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International Year of Forests 2011 – German Initiative
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International Activities in Forest Genetic Resources
There is close cooperation in the field of conservation and utilization of forest genetic resources both at European (EUFORGEN and EUFGIS) and international (REFORGEN) level.
- Blooming Larch (Larix spec.) © A. Uhlmann
REFORGEN
REFORGEN is the FAO's worldwide information system on forest genetic resources. It was initiated in 1993.
Its core is a database containing aggregated data on tree species provided by the countries.
There is information on the following categories:
- Importance,
- Origin,
- Endangerment,
- In situ conservation measures,
- Ex situ conservation measures,
- Investigations,
- Reproductive material.
This is complemented by information on the responsible national institutions.
In 2000, the database contained information on 1,600 tree species reported by 146 countries. The information system is imperfect.
REFORGEN is to improve the exchange of information between the responsible national bodies, and support political decisions making regarding conservation measures for forest genetic resources at national, regional and international level.
EUFORGEN
EUFORGEN, the European Forest Genetic Resources Programme, was set up in October 1994 to implement the Resolution No 2 (Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources) of the First Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE), held in Strasbourg in 1990. In it, the Member States (2004: 34 states) work together on a voluntary basis to promote the conservation of forest genetic resources in situ and ex situ, and to coordinate measures, exchange ideas and spread information. EUFORGEN is funded by the Member States and coordinated by the institution "Bioversity International" in cooperation with the forest department of the FAO. International activities are coordinated between the countries. The supervisory function is carried out by a steering committee composed of the national coordinators.
At present, there is cooperation in four networks.
- Forest management
- Conifers
- Stand-forming broadleaves
- Scattered broadleaves.
The national coordinator for Germany in EUFORGEN is Prof. Dr. B. Degen, head of the forest genetics institute at the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute in Großhansdorf. Further staff of the institute are involved in the activities of the networks.
EUFGIS
The European Information System on Forest Genetic Resources (EUFGIS) objective is to improve the documentation of forest genetic resources on the Pan-European level. Promoted on the basis of the EU Reg. No 870/2004, it began in April 2007 and will end on 30 September 2010. The project coordination lies with Biodiversity International, Rome. Other countries taking part in the project are Austria, Denmark, France, Slovakia, Slovenia and Great Britain.
The aim of the project is to build a web-based information system as documentation platform for National Inventories on forest genetic resources (FGR). This is to support practical genetic conservation and a sustainable forest management in Europe.
The specific objectives of EUFGIS are
- To create a web-based, permanent information system to serve as the European documentation platform for national nventories on FGR;
- To establish a network of FGR inventories in 40 countries to provide data for the information system (national focal points, NFP);
- To develop minimum requirements for dynamic gene conservation units of forest trees and common information standards for these units at Pan-European level;
- To make available, as a first stage of development, harmonized data on in situ genetic conservation units of 20 tree species from at least 80 % of the countries within each species' distribution range in Europe.
The project is realized in close cooperation with the European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN).
In consultation with the BMELV, Unit 533, and the forest genetics institute at the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute (national EUFORGEN coordinator), the Information and Coordination Centre for Biological Diversity (IBV) of the BLE has been designated NFP in Germany.