fgrresearchHIGHLIGHTS

Research Update on IPGRI’s Forest Genetic Resources Projects

Issue 2001

1 Obituary for Gene Namkoong2 FOCUS2 Contribution of FAO to FGR

activities 3 Impact of climate change

on forest genetic resourcesIPGRI’s Innovation fund

6 DECISION STRATEGIES ON PRIORITIESFOR CONSERVATION AND USE OF FGR

6 The Dendrogene Project: an approachto evidence-based policy formulation for the conservation and management of forest genetic resources

8 LOCATING GENETIC DIVERSITY INFOREST ECOSYSTEMS

8 Assessing genetic diversity of Pterocarpus macrocarpus in Vietnam

10 Continuing efforts towards the conservation and sustainable use of FGR in Syria and Lebanon

12 BAMBOO AND RATTAN GENETICRESOURCES

12 Update of IPGRI’s research projects16 IN SITU CONSERVATION OF FGR16 Are small forest fragments genetically

more heterogeneous than large fragments?17 Developing in situ conservation

strategies for Dipterocarps19 Restoration of genetic diversity in

Swietenia macrophylla in Costa Rica21 Conservation, management and sustain

able use of forest genetic resources in Brazil and Argentina

24 Forest genetic resources of Mata Atlantica do interior, Brasil

26 Socio-economic aspects related to FGR conservation in Quilombos remnants communities in the Brazilian Atlantic Forests

28 EX SITU CONSERVATION OF FGR28 Recalcitrant and intermediate tropical

forest tree seeds32 Genomic approaches to forest

breeding and conservation32 REGIONAL PROGRAMMES AND

COLLABORATION ON FGR32 EUFORGEN35 SAFORGEN37 Southeast Asian workshop on FGR38 Joint IPGRI-APAFRI efforts to

increase FGR networking in the Asia Pacific region

39 NEWS39 International Training Programme on

Conservation and Management of FGR in Eastern Europe

39 IPGRI joins the Asia Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institution

40 FAO Panel of experts on Genetic resources last session

41 IPGRI publications42 Abdou-Salam Ouédraogo Fellowship44 IPGRI scientists involved in forest genetic

resources activities

INDEX

ABOUT FGR RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTSThis informal publication is to provide anupdate on IPGRI’S research on conservationand use of forest genetic resources worldwide.

Professor Gene Namkoong, 68, passed away on Sunday March 3, 2002.He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the International PlantGenetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) since 1997, and served as Vice-Chairman from 2000/2001. Throughout his tenure on the Board, Genemade an outstanding contribution to IPGRI and in particular to theForest Genetic Resources programme, which today reflects many of GeneÕsideas and thoughts on the conservation and use of forest genetic resources.

A native of New York of Korean ancestry, Dr. Namkoong received hisBachelor of Science degree in 1956 and his M.S. in 1958, both from theState University of New York at Syracuse. He received his Ph.D. fromNorth Carolina State University in 1963, in forestry and quantitativegenetics. He was hired and worked for the US Forest Service from 1958to 1993, based at North Carolina State University, where he also heldprofessorships in the Departments of Genetics, Biomathematics and

Forestry. During those years, Gene advised several graduate students from the USA andabroad, and was always available to share his knowledge and wisdom. In the mid-1970's hewas awarded the rare distinction of being appointed as a Pioneer Research Scientist in theUS Forest Service. In 1993, after retiring from the USFS, he became Head of the Departmentof Forest Sciences at the University of British Columbia, Canada. He served in that positionuntil his retirement in July, 1999, when he and his wife Carol moved back to North Carolina.

It is difficult to encapsulate Gene NamkoongÕs many and exceptional contributions to forestscience and genetics. He ranked among the worldÕs leading authorities in forest genetics. Hepublished in many areas, including theoretical and empirical population and quantitativegenetics, breeding theory and strategies, gene conservation, extension, resistance breeding,and in conservation ethics. In recognition of his work, he was awarded the prestigiousMarcus Wallenberg prize in 1994, for his "path-breaking contributions to quantitative andpopulation genetics, tree breeding and management of genetic resources which form a solidscientific basis for the maintenance of biological diversity in forests all over the world."

Other honours included an honorary degree from the Swedish Agricultural University,membership of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, membership on theKorean Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, and membership of the FAO Panel of Expertson Forest Genetic Resources from December 1989 till 2001.

He was also elected to the Order on Honor/Camellia by the Republic of Korea, was a fellowof the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and received theUSDA Forest Service Superior Scientist Award in 1991. He served as a consultant and scien-tific advisor to DANIDA (Denmark), and to the DFID-funded Dendrogene Project ofEMBRAPA in Brazil, serving a chairman of the Steering Committee. He also served on thetechnical advisory panel of CIFOR and IBPGR.

Retirement saw neither a reduction in Gene's zest for learning, nor any slowing in his cre-ativity. He fought a heroic battle with melanoma, and maintained a positive and philosophi-cal view of life to the end, all the time continuing to work on his final book. He was greatlysupported in this battle, as he was throughout his career, by Carol. We were all extremelyfortunate to have known Gene as a colleague and a friend and to have had the opportunityto learn from his wisdom. Our lives have been touched by this truly remarkable man. Hewill be missed more than we can imagine.

Alvin Yanchuk, Weber Amaral

Obituary for Gene Namkoong

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AO has been playing a majorrole on Forest Genetic Resourcesissues for more than three

decades. An important landmark wasthe establishment of the Panel ofExperts on Forest Gene Resources in1968, attending a request of theFourteenth Session of the FAOConference (1967). FAO has provideda fundamental contribution givingtechnical support to national institutesin member countries on issues relatedto forest genetic resources manage-ment, their conservation and sustain-able use. It has also contributed to fos-tering joint activities between centersof the CGIAR, and promoted wideinternational cooperation, organizingworkshops and meetings. FAOÕs inter-national collaboration with partners isalso focused on the transfer of infor-mation, know-how and technologies,through a wide range of communica-tion tools (publications, electronicmeans), and through networking andtwinning mechanisms.

