22. In introducing Secretariat Note FO:SCM/92/3 on this subject, Mr. Morandini, responsible for the ad hoc group on forestry research, listed the research themes which were the subject of cooperation, viz: forest fire management (Coordinator: Mr. P. Delabraze), selection of multipurpose species in arid and semi-arid zones (Coordinator: Mr. N. Akrimi), silviculture of species: Cedrus sp. (Coordinator: Mr. 0. M'Hirit), the silviculture of species: Pinus pinea (Coordinator: Mr. O. Ciancio) and the selection of stands of Mediterranean conifers for the production of seed (Coordinator: to be appointed).
23. Mr. Morandini emphasized that the effectiveness of the networks depended partly on the dynamism of the coordinator, but above all on the active participation of the national focal points. He reminded participants that a questionnaire had been distributed by the Secretariat in order to bring up to date the list of coordinators and focal points for the countries concerned with each research theme. A meeting of the network coordinators had been held in FAO in May 1990 to assess the progress made in each network and consider the actions to be taken to ensure implementation of their programmes.
24. Mr. Delabraze, the network's regional coordinator, recalled the programme's three main components, namely:
(i) development of knowledge on the inflammability of the main species and the combustibility of woody formations;
(ii) evaluation of ground-clearing methods and studies on the adaptation of agricultural implements to mechanized work in forest areas;
(iii) socio-economic surveys and research on the causes of fires and on the real motives of the people responsible for them.
25. On the first two themes the coordinator had assembled the publications and contributions prepared for the various seminars held on forest fires. He thanked the countries that had recently sent him annual reports and urged that those which had not yet transmitted them should do so quickly.
26. As regards inflammability, a summary was being prepared and the document would be available by the end of the year. Another analysis of the behaviour of the main tree formations during a fire would be prepared on the basis of the results of the controlled burning trials. The data submitted would be used to improve the quality of the risk indices and fire development simulations.
27. With regard to ground clearing, the coordinator had requested countries to comment on the proposals he had made concerning experimental procedures, so that progress could be made in this field. He pointed out that grazing was taken into account in the arrangements proposed.
28. In the field of socio-economic research and fire data banks, the network had organized a workshop from 4 to 7 November 1991 on the use of data banks, with the assistance of ICAMAS and its centre at Chania and of a French trust fund. These activities also fell within the framework of the EEC programmes in this field and of Resolution No. 3 of the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of European Forests (Strasbourg, December 1990). Information on the systems used in 10 countries had been assembled, and analysis of these had shown their heterogeneity, particularly with regard to definitions. On the basis of concrete examples of the use of data, participants verified the effectiveness of a collection limited to essential information. The list submitted by EEC and by those responsible for the implementation of Strasbourg Resolution No. 3 was adopted as a basis for work.
29. The participants promised to provide the description of the plant formations considered and the areas involved quickly. They also had to reflect on presentation of the data to be provided annually, in March or April of the year following the fire period.
30. In view of the interest of developing rapidly this research on the use of data banks in order to provide irrefutable analyses of the causes of fires and the motives of the people responsible for them and to demonstrate the possibilities of this management tool at national level, the coordinator suggested that each country facilitate participation by its nationals in this research. He proposed that a new workshop be held to continue the work begun at Chania. Participants should prepare, several months in advance, with the animator appointed, a sufficiently complete work file.
31. The Committee approved the programme proposed by the coordinator. It thanked the EEC delegation for its proposal to invite an expert member of the network to participate in the meeting on fires of its Standing Forestry Committee in order to strengthen cooperation with Silva Mediterranea.
32. The Committee thanked the delegation of Spain for its invitation to members of the network to attend the international course on the prediction and simulation of forest fire behaviour (Madrid, October 1992). At the end of this course a meeting would be held to discuss the organization and programme of a workshop on the subject, which might be held in 1993. The Committee noted the publication by ICONA of a newsletter in Spanish on wild fires.
33. Mr. Akrimi, regional coordinator of the network, recalled that the network's programme consisted of two phases: (i) an inventory of plant genetic resources of natural and artificial origin; (ii) use of the most interesting species in national reforestation programmes.
34. The coordinator recalled that, because so few member countries had participated in the work planned for the first phase, a note for the attention of the focal points had been sent to countries in summer 1991. This note had drawn the attention of the focal points to the need to supplement the first set of information provided by: (i) specifying, for the species studied, the different genetic units (provenances, clones, ecotypes, etc.), their characteristics and the availability of their seed for the purpose of promoting their use; (ii) providing certain quantitative evaluations often omitted
(areas of stands, production, position occupied by the species in the economy, its relative contribution to the country's silvo-pastoral or industrial production).
35. The data already provided, although incomplete, were useful and, with the addition of a few further contributions that the coordinator hoped to collect in a few months, a first analysis could be attempted before the end of 1992. It would be necessary, however, to fill in the gaps mentioned in the preceding paragraph.
