressures on it, and its socio-economic potential or value. Exploration, collection, evaluation and utilization activities should always be carried out in parallel with in and ex situ conservation measures which will ensure the sustainability of the resource and the variation found within target species.
The maintenance of an array of multiple populations and their development on a number of different sites, using varying selection and management criteria ranging from minimum intervention to intensive selection for different end uses, seems to be the most secure strategy available to ensure present-day benefits from existing genetic resources, while at the same time allowing species to realize their evolutionary potential. In such a strategy, the intensity of action can be adjusted to reflect prevailing priorities and availability of resources, thus allowing for the inclusion of maximum numbers of species and ecosystems.
II CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Conservation and wise utilization of forest genetic resources should form an integral part of all development strategies. The Commission recommended that efforts be made to create general conscience of the issues involved, using all media and means available, thus helping to develop or strengthen a “forestry tradition” and respect for nature and existing natural resources. These efforts should be aimed at political, technical and grass-roots levels, as well as at the general public, and should include vigorous dissemination of information, education and training.
Conservation implies knowledge of the biology of the species and management of the resources to achieve stated conservation objectives. The Commission recommended that biosystematic studies and basic and applied research in taxonomy, biology and population dynamics, especially of presently little-known woody species in the dry and humid tropics and temperate zones, be strengthened, thus enabling the development of appropriate conservation strategies and rational, sustained utilization of forest resources.
Management of genetic resources can best be carried out in existing protected areas and forest reserves, possibly extended or supplemented to include the full, intraspecific variation of the species. The Commission therefore recommended that genetic resource conservation be included as a stated objective in the management plans of all protected areas, and that this aspect be considered as one of the priorities in the silvicultural management of forests and woodlands.
Priorities for action, including lists of endangered species and species in need of attention have, over the recent years, been drawn up by a number of national and international organizations, and constitute a useful basis for initiating or continuing vigorous action in conservation and management. The Commission recommended that efforts be encouraged and supported for the compilation of supplementary information at local and national levels on priority species, for which nationally, or internationally coordinated action is urgently needed; and that funding be generated for early action focussed on these species. Such action should encompass exploration, evaluation in species and provenance trials, selection and breeding, as well as conservation in and ex situ.
Conservation of forest genetic resources can be strengthened using, as a basis for the programme, the rational utilization of the resources, which should be based on knowledge of its genetic and silvicultural characteristics. The Commission recommended that forest genetic resources be conserved through silvicultural management of commercial forests; in addition, practical programmes for in situ and ex situ conservation should be established for endemic and threatened species without present commercial value.
International coordination in forest genetic resource conservation is presently provided by the FAO Panel of Experts on Forest Gene Resources; and in ecosystem and genetic resource conservation of plants and animals, by the Ecosystems Conservation Group (FAO, Unesco, UNEP and IUCN). More recently, the creation of the FAO Commission on Plant Genetic Resources has provided a forum for high-level discussions and agreements in basic issues in this field. The Commission recommended that action-oriented programmes based on on-going, planned or desirable activities carried out by international and national institutes be strengthened, under the general umbrella of the coordinating bodies mentioned above. Possible strategies and financial requirements for such programmes have been outlined in the global Action Programme on Tropical Forest Ecosystem Conservation, approved by the FAO Committee on Forest Development in the Tropics (June 1985).
The Proceedings of the Congress will be published by the Mexican Government. In Technical Commission I, Theme 4, the following invited papers were presented:
BASIC DOCUMENT
Issues in forest genetic resource conservations and management.
G. NAMKOONG (U.S.A.)
SPECIAL DOCUMENTS
Conservation and management of forest genetic resources.
Forest genetic resource conservation and management, factors influencing both the
diversity and structure of tropical ecosystems.
P. KAGEYAMA and F. PATINO (Brazil and Mexico)
Integration of the conservation of forest genetic resources within the forest
management.
B. MARTIN (France)
Evaluation and better use of forest genetic resources.
Evaluation and better use of forest genetic resources.
R.D. BURDON and M.D. WILCOX (New Zealand)
Conservation of endangered forest tree species.
Conservation of endangered forest tree species.
L.ROCHE and OLE HAMANN (United Kingdom and Denmark)
Biosystematics of the pines.
Biosystematics of Mexican pines.
T. EGUILUZ P. (Mexico)
The Basic Document by Gene Namkoong has been published in a revised form in UNASYLVA (“Genetics and the forests of the future” - see box p. 55 for specific reference).