Particularly during the last 25 years,the work conducted at FAO onForest Genetic Resources has alwaysbeen associated with the competence,guidance and energy of ChristelPalmberg-Lerche, who unfortunatelyfor the FGR community is retiring atthe end of 2002.

Some of FAOÕs activities on variousaspects of forest genetic resources aredescribed below:

1. Collection, evaluation and assess-ment of genetic resources havebeen carried out in collaborationwith national institutes and inter-national organizations, such as theInternational Union of ForestryResearch Organizations (IUFRO),

provided by 146 countries, on over1600 tree and shrub species.Information is increasingly com-plemented by data available incountry reports prepared forregional assessments.

4. International collaboration - FAOworks with IUFRO, FutureHarvest (CGIAR) centres (notablyIPGRI, the Centre for InternationalForestry Research (CIFOR) and theInternational Centre for Researchin Agroforestry (ICRAF)), the CBDSecretariat, universities, nationalforest services and research insti-tutes. In partnership with IPGRI,work has continued towards thedevelopment of technical guide-lines for the safe movement ofPinus and Acacia germplasm. In 2000and 2001, FAO assisted the CBDSecretariat in preparing a reportdocumenting status and trends offorest biological diversity. FAOresource persons were also pro-vided to meetings of the Ad-HocTechnical Expert Group on ForestBiological Diversity, convened bythe secretariat of the CBD, inpreparation of meetings of theSubsidiary Body on Scientific,Technical and Technological Advice(SBSTTA-7, November 2001) and theConference of the Parties (COP-6,March 2002) which addressed forestbiological diversity issues. As a fol-

relevant Centres of the ConsultativeGroup on International AgriculturalResearch (Future Harvest Centres),and the Danida Forest SeedCentre, Denmark, focusing onsocio-economically importantspecies for the dry and humidtropics. The developments oninternational conservation pro-grammes related to neotropicalmahoganies, in particular in theframework of CITES, have beenclosely followed, and some sup-port has been provided to activi-ties in Central America/Mexico.

2. Conservation of genetic resourcesactively contributed to elaboratingforest genetic resources conservationmethodologies, through the evalua-tion in the field of in situ and exsitu conservation stands of nativeor introduced species. The experi-ences gained have also been synthe-sized and summarized in a series oftechnical guides to forest geneticresources conservation that FAO, theInternational Plant Genetic ResourcesInstitute (IPGRI) and the DanidaForest Seed Centre are finalizing.

3. Information activities have devel-oped further with the on-lineopening of the World-WideInformation System on ForestGenetic Resources (REFORGEN).The database contains information

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FocusContributionof FAO to FGR activities

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Mixed forest management (South Eastern Finland)

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low-up to recommendations madeby the 13th Session of the Committeeon Forestry (COFO) in 1997, FAOhas been supporting the prepara-tion of status assessment for forestgenetic resources at national andregional levels. In collaboration withinternational, regional and nationalorganizations, eco-regional workshopsfor the conservation, managementand sustainable use of forest geneticresources have been convened inSahelian Africa (1998), the SouthPacific (1999), and Southern andEastern Africa (SADC countries, in2000). Similar workshops areplanned in 2002 in Central Africaand in 2003 in Central America, withsupport from an FAO-NetherlandsPartnership Programme.

Further information can be obtainedfrom: Christel Palmberg-Lerche, Chiefof Forest Resources DevelopmentService, Forest Resources Division,FAO (christel.palmberg@fao.org) andPierre Sigaud, Forestry Officer, ForestGenetic Resources, Forest ResourcesDivision, FAO (pierre.sigaud@fao.org).

The major questions are ÒhowÓ andÒhow fastÓ climate change is going tohave impact on PGR, and ÒhowÓ andÒifÓ national programs and IPGRIÕscollaborators should be part of theinternational scientific arena that isactively involved on this issue.

During the course of 2001, IPGRI gotinvolved in the global effort tounderstand the repercussions ofsome major threats deriving from cli-mate change. Thanks to the financialsupport provided by the InnovationFund scheme, IPGRI has developed aproject aimed to study the effects ofincreased CO2 concentration on bio-diversity of crops and forest species.The project proposal has contributedto finalize the links with analogouswider-scale initiatives, such asGlobal Challenge Programme onClimate Change carried out withinthe CGIAR, and to define the contri-bution expected from IPGRI withinthe frame of the inter-center activityon this topic.

The project had the specific objectiveto contribute to: 1) a better under-standing of the effects of climatechange on genetic diversity of crops(food security issues) and forest

species (alternatives for CO2 seques-tration), and 2) the provision of sus-tainable mitigation alternatives to theincreased levels of CO2 in the atmos-phere, with reference to developingcountries. The successful evaluation of the pro-ject has enabled IPGRI to hire a con-sultant, Michele Bozzano, who hasbeen working on the elaboration ofappropriate strategies for the conser-vation and sustainable use of FGRwithin the context of a changinghuman and natural environment.Three major outcomes were pro-duced: I) a project proposal to besubmitted to donors; II) a themedraft contribution to the ICWG onClimate Change, and III) a literaturedatabase Web accessible on climatechange and biodiversity.The project is not an isolated activitybut is in the stream of a series of ini-tiatives taking place in several coun-tries, and addressing the emergingneed to understand the potentialeffect of climate change on vegeta-tion structure and dynamics.Several are the studies carried outfrom a physiological and ecologicalperspective, whereas there is a gen-eral lack of information on the reper-cussions of climate instability at the

FOCUS

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Primary lowland tropical forest (Amazon, Brazil)

limate change is an additionalthreat to plant geneticresources. Conservation efforts

should be tailored in order to reducethe vulnerability of certain ecosystemsand to perpetuate their functioning,ultimately securing the maintenanceof food provision.

Impact of climatechange on forestgeneticresources

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genetic level, especially for what con-cerns tropical tree species. For most tropical species, not only isthe dynamic picture missing but alsothe static snapshot of ecologicalrequirements, distribution range, dis-tribution patterns, and genetic struc-ture of different populations withinthe same species.

