PROGRESS IN COUNTRY AND REGIONAL ASSESSMENTS OF FOREST TREE GENETIC DIVERSITY

by
F. Patiño³⁰

Several international organizations and programmes have in the past decade supported the preparation of status assessments and action plans on forest tree genetic resources, and assisted countries in identifying their main issues and priorities in forest genetic diversity, through the organization of eco-regional workshops. Workshops have been held for North American Temperate Forests (1995), Boreal Forests (1995), Europe (1995), Sahelian Africa (1998), South Pacific islands (1999), Southern and Eastern Africa (2000), Southeast Asia (2001), Central America, Cuba and Mexico (2002), Asia (2003) and Central Africa (2003) (Table 1). Documents prepared during these workshops (methodologies, country assessments, regional syntheses and action plans) have been published by the organizers and most reports are available on the Internet. Updated quantitative data on forest tree species and populations, and information on national institutions, will be compiled in the World-Wide Information System on Forest Genetic Resources (REFORGEN). This paper summarizes the outcomes of two sub-regional workshops convened with FAO support in Central America and Central Africa in 2002 and 2003 respectively, and outlines tentative future developments in this field.

DEVELOPMENTS IN CENTRAL AMERICA, CUBA AND MEXICO

The Regional Workshop on Forest Tree Genetic Resources for Central America (including Cuba and Mexico) was held at CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica, in November 2002. The workshop gathered experts from nine countries (Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama), and five agencies (FAO, CATIE, IPGRI, IUFRO and DFSC). A list of priority forest tree species was drawn by the participants (Table 1).

Table 1: List of priority forest tree species in Central America, Cuba and Mexico

*: number of countries in which a given tree species is regarded as priority species; ** 1, Belize; 2, Costa Rica; 3, Cuba; 4, El Salvador; 5, Guatemala; 6, Honduras; 7, Mexico; 8, Nicaragua; 9 Panama.

Source: FAO 2004 (in press), based on the work of Francisco Mesén.

Participants pointed out that, during the last decade, the field of forest genetic resources has changed dramatically in a majority of countries, at policy, institutional and technical levels. While deforestation and encroachment are still comparatively high, a majority of public-owned tree seed centers face financial constraints and have difficulties to integrate high-profile national and regional efforts on biological diversity conservation.

There is in most countries a need to redefine the very concept of forest genetic diversity, and to market the expertise and capacity of the forest geneticists in areas associated with natural forest management, biodiversity restoration and other environmental issues. Costa Rica is showing innovative approaches to seed certification, biodiversity investment schemes and access and benefit-sharing from the use of, or investigations on, genetic resources, most of them derived from natural forests.

As a follow-up to the workshop, national status assessments have been completed, printed and posted on the internet. A regional synthesis and action plan is being finalized.

DEVELOPMENTS IN CENTRAL AFRICA

A regional workshop on forest and tree genetic resources for Central Africa was held in Pointe Noire, Congo, 14-15 October 2003. The workshop, organized by FAO in collaboration with the African Timber Organization (OAB), IPGRI, ICRAF and IUFRO, was attended by participants representing countries of the Congo Basin (Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo and Sao Tome & Principe), international organizations and national agencies. Country-based information had in addition been received from the Central African Republic and Gabon.

Participants presented preliminary status reports that will be updated and finalized in collaboration with national stakeholders concerned. A regional status synthesis, discussed by participants, will incorporate these updates. Most countries reported difficulties in assessing and monitoring forest cover, and even greater problems in evaluating the state of forest tree genetic diversity. With the exception of Congo, where planted forests represent a significant share of wood production, and where long-term tree selection and breeding programmes are in place (mainly on hybrid eucalypts), forests are mainly natural or semi-natural, and the main challenge facing geneticists is the integration of genetic elements in the management of natural forests.

While forest management plans are being drawn at increasing rate, only few of them take into account basic information on the biology, reproductive behaviour, phenology, fruiting habits and periodicity of priority species that may be available locally. Information is more then often scattered and not accessible to forest managers. Three main domains of applications were identified for possible future action: seed sources identification, supply and demand; definition of tree provenances and genecological zonation; and domestication of fruit trees and medicinal species. The scarcity and unavailability of scientific and technical information on the main tree species was considered a major bottleneck in forest management planning and monitoring, and there exist opportunities for forest geneticists to work with forest and natural resources managers.

