Optimising the management and sustainable use of forest genetic resources in Europe

Objective

The goal of GenTree is to provide the European forestry sector with better knowledge, methods and tools for optimising the management and sustainable use of forest genetic resources (FGR) in Europe in the context of climate change and continuously evolving demands for forest products and services. To reach its goal, GenTree will make scientific, technological and implementation breakthroughs in: (i) designing innovative strategies for dynamic conservation of FGR in European forests, (ii) broadening the range of FGR used by European breeding programmes, and (iii) preparing new forest management scenarios and policy frameworks fully integrating genetic conservation and breeding aspects, to adapt forests and forestry to changing environmental conditions and societal demands. GenTree focuses on economically and ecologically important tree species in Europe, growing in a wide range of habitats and covering different societal uses and values. The major outputs of GenTree will include: (i) much needed new scientific knowledge on phenotypic and genotypic diversity across environmental gradients in Europe, (ii) improved genotyping and phenotyping monitoring tools for practitioners, (iii) updated and refined data for information systems of in-situ and ex-situ FGR collections, (iv) innovative strategies for conservation, breeding and exchanging and using diversified forest reproductive material, (v) novel outreach and science-policy support tools to better integrate FGR concerns into forest management and better implement relevant international commitments in Europe. GenTree will improve the status and use of European in-situ and ex-situ FGR collections, support acquisition, conservation, characterisation, evaluation and use of relevant FGR in breeding and forestry practice and policy, will seek to harmonise, rationalise and improve management of existing collections and databases, and will strengthen the EU strategy for cooperation on FGR research and innovation.

Fields of science

• natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdatabases
• natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsDNA
• agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesforestrysilviculture
• natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
• natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes

Keywords

• In-situ dynamic genetic conservation units
• ex-situ collections
• forest tree species
• forest management
• stakeholder engagement

Programme(s)

• H2020-EU.3.2. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy Main Programme

Topic(s)

• SFS-07b-2015 - Management and sustainable use of genetic resources

Funding Scheme

Coordinator

Participants (23)