Unusual drought and variation inrainfall are increasingly recognizedas important in tropical forests(Condit 1998; Condit, Hubbell andFoster 1995; Condit, Hubbell andFoster 1996a; Condit, Hubbell andFoster 1996b; Williamson, Laurance,Oliveira, Delamonica et al. 2000;Condit, Hubbell and Foster 1996a).Little is known on how the composi-tion of a tropical forest changes whenprecipitation patterns shift. Wetter ordrier-than-average years in humidtropical forests may not have seriousrepercussions on natural communi-ties. However, a few dry years in arow could be detrimental to manypopulations (Hartshorn 1992). The species-specific information nec-essary to make predictions on theimpact of future climate scenarios isnot often available.There are scattered examples of stud-ies that looked at species geographicdistribution relative to precipitationpatterns and predicted shifts in forestcomposition as a consequence of

longer dry seasons. As an example,Condit estimated variable percent-ages of extinction according to differ-ent forecast extensions of the dry sea-son (25% and 40% of the specieswould be locally eliminated, after afour-week and nine-week extensionrespectively) (Condit 1998).Actual population changes have beendetected distinguishing betweenspecies with different ecological range,deduced from the topographic posi-tion occupied (Condit, Hubbell, andFoster 1996a). Presently, it is not known whetherecosystem stability increases with: a)the number of species, b) the kinds ofspecies, c) the number of functionalgroups represented by the species, d)the kinds of functional groups repre-sented by the species. For tropicalforest ecosystems, much less isknown on the genetic diversitywhose preservation is the ultimategoal of any conservation effort andwhose richness would secure an ade-quate level of plasticity with respectto wide-scale perturbation such ashigh climate variability. For sustain-ability of forest management, conser-vation of genetic diversity is anessential component for three mainreasons (Brown et al., 2000). Thesereasons are: (a) maintain short-termviability of individuals and popula-tions, (b) maintain the evolutionarypotential of populations and species,

and (c) provide opportunities of useof genetic resources.Considerable efforts have been put inthe determination of functionalguilds of species. The general pur-pose of developing functional classi-fications is to find some generallyapplicable simplification of diversityof life, retaining information aboutthe most important processes andinteractions (Botkin 1975). A significant driving force for devel-oping such classifications has beenthe need to develop models ofregional and global systems for pre-dicting the impacts and feedback ofglobal change (Woodward, Smithand Shugart 1997).There is interest from other areas,such as conservation ecology, asfunctional ecology is seen to beimportant when making decisionsabout the viability of conservationareas (Pressey, Humphries, Margules,Vanewright et al. 1993).Defining one set of plant functionaltypes for all purposes and scales ofoperation is not possible, nor neces-sarily desirable. Functional traits arelikely to vary with the function ofinterest and are context specific(Gitay and Noble 1997). Functional classifications have beenused to achieve a range of specificoutcomes: broad-scale models ofglobal vegetation (Prentice, Cramer,Harrison, Leemans et al. 1992;Woodward 1987); schemes describ-ing functional responses of a regionalflora to environmental factors(Grime, Hodgson and Hunt 1988);and schemes addressing specific dis-turbances (Lavorel, McIntyre,Landsberg and Forbes 1997; Nobleand Gitay 1996).

Ecological and genetic diversity studies,climate studies that incorporate vegeta-tion feedbacks, functional grouping elab-orations, and other theoretical and practi-cal analyses, are based on fundamentalinformation such as species ecologicalrange, biology, distribution patterns.Many stakeholders would benefit by a

fgr researchfgr researchHIGHLIGHTS

Deforestation in the Amazon (Mato Grosso, Brazil)

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wide-scale operation of data collectionand collation. Floristic inventories and ecological infor-mation on single species, especially thosewith a crucial role in the livelihood oflocal communities, contain vital informa-tion for the rational utilization of thesespecies, for the improvement of planta-tions and the management and conserva-tion of natural communities.Basic information on managed andunmanaged forest ecosystems in tropicalareas is either missing or too scattered toenable the drawing of a more global pic-ture and to extrapolate common patterns.What is missing is a concerted actionwhose outputs would be beneficial toseveral stakeholders. IPGRI could takepart in this networking initiative as itcould capitalize on a wide experience incollaborative efforts with several part-ners, aimed to promote conservation ofPGR and to enhance the research capac-ity of developing countries, by trainingand dissemination of information. Programs for conservation and manage-

ment of forest genetic resources are morelikely to be effective if conducted at aregional scale. Networking and informa-tion sharing through common initiativeswould enable to optimise the use ofavailable resources and spread the bene-fits among several partners. It wouldenable to avoid duplication of efforts andincrease the benefits, it would promoteinteraction between different stakehold-ers, different sectors at the national andinternational level, it would strengthencollaboration between scientists, man-agers, policy-makers and users.

Genetic studies could turn out to betoo expensive to be carried out in somecircumstances. Therefore, there is theneed to define sets of suitable indica-tors that could work as proxies andhelp monitoring the erosion of geneticdiversity. The indicators are based onspecies ecological and demographictraits. Many institutions are involvedwith the definition of appropriate indi-cators and the refinement of modelling

FOCUS

1. Botkin, D. B. (1975). Functional groups oforganisms in model ecosystems. Levin, S.A.Ecosystem Analysis and Prediction. 98-102.Philadelphia, Soc.Ind.Appl.Math.2. Brown, A.H.D., Young, A.G., Burdon, J.J.,Christidis, L., Clarke, G., Coates, D. and W.Sherwin, 2000. Genetic indicators for stateof the environment reporting. Departmentof Environments, Sports and TerritoriesTechnical Report, Canberra.3. Condit, R. (1998). Ecological implicationsof changes in drought patterns: Shifts inforest composition in Panama. ClimateChange 39: 413-427.4. Condit, R., Hubbell, S. P., and Foster, R. B.(1995). Mortality-rates of 205 Neotropicaltree and shrub species and the impact of asevere drought. Ecological Monographs 65:419-439.5. Condit, R., Hubbell, S. P., and Foster, R. B.(1996a). Changes in tree species abundancein a Neotropical forest: Impact of climatechange. Journal of Tropical Ecology 12:231-256.6. Condit, R., Hubbell, S. P., and Foster, R. B.(1996b). Assessing the response of plantfunctional types to climatic change in tropi-cal forests. Journal of Vegetation Science 7:405-416.