At policy level, a proposed plan of action on forest tree genetic diversity is planned to be integrated into the regional COMIFAC programme on forests. Most country status reports are still in the stage of development and revision. When finalized, they will be published and posted on line, and will be used to update the World-wide information system on Forest Genetic Resources REFORGEN.

OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

The outcomes of these workshops outlined major trends at global level. International priorities in forest genetic resources have changed from an early focus on support to countries in genecological studies and seed collection underpinning species and provenance research of a few major timber species in the 1960s and early 1970s, to the wider management of genetic resources of a range of trees and shrubs for a great number of purposes and end uses, in a variety of national and local contexts. Such a shift, due largely to changes in the perception of the place and role of forests and trees in national development, has been accompanied by increased attention in all countries to native species. At the policy level, national and international agendas are increasingly dealing with issues related to intellectual property rights and patenting of genetic applications, access and benefit sharing in the use of genetic materials, and regulations over biotechnology products and processes, such as genetic engineering. These developments are often lead by, and under the umbrella of, agreements in other sectors, including trade and economics, agriculture, and the environment, rather integral parts of forestry-led initiatives.

Furthermore, the number of instruments related to forests, forestry and plant genetic diversity have recently greatly increased in response to increased environmental awareness and related national and international programmes. As institutions and expertise in developing countries have gradually become stronger, international action has over the past decade increasingly stressed institutional networking rather than providing direct support, and FAO and other international and bilateral institutions have focused their action to building technical partnerships with national institutions in developed and developing countries.

There is a need to ensure close collaboration between instruments, including cross-sectoral links. At the national level, forest geneticists will need to be able to address cross-cutting issues, some of which only loosely related to the traditional field of forest genetic resources, and increasingly work in interdisciplinary teams. For FAO, it is also important to keep abreast of new developments, reflect on changes in the international environment, anticipate trends at regional and global level, and provide neutral, up-to-date and balanced information to member countries.

Globally, increased movement of people, goods, services, information and know-how, contribute to a constant change in demands on forests, wood and non-wood products and environmental services, and to shifts in the boundaries in, and priorities of, the forest genetic resources sector. The availability of up-to-date information, as stressed i.a. in the forest work programme of the Convention on Biological Diversity, is essential for the decision maker, the manager and the scientist. What type of forest resource or function will be used, for which purpose, by which customer, in which region, over which period, are important parameters that will condition the perception of forest genetic resources as well as the degree of attention given to this issue.

Table 1. Summary of processes & outputs of regional workshops on forest tree genetic diversity, 1995-2003

* : work in progress; +: work completed

Note: in Europe, the European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN) has been coordinating country-based action on forest tree genetic diversity since 1994.

LITERATURE

Álvarez Brito. A. 2003. Estado de la diversidad biológica de los árboles y bosques en Cuba. Documentos de Trabajo: Recursos Genéticos Forestales. FGR/47S. Servicio de Desarrollo de Recursos Forestales, Dirección de Recursos Forestales, FAO, Roma.

Carvalho, S., de Oliveira, F. et Vaz, H. 2003. Situation des ressources génétiques forestières de la République démocratique de Sao Tomé-et-Principe. Note thématique sur les ressources génétiques forestières. Document de travail FGR/63F. Service de la mise en valeur des ressources forestières, Division des ressources forestières. FAO, Rome.

FAO, 2004. Estado de los Recursos Genéticos Forestales en América Central, Cuba y México, y Plan de Acción Regional para su Conservación y Uso Sostenible. Documento de Trabajo: Recursos Genéticos Forestales. FGR/52S. Servicio de Desarrollo de Recursos Forestales, Dirección de Recursos Forestales, FAO, Roma (in press).

García Roa, M. 2003. Estado de la diversidad biológica de los árboles y bosques en Nicaragua. Documentos de Trabajo: Recursos Genéticos Forestales. FGR/49S. Servicio de Desarrollo de Recursos Forestales, Dirección de Recursos Forestales, FAO, Roma.

