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Conservation of genetic variation

Date: 2013.02.04

Habitat protection area in Skåne, southern Sweden. Foto: Lars Jarnemo

– In habitat protection areas, forest trees are protected in their natural environment. The new strategy emphasizes that these protected areas from now on also include the conservation of genetic variation, says Sanna Black-Samuelsson, forest geneticist at the Swedish Forest Agency.

All native forest trees are included

The strategy includes gene conservation of all native tree species. For instance sessile oak and beech occur with marginal populations in Sweden. These populations may contain unique variants of genes and are therefore valuable to conserve. For ash and elm, red-listed due to forest diseases, habitat protection areas offer good possibilities for gene conservation.

Genetic resources of Norway maple, Rowan and other common hardwoods will hopefully be natural features onwards in the habitat protection areas. Also for spruce, pine and birch, conservation of genetic resources is valuable, not only as a scientific reference material but also from utility and existential aspects.

Different targets for different forest trees

The tree species are biologically very different. Therefore the objectives of the strategy vary in terms of number of genetic resources and minimum number of trees per genetic resource required for a certain species. According to international guidelines, at least 500 trees are needed in genetic resources of pine and spruce, while at least 50 trees are sufficient for many hardwoods. For very rare tree species, even 15 trees may suffice as a genetic resource.

Dynamic long-term conservation

The strategy contributes to a dynamic gene conservation where also species associated with the forest trees are conserved.

– Unlike in seed banks and clonal archives, the conservation takes place in the tree’s natural environment. In this way the conservation also includes ecological, ethical and cultural values connected with the genetic resources, says Sanna Black-Samuelsson.

Report to FAO

The Swedish Forest Agency reported in 2012 to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) on the state of forest genetic resources in Sweden.

– In the FAO-report, Sweden highlighted the need for gene conservation of forest trees. Our new strategy opens up good possibilities for the Swedish Forest Agency to secure genetic resources of native tree species, says Sanna Black-Samuelsson.

More information:

Strategy – ” Skogligt genbevarande i biotopskyddsområden ” (in Swedish)
Facts about habitat protection areas
Contact details: Sanna Black-Samuelsson , specialist forest genetics, Swedish Forest Agency