7.Gitay,H.and Noble, I.R. (1997).What are func-tional types and how should we seek them?Smith,T. M., Shugart, H. H., and Woodward, F. I.Plant functional types: their relevance to ecosys-tem properties and global change. 3-19.Cambridge,Cambridge University Press.8. Grime, J. P., Hodgson, J. G., and Hunt, R.(1988). Comparative plant ecology - a func-tional approach to common British species.London, Unwin Hyman Ltd.9. Hartshorn, G. S. (1992). Possible effectsof global diversity in tropical forests.Peters, R. L. Global warming and biologicaldiversity. 137-146. Yale University Press.10 .Lavorel, S., McIntyre, S., Landsberg, J. J.,and Forbes, T. D. A. (1997). Plant functionalclassifications: from general groups to spe-cific groups based on response to distur-bance. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 12: 474-478.11. Lavorel, S., McIntyre, S., Landsberg, J. J.,and Forbes, T. D. A. (1997). Plant functionalclassifications: from general groups to spe-cific groups based on response to distur-bance. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 12: 474-478.12. Noble, I. R. and Gitay, H. (1996).A func-tional classification for predicting the

dynamics of landscapes. Journal of VegetationScience 7: 329-336.13. Prentice, I. C., Cramer, W., Harrison, S.P., Leemans, R., Monserud, R. A., andSolomon, A. M. (1992). A global biomemodel based on plant physiology and dom-inance, soil properties and climate. Journalof Biogeography 19: 117-134.14. Pressey, R. L., Humphries, C. J. ,Margules, C. R., Vanewright, R. I., andWilliams, P. H. (1993). Beyond opportunism- Key principles for systematic reserveselection. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 8:124-128.15.Williamson, G. B., Laurance,W. F., Oliveira,A.A., Delamonica, P., Gascon, C., Lovejoy,T. E.,and Pohl, L. (2000).Amazonian tree mortalityduring the 1997 El Nino drought.Conservation Biology 14: 1538-1542.16. Woodward, F. I. (1987). Climate andplant distribution. New York, CambridgeUniversity Press.17.Woodward, F. I., Smith,T. M., and Shugart, H. H.(1997). Defining plant functional types: the endview. Smith,T. M., Shugart, H. H., and Woodward, F.I. Plant functional types: their relevance to ecosys-tem properties and global change. 355-360.Cambridge,Cambridge University Press.

LITERATURE CITED

exercises that have the objective toassess the impact of management (andmore extensively the impact of climateinstability) on genetic diversity. Allthese studies need to be validated bylooking at species ecological range anddistribution patterns, proving oncemore how basic knowledge extractedfrom forest inventories represents themost valuable piece of information thatserves many purposes. It is the startingpoint for different types of investigationsand it becomes really valuable if manypartners join in a collective endeavourto gather information already available,enabling the extrapolation of regionaland global trends in maintenance anderosion of genetic diversity, theextrapolation of wider-scale scenarios,the elucidation of general mechanismsthat regulate and maintain biodiversity.

More information available from Dr. WeberAmaral, Senior Scientist, FGR Project,IPGRI (w.amaral@cgiar.org).

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o facilitate the sustainablemanagement of forests, poli-cies must be based on a sound

understanding of the ecological andgenetic functioning of forests, andthe degree to which humans dependon and impact upon them. Thisrequires a holistic and highly inte-grated approach to scientific investi-gation, which manages to establisheffective collaboration among disci-plines directed towards a commonquestion. Moreover, broad stake-holder participation, to truly repre-sent the wishes, needs and roles oflocal actors and the commercial sec-tor, is essential if policies are to work.

IPGRI is already involved in theimplementation of a research projectin collaboration with the Instituto deManejo e Certifica�ao Florestal eAgricola (IMAFLORA) in Brazil, toundertake a study on criteria andindicators for the monitoring andevaluation of genetic sustainability offorest management practices.IMAFLORA in Brazil, is the only offi-cial Forest Stewardchip Council certi-fier (FSC), the largest scheme of for-est certification in the tropics.

IMAFLORA team is also involvedwith small-scale forest managementprograms, working with local com-munities in the Brazilian andPeruvian Amazon.This project supported by IPGRI isfocused mainly on genetic indicatorsbut it stems from another wider ini-tiative conducted in the AmazonBasin, the Dendrogene project, whichsees IPGRIÕs participation within theSteering Committee.

Embrapa Amaz�nia Oriental implements theD e nd ro ge ne Pro j e c t ( 2 0 0 0 -2004 )(www.cpatu.embrapa.br/dendro/index.htm)in partnership with a network ofinterested institutions and projects. Itis supported by DFID under theBrazil-UK cooperation programme.The strategy features the developmentof a tool (a forest simulation model) toanalyse the environmental sustain-ability of alternative scenarios offorest use, and on providing skillsand tools to enable knowledge-basedmanagement systems to be appliedin practice (see figure).

One of the principal constraints inthe Amazon is the limited capacity tocorrectly identify tree species. Theproject is developing and testingidentification sheets for more thanfifty of the major commercial speciesand identification booklets for five of

fgr researchfgr researchHIGHLIGHTS

Decision strategieson priorities for conservationand use of FGRThe Dendrogene Project: an approachto evidence-based policy formulationfor the conservation and managementof forest genetic resources

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Group of participants to Dendrogene meeting (Brazil)

appropriate criteria and indicatorsfor ecological and genetic sustain-ability of forest management.