36. The Committee approved the programme proposed by the coordinator, comprising:
(i) completion of the inventory of interesting multipurpose species, which should constitute the most urgent task;
(ii) increased exchange of information and genetic material in the lessons drawn from the inventory;
(iii) implementation of a genetic improvement programme to be undertaken after completion of the two preceding actions.
37. In order to remove certain difficulties which impeded the functioning of the network and to relaunch its activities, the Committee made the following proposals:
(i) the number of multipurpose species dealt with by the network should be limited to those likely to interest the maximum number of member countries and used to rehabilitate degraded areas;
(ii) funds should be sought, as for the other networks, to facilitate contact between the partners in the network and acquire the necessary documentation;
(iii) later, a workshop for the focal points should be organized to enable information and genetic material to be exchanged and implement a programme for selection of the species chosen;
(iv) regional and international organizations should be urged to support the network's actions financially in the same way as the member countries.
38. Mr. M'Hirit, regional coordinator of the network, referred to the programme's three components, as defined by the Committee at its previous session, namely: (i) exhaustive inventory of the experiments conducted in the region; (ii) organization of a seminar in Turkey on cedar; (iii) launching of a regional genetic improvement project.
39. Through the inventory of experiments the coordinator gave a comprehensive picture of research in the following four areas: (i) selection and genetic improvement; (ii) silviculture and production; (iii) ecophysioloqy and auto-ecology; (iv) protection of cedars and cedar stands.
40. The coordinator stated that two events had marked the network's activities: the special session on cedars held during the 19th IUFRO Congress (Montreal, Canada, 5-11 August 1990) and the international Symposium on Cedar (Antalya, Turkey, 22-27 October 1990) organized by Turkey in cooperation with FAO, ICAMAS and IUFRO. In addition to the complete set of documents submitted at the Antalya symposium, published by the Turkish organizing committee, the Secretariat had prepared,
in collaboration with this committee, a provisional document containing a summarized version in English and French of a selection of the communications. The documents of these two meetings were particularly useful for research workers, teachers and foresters interested in these species.
41. The coordinator had drawn up a regional genetic improvement project for which financing still had to be found. The first phase of this project consisted of the identification of seed-bearing stands and the collection of seed. FAO's regular programme had put a sum of US$ 6 500 at the disposal of the network to enable activities to begin in Algeria, Lebanon, Morocco and Turkey.
42. The Committee suggested that all the data assembled by the network be computerized and that, within the framework of the network, the joint publication by the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA, France) and FAO of a monograph on cedars be envisaged. These suggestions will be taken into account in the network's future programme proposed by the Committee, which will consist of: (i) continuation of the inventory of experiments; (ii) a classification of seed-bearing stands and the preparation of a catalogue of the regions of provenance; (iii) establishment of a network of experimentation on stand management.
43. The Committee thanked the delegation of Morocco for the proposal to organize a seminar on cedar within the framework of the network in 1993.
44. In the absence of Mr. Ciancio, the coordinator of this network, Mr. Morandini introduced Secretariat Note FO:SCM/92/7. He pointed out that Mr. Ciancio had already prepared a bibliography on Pinus pinea with nearly 300 references. This bibliography, with additional annotations, was available from the Secretariat.
45. The coordinator had also distributed a questionnaire on the role of Pinus pinea in the various countries, covering the different aspects of the theme. Seven countries (France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey) had already replied to the questionnaire and a summary of the replies was given in the Secretariat Note. On the basis of these data, Mr. Ciancio, with the collaboration of Ms M. Agrimi, had prepared a monograph on this pine, which had been distributed to the delegations participating.
46. Finally, the coordinator had drawn up a series of proposals for a research programme covering the different aspects of taxonomy, genetics, silviculture, production of wood and cones, etc. He asked the national focal points to let him know what points interested them, so that a detailed research plan could be drawn up.
47. Mr. Morandini pointed out that Mr. A. V. Tocci, the former coordinator of this network, had asked to be relieved of this task. Another coordinator, therefore, had to be appointed. He also presented a note on the subject prepared by Mr. F. Ducci. Several delegations confirmed their interest in the subject and stressed its importance and immediate interest for reforestation activities. The Turkish delegation declared its willingness to ensure coordination of this theme. Mr. M. Topak, a member of that delegation, was appointed coordinator of the network.
48. Mr. Morandini noted that during the discussions several delegations had shown very keen interest in problems connected with cork oak and had stressed the need for conducting coordinated research
in this field. The Spanish delegation requested that a research network on this theme be set up and proposed that Portugal, the leading cork producing country, be responsible for coordination. This proposal, which was supported by several delegations, was approved. Mr. R. Sardinha (Portugal) was designated coordinator of the network.
49. The Committee thanked Mr. Morandini and the coordinators of the first four networks, as well as the focal points, for the work accomplished.