Jiménez, M.L. 2003. Estado de la diversidad biológica de los árboles y bosques en Costa Rica. Documentos de Trabajo: Recursos Genéticos Forestales. FGR/46S. Servicio de Desarrollo de Recursos Forestales, Dirección de Recursos Forestales, FAO, Roma.

Luoma-aho, T., L.T. Hong, V. Ramanatha Rao and H.C. Sim, editors. 2004. Forest Genetic Resources Conservation and Management. Proceedings of the Asia Pacific Forest Genetic Resources Programme (APFORGEN) Inception Workshop, Kepong, Malaysia, 15-18 July, 2003. IPGRI-APO, Serdang, Malaysia.

Malele Mbala, S. 2003. Situation des ressources génétiques forestières de la République Démocratique du Congo. Document de travail FGR/56F. Service de la mise en valeur des ressources forestières, Division des ressources forestières. FAO, Rome (in press).

Melgar, W. 2003. Estado de la diversidad biológica de los árboles y bosques en Guatemala. Documentos de Trabajo: Recursos Genéticos Forestales. FGR/53S. Servicio de Desarrollo de Recursos Forestales, Dirección de Recursos Forestales, FAO, Roma.

Nkéoua, G. 2003. Situation des ressources génétiques forestières de la République du Congo. Note thématique sur les ressources génétiques forestières. Document de travail FGR/70F. Division des ressources forestières. FAO, Rome (in press).

Ntsame Okwo, C., Ntougou Ndoutoume, O. 2004. Situation des ressources génétiques forestières en République Gabonaise, Note thématique sur les ressources génétiques forestières. Document de travail FGR/74F. Service de la mise en valeur des ressources forestières, Division des ressources forestières. FAO, Rome (in press).

Padilla, E. A. 2003. Estado de la diversidad biológica de los árboles y bosques en Honduras. Documentos de Trabajo: Recursos Genéticos Forestales. FGR/51S. Servicio de Desarrollo de Recursos Forestales, Dirección de Recursos Forestales, FAO, Roma.

Patiño-Valera, F. 2002. Lineamientos para la elaboración de los documentos nacionales. Documentos de Trabajo: Recursos genéticos Forestales. Documento de Trabajo FGR/39S. Servicio de Desarrollo de Recursos Forestales, Dirección de Recursos Forestales, FAO, Roma.

Ramírez Castillo, C. 2003. Estado de la diversidad biológica de los árboles y bosques en Panamá. Documentos de Trabajo: Recursos Genéticos Forestales. FGR/50S. Servicio de Desarrollo de Recursos Forestales, Dirección de Recursos Forestales, FAO, Roma.

Salinas, J.A. 2003. Estado de la diversidad biológica de los árboles y bosques en El Salvador. Documentos de Trabajo: Recursos Genéticos Forestales. FGR/48S. Servicio de Desarrollo de Recursos Forestales, Dirección de Recursos Forestales, FAO, Roma.

Vargas Hernández, J.J. 2003. Estado de la diversidad biológica de los árboles y bosques en el Norte de México. Documentos de Trabajo: Recursos Genéticos Forestales. FGR/60S. Servicio de Desarrollo de Recursos Forestales, Dirección de Recursos Forestales, FAO, Roma.

Vera Castillo, G. 2003. Estado de la diversidad biológica de los árboles y bosques en el Sur y Sureste de México. Documentos de Trabajo: Recursos Genéticos Forestales. FGR/61S. Servicio de Desarrollo de Recursos Forestales, Dirección de Recursos Forestales, FAO, Roma.

Yalibanda, Y. 2003. Situation des ressources génétiques forestières de la République Centrafricaine. Note thématique sur les ressources génétiques forestières. Document de travail FGR/71F. Service de la mise en valeur des ressources forestières, Division des ressources forestières. FAO, Rome.

Zeh-Nlo, M. 2002. Approche méthodologique en vue d’une évaluation des ressources génétiques forestières dans les pays de l’Afrique Centrale, Note thématique sur les ressources génétiques forestières. Document de travail FGR/75F. Service de la mise en valeur des ressources forestières, Division des ressources forestières. FAO, Rome.

³⁰ Calle 51 No. 304 Villas La Hacienda, C.P. 97119, Merida, Yucatan, Mexic