The Dendrogene project impact goesbeyond conservation of geneticresources as forest resources play animportant role in the livelihoods ofthe regionÕs populations. At abroader level the influence of the for-est on the environment and the inter-relations between the environmentand human development e.g. loss offorest leading to micro-scale temper-ature change impacting on diseaseincidence, stresses the need for theintegration of knowledge of thesocial, economic and environmentalimpacts in development and conser-vation decision-making.

the complex commercial groups. Italso seeks to enhance the value ofherbarium collections using BRAHMSsoftware to update and improveaccess to the information. Trainingcourses are held to develop opera-tional capacity in botanical andwood identification. In order to reachthe target group, forest users anddecision-makers, the project supportsthe development of decision supportsoftware for forest management(TREMA).

Current knowledge on the ecologyand genetics of commercial treespecies is being compiled, in co-oper-ation with other projects and insti-tutes , in a central database(Dendrobase). Long-term silvicul-tural study data are used to modelforest dynamics. Detailed investiga-tions focus on seven model specieswith distinct ecological characteris-tics. Studies on a 500 hectare plotconcentrate on ecological and geneticstructure and processes two yearsbefore and after timber harvestingincluding phenology; pollen vectorsand dispersal; seed production, dis-persal and germination; gene flow(to be assessed using micro-satellitemarkers being developed by the pro-ject); and seedling survival andgrowth. The genetic structure ofsome of the same species will bestudied in another one thousandhectare plot in a different forest. Tree

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sample sizes for each species are 200-400 for genetic inventory of adults,30 trees for seed genetic analysis and60 trees for detailed phenologyobservation. These data are used todevelop and validate a model(Ecogene-Symfor) that predictsgenetic impacts and future forestdevelopment following interven-tions. Species characteristics stored inthe Dendrobase can be used to assignmodel input parameters for speciesother than the model species.

The model will be used to simulatethe impact on genetic diversity ofalternative management scenarios inorder to inform the formulation ofappropriate policies and regulations.One specific area will be in testing

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roDECISION STRATEGIES

Visit of British Deputy Minister for International Development Hilary Ben to Dendrogene project site (Brazil)

■ NATURAL FOREST IS ONE OF THE PRINCIPAL SOURCES OF GOODS AND SERVICES FOR THE REGION’S POPULATION

■ SOCIO-ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY DEPENDS ON ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY

> The impact of forest resource use is not known

> The prediction of impacts guides plans for resource use

Gathering Knowledge and creating tools to analyse ecologicalsustainability(partnerships)

Encouraging the development of appropiate policies and practices for forest management(participatory)

Open acces to knowledge (society)

Strategic contribution to development decision-making

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Individual of Pterocarpus macrocarpus (Vietnam)

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ered as an endangered species and itis included into the ÔVietnam RedBookÕ of species for conservation.Over the past years, scientists at theResearch Centre for Forest TreeImprovement (RCFTI) of the ForestScience Institute of Vietnam have

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Locating geneticdiversity in forestecosystems

terocarpus macrocarpus Kurz isone of the major commercialtimber species of the main-

land Southeast Asia where its naturaldistribution range covers Cambodia,Laos, Myanmar, Thailand andVietnam. In Thailand, for example, itwas the second most valuable timberspecies after teak in terms of exportearnings prior to the logging ban fornatural forests which was imposed in1989. Despite its economic value, thespecies is not yet under extensive plan-tation programmes and the remainingnatural stands are diminishing.

For a long time P.macrocarpus wasoverlooked by researchers and itsecological and biological characteris-tics remained poorly understood. Inrecent years, however, it has receivedmore national and regional attention.The ASEAN Forest Tree SeedCentre (AFTSC) in Thailand hasconducted considerable amount ofresearch on the reproductive biol-ogy and genetics of P. macrocarpus.AFTSC also compiled and pub-lished a monograph on P.macrocar-pus in 1999 together with theCentre for International ForestryResearch (CIFOR). In Vietnam, P.macrocarpus is consid-

Assessinggeneticdiversity ofPterocarpusmacrocarpusin Vietnam

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been conducting studies on impor-tant timber species in the country,including P. macrocarpus, in collabo-ration with IPGRI. This work focusedon locating the remaining popula-tions of these timber species andassessing their natural regeneration

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LOCATING GENETIC DIVERSITY

capability while also conductingsocio-economic surveys and evaluat-ing land use changes in selectedlocations (see last issue of the IPGRIFGR Research Highlights). The recent phase of the researchactivities is focused on assessinggenetic diversity of P.macrocarpus-populations in Vietnam to obtaininformation for conservation andtree improvement purposes. Theresults are also valuable for regionalconservation efforts as the locatedgenetic diversity can be comparedwith similar studies already carriedout in Thailand. RCFTI scientistsconducted field surveys in four loca-tions in Vietnam, i.e. in YokdonNational Park (Buondon District,Daklak Province), Easo NationalConservation Area (Eacar District,Daklak Province), Dau TiengProtection Forest Area (Tau ChauDistrict, Tay Ninh Province) and KySon Forest Enterprise (Nghe AnProvince).

For each population, 20 mother treeswere chosen and seeds were col-lected for genetic studies. The seedswere sowed in a nursery to produceplant material for laboratory workon the genetic diversity applying the

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Pod of Pterocarpus macrocarpus (Vietnam)

Ex situ conservation stand of Pterocarpus macrocarpus (Thailand)

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isozyme technique. Final results ofthis research project will be availablesoon for developing the conservationstrategy for P. macrocarpus in Vietnamand other Southeast Asian countries.

Further information on this project canbe obtained from Prof. Le Dinh Kha andDr. Nguyen Huy Son at ResearchCentre for Forest Tree Improvement,Hanoi, Vietnam (rcfti@netnam.org.vn).

CHARACTERISING PINUS

PINEA IN LEBANON

The stone pine (Pinus pinea), which iswell known for its valuable nuts, is atypical Mediterranean forest tree. Asa result of its long-continued cultiva-tion and man-assisted distributionthroughout the region, the exact ori-gin of P. pinea is not known. InLebanon, for instance, there is anongoing controversy whether thespecies is truly indigenous or intro-duced. During the civil war P. pineaforests were seriously damaged inLebanon. Recently, these forests arethreatened by urbanisation, frequentforest fires and poor forest manage-ment practices. In 1998, an IPGRI-supported M.Sc. study was initiatedat AUB to characterise diversity andrecord the management practices ofP. pinea stands in Lebanon. Ten repre-sentative forest sites in MountLebanon have been surveyed for 15traits related to habitat and cone/nutproduction. Complementary ecologi-cal and management data were alsoobtained. The species diversityshowed a negative correlation with

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onsiderable progress has beenmade in Syria and Lebanonsince 1998 when IPGRI started

to increase awareness on conserva-tion and sustainable use of forestgenetic resources. In both countries,priority species have been selectedand a research framework has beendeveloped for ecogeographic surveysand studies on genetic diversity andsocio-economic issues of the targetspecies. Three national ecogeo-graphic surveys have been carriedout on Pinus brutia (Syria), Pistaciaatlantica (Syria) and Ceratonia siliqua(Lebanon). Results of these surveysinclude spatial data on the popula-tions and GIS based climate and soildata layers, which have been com-piled on a CD-ROM. Molecularcharacterisation of the three targetspecies is carried out at ICARDAand at the American University ofBeirut (AUB). Final results of the

genetic diversity study of Pinusbrutia and Ceratonia siliqua will beavailable soon.

In this update, results of a M.Sc.study on the characterisation of Pinuspinea forests in Lebanon are pre-sented. Furthermore, a summary onthe progress of the socio-economicstudy on Pistacia atlantica in Syria isgiven. This research can be consideredin many ways the first of its kind inSyria. Finally, some experiences ontracing geo-referenced trees in Syriausing GPS are also presented.

Continuingefforts towards the conservationand sustainable use of FGR in Syria and Lebanon

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Individual of Pistacia atlantica (Syria)

Pinus pinea around Beirut (Lebanon)

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the occurrence of fires and manage-ment practices. An analysis of themorphological traits of P. pinea treesshowed high variability between andwithin the sites. However, clear cor-relation between these traits andenvironmental or ecological factorswere not found. A second phase ofthis project was recently started andit aims at characterising the surveyedpopulations at molecular level.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC SURVEY OF PISTACIA

ATLANTICA IN SYRIA

Pistacia atlantica is one of the fourwild relatives of pistachio (P. vera)occurring in Syria. P. atlantica is animportant rootstock for the culti-vated pistachio varieties owing to itsdrought and disease resistance. Inthe past, vast areas were coveredwith P. atlantica, especially in thesteep mountains of Jabl Balaas andJabl Rudjmain. At present, the forestsin these areas are highly degradedand fragmented. Overexploitation,expansion of agriculture and over-grazing are the main causes of thisdeterioration.

In November 2000, the University ofAleppo and IPGRI started a collabo-rative socio-economic survey toassess the use patterns of P. atlanticain Syria. This work also promotes thecooperation between forest expertsand local communities. Three dis-tinct study areas have been sur-veyed. In Jabl al Arab, the sites withof P. atlantica are highly fragmentedand confined to the edges of privateagricultural lands. The fragmented P.atlantica site in Jabl al Balaas is a

LOCATING GENETIC DIVERSITY

national forest reserve surroundedby mainly semi-permanent settle-ments, in which sheep husbandry isthe main source of income. JablRudjmain is also declared as anational P. atlantica forest reserve.However, various nomadic tribes,which enter the area during winter,consider this region as an importantrangeland for their sheep.Differences in perception and in useof P. atlantica among forest officialsand local communities were alsoobserved during the Rapid RuralAppraisal inventory. The NationalForestry Department is mainly con-cerned with the protection of P.atlantica and its habitats whereas theutilisation of P. atlantica resources is asignificant source of income for thelocal communities and farmers. Forexample, one kilogram of P. atlanticaseeds is sold for the equivalent of 0.6- 1 US dollar in local markets. Thewood of P. atlantica is also highlyappreciated as a source of fuel aswell as for manufacturing the typicalArab mortars. Final results of thiswork will assist foresters and envi-ronmentalists to develop betterguidelines for the conservation anduse of P. atlantica forests in Syria.

LOCATING TREES WITH THE USE OF GPSIn Syria and Lebanon, the GPS-basedforest surveys is a relatively newtechnique, which has been intro-duced by IPGRI during the ecogeo-graphic surveys described above.Forest technicians have been trainedto map the borders of forest sitesusing GPS and to record the posi-tions of individual trees. In April

Mixed landscape with Pinus brutia and other tree species (Syria)

Pistacia atlantica (Syria)

2001, scientists from the SyrianNational Forestry Department andIPGRI tested a specific GPS-basedtechnique in several areas of Syria.The aim was to trace back the posi-tion of previously surveyed trees,which were recorded using GPS. Themethod proved to be very useful asonly 15 of the 236 previouslyrecorded trees could not be locatedwith precision. In these cases weobserved that trees were either miss-ing or more trees were present at theidentified location. The followingrecommendations can improve theuse of GPS to locate individual trees: 1) Take the point-coordinates as close

as possible to the center of the tar-get tree. This will reduce problemswith clustered trees if the locationneeds to be traced back in futuresurveys. The target tree should ofcourse also be marked with paintor labels.

2) GPS can also be used to assess theminimum distance between thesampled trees. This is particularlyuseful in hilly or mountainousareas, where it is often complicatedto determine the distance betweentwo points.

These experiences are derived fromforest areas with a low tree density (<100 trees/ha) and further testing isneeded how well the technique can beapplied in forests with higher densities.

More information on these activities canbe obtained from: Mr. T.O.M. Bazuin,Associate Scientist, Forest GeneticResources, IPGRI-CWANA, Aleppo Ð Syria (t.bazuin@cgiar.org)

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significant amount of informa-tion on bamboo and rattangenetic resources and their

conservation have been generated,compiled and distributed throughIPGRIÕs activities on these tworesources since 1993 (Rao and Rao1995, Rao and Rao 1997, Rao and Rao1999). Results from a number ofbamboo and rattan research activitieshave benefited the countries con-cerned and have also improvednational capacity to address the con-servation of these genetic resources(Sastrapradja et al. 2000 and Xu et al.2000). The work accomplished so farin various countries with fundingfrom the Japanese government hascontributed to maximising the utili-sation of the species and also toenhance their conservation and sus-tainable management. There are stillgaps in information in areas such asdistribution, population status,extent of genetic diversity, for exam-ple, that would hinder effective con-servation of these resources in manycountries. Thus IPGRIÕs partners inthe different Asian countries are con-tinuing to work on diverse aspects ofbamboo and rattan genetic resources.

The areas of focus have beengrouped under four headings andhave been obtained through consul-tations and workshops held withcountries in the Asia-Pacific region toidentify the knowledge gaps thatexist and research that are needed for

A

Bamboo and rattangenetic resources

Bamboo splitting (Peninsular Malaysia)

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effective conservation of the geneticresources. These are:

(I) Assessing and inventorying Ð In situconservation actions are requiredand will take priority while compli-mentary conservation strategies arebeing developed for the bambooand rattan resources. Therefore theassessment of the current statusof bamboo and rattan resourcesis a vital activity for successful insitu (and ex situ) conservationefforts. Activities to be undertakenunder this area will include assess-ment and inventories, distributionpatterns and size of populations,rates of extraction etc.

(II) Development and implementation ofconservation procedures - There is aneed to implement different proce-dures for conservation to ensuresustainable management of thebamboo and rattan geneticresources for use. This will include

development of in situ and ex situconservation plans, assessment ofseed viability and seed storage andin vitro conservation protocols,establishment and management offield genebanks and guidelines forsafe movement of germplasm.

(III) Rates of extraction and humanimpact Ð The long-term detrimentalimpact of over-exploitation on nat-ural bamboo and rattan resourcesis obvious in several countries.There is still a lack of informationon natural regeneration and on thesocioeconomic impact of exploita-tion and conservation. This infor-mation is needed to establishproper in situ (and ex situ) mea-sures, for sustainable utilisation ofthe resources to ensure that socioe-conomic benefits are maintained.

(IV) Development of methods for sus-tainable conservation and use - Itmust be recognised that many

fgr researchfgr researchHIGHLIGHTS

fgr research 13

Bamboo sticks (Peninsular Malaysia)

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rural poor people are dependenton non-wood forest products suchas bamboo and rattan. Efforts toconserve should not interfere withextraction and use of theseresources for daily needs as well asfor the income generation activitiesof these people and other forestdwellers. Understanding the pref-

erence for extraction by the forestand forest-fringe dwellers, espe-cially when alternative means oflivelihood become available is ofsignificance to sustainable conser-vation of bamboo and rattan in thenatural habitats. Activities wouldinclude assessment of economicgains through extraction of rattan,identification and selection of bam-boo and rattan materials that per-f o r m w e l l u n d e r d i f f e re n tenvironments and ecosystems,and identification and selection ofspecies suitable for cultivation toreduce pressure on naturallyoccurring stands.

In view of the wide range of distribu-tion, use and inter-specific diversity,one of the tasks has been to developwidely applicable methodologies tostudy bamboo and rattan speciesfrom the biological aspects to the useperspectives in relation to geneticdiversity and conservation. In other

words, the results of the work couldbe applicable to other areas andspecies despite working in selectedcountries and with few species. Thiscould be applicable by transferringthe information for an application toa larger scale while trying to under-stand the overall ÒpictureÓ of theconservation and use of bamboo andrattan species.

Currently, 10 projects are beingundertaken with partners in eightcountries in the Asia-Pacific region.These are listed in the table belowwith a summary of the expected out-puts. The progress of these projectshas been reported earlier and thenext issue of FGR research highlightswill provide details of those that willhave been completed. In addition, 20projects have been completed earlier.The results of the completed projectshave been disseminated throughworkshops and seminars or madeavailable through publications.

BAMBOO & RATTAN

Holttumochloa sp. (Peninsular Malaysia)

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Table 1. On-going bamboo and rattan projects

Population survey and genetic analysis of Phyllostachyspubescens and Dendrocalamus latiflorus (1998-2001)

Collection of native bamboospecies to establish a community genepool in central Yunnan, China (1999-2001)

Genetic diversity and sustainable development of bamboo resources inXishuangbanna, Yunnan Province,Southwest China. (2000-2002)

An ex situ collection of bamboo for national conservation and research (2000-2003)

Ex situ conservation of someimportant commercial bamboospecies of Myanmar (2000-2002)

Genetic diversity of two prioritybamboo species Bambusa bambosand Bambusa nutans in Vietnam(2001-2001)

Distribution, population status andgenetic diversity of Calamus mananin Sumatra (2001)

Distribution and status of rattan inBardiya district of Nepal (2001)

Identification of genetic markers forgender determination in dioeciousrattan (2000-2001)

Subtropical Forestry ResearchInstitute, CAF, Fuyang, China

Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS,Kunming, China

Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS,Kunming, China

Institute of Biological Science,University of Malaya, KualaLumpur, Malaysia

Forest Research Institute, Yezin,Myanmar

Institute of Ecology and BiologicalResources, Hanoi, Vietnam andRoyal Forest Department,Bangkok, Thailand

Indonesian Institute of Sciences,Research and Development Centrefor Biotechnology, Bogor, Indonesia

Himalayan Conservation Group,Pokhara, Nepal

National University of Singapore,Singapore

Distribution and status of the twospecies and their genetic diversity.

To establish an ex situcollection of valuable native bamboo species for conservation.

Data on genetic diversity of bamboo and guidelines for managing and developing the resource sustainably.

Establishment of an ex situcollection for conservation, reference and research.

Establishment of an ex situcollection of valuable species for conservation.

Information on genetic diversity of the species.

Data on population status, geneticdiversity and taxonomic identity ofthe commercially valuable rattan"manau".

Information on distribution of rattan in the district.

Identification of genetic marker(s)for gender determination in rattan.

Collaborating organization/country

Project Outputs expected

■ BAMBOO

■ RATTAN

Mapping genetic diversity of bamboo and rattans in WesternGhats of India (1998-2001)

University of Agricultural Sciences,Bangalore, India

Information on distribution and genetic diversity of rattans in Western Ghats.

■ BAMBOO AND RATTAN

fgr research 15

BAMBOO & RATTAN

Sastrapradja, S.D.,Widjaja, E., Mogea, J.P. and Sundarmonowati, E.,eds. 2000. Di antara alunan bambyu dan bisikan rotan ( Betweenthe swaying bamboo and the whispering rattan). Narurae Indonesia,Bogor, Indonesia. 77 pp.

Xu, H.C., Rao,A.N. , Zeng, B.S. and Yin, G.T., eds. 2000. Researchon rattans in China. Conservaton, cultivation, distribution, ecol-ogy, growth phenology, silviculture, systematic anatomy and tis-sue culture. IPGRI-APO, Serdang, Malaysia. 148 pp.

For additional information, please contact Mr. Hong L.T.(l.hong@cgiar.org), Bamboo and Rattan and FGR specialist or Dr. Ramantha Rao(v.rao@cgiar.org), Senior Scientist at IPGRI Regional Office for Asia, the Pacific and Oceania in Serdang,Malaysia.

Rao, V. Ramanatha, and Rao, A.N., eds. 1995.Bamboo and rattan genetic resources and use.Proceedings of the first INBAR Biodiversity,Genetic Resources and ConservationWorking Group, 7-9 November 1994,Singapore. IPGRI-APO. 76 pp.

Rao, A.N. and Rao, V. Ramanatha, eds. 1997.Rattan – Taxonomy, ecology, silviculture, con-servatiion, genetic improvement and biotech-nology. Proceedings of Training Courses cumWorkshops, 14-26 April 1996, Sarawak,

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED ON PROJECT ACTIVITIES

LITERATURE CITED

Sabah. IPGRI-APO Serdang, Malaysia. 255 pp.

Rao, A.N. and Rao, V. Ramanatha, eds. 1999.Bamboo - conservation, diversity, ecogeogra-phy, germplasm, resource utilization and tax-onomy. Proceedings of a training course cumworkshop, 10-17 May 1998, Kunming andXishuangbanna, Yunnan, China. IPGRI-APO,Serdang, Malaysia. 275 pp

Sastrapradja, S.D., Widjaja, E., Mogea, J.P. andSudarmonowati, E., eds. 2000. Di antara alu-

nan bambu dan bisikan rotan. (Between theswaying bamboo and the whispering rattan)Naturae Indonesia, Bogor, Indonesia. 77 pp.

Xu, H.C., Rao, A.N., Zeng, B.S. and Yin, G.T.,eds. 2000. Research on rattans in China.Conservation, cultivation, distribution, ecol-ogy, growth, phenology, silviculture, system-atic anatomy and tissue culture. IPGRI-APO,Serdang, Malaysia. 148 pp.

Rattan regeneration in Southeast Asia

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sholas in south India (Ganeshaiah etal. 1997, Tambat et al. 2001). The the-ory and empirical evidence men-tioned above have important implica-tions for the management of forestfragments and underlie the impor-tance of conserving a collection ofsmall forest fragments in maintainingheterogeneity of species assemblages.

Recently, we have attempted toextend the proposition ofGaneshaiah et al. (1997) to the evolu-tion of genetic states of population inforest fragments. That is what hasbeen predicted for assemblages ofspecies could be true for that ofgenes as well. Because just as a set ofco-adapted species are selected inone island, a set of co-adapted genesin a species could be selected in anisland. Accordingly, we predict thatthe small fragments among them-selves would be more dissimilar inthe genetic configurations thanwould a set of large fragments be.

We tested this prediction using theshola forests that exist as "natural"fragments in the upper reaches of theevergreen forests along the Western

16 fgr research

ne of the classical treatments ofequilibrium states in "islands"was offered by MacArthur and

Wilson (1967) in their theory ofisland biogeography. They showedthat islands of a given size attainequilibrium with respect to the num-ber of species they can harbour andargued that this could have impor-tant implications for the conservationof forest fragments. A major lacunaof the theory, however, was that itdid not offer any predictions on thecomposition of the species in theislands during the process of attain-ing equilibrium. Thus two islands ofa given size could have the samenumbers of species but entirely dif-ferent species composition.Ganeshaiah et al. (1997) offered asimple but powerful theory to sug-gest a relation between the equilib-rium states and island size withrespect to the species composition inislands. They showed that, based onall possible combinations of speciesan island can theoretically harbour,species assemblages of small islandswould be more diverse among them-selves than would the large islandsbe. Test of these predictions havesince been offered by studies fromtwo fairly long-lived fragments, thesacred groves or "temple forests" andthe high altitude valley forests, the

O

Are small forest fragmentsgenetically more heterogeneousthan large fragments? An analysis using the shola forest fragments in the Western Ghats, India

In situconservation of FGR

> Frequency distribution of similarity index (computed based on theamplified products) amongall individuals from small,medium and large sizedshola fragments

fgr research 17

Ghats. Though the origin of theseforests is enigmatic, it is believed thatthey are geological in origin. Theforests are rich in Lauraceae mem-bers and are set as "islands" in a "sea"of grass (see figure). The study wascarried out on Litsea floribunda(Lauraceae), a moderate sized treewhich is a predominant member ofthe shola vegetation. RAPD-PCRproducts for 10 random primerswere scored for 32 individuals of L.floribunda from four small (0.15 ha)and medium (0.15-1 ha) size sholasand 27 individuals from three largesholas (> 1ha). The amplified prod-ucts were scored as present (=1) andabsent (=0).

Based on the data on the presenceand absence of the amplified prod-ucts, similarity index between allpairs of individuals for a given sizeclass of shola was computed and themean similarity index comparedacross different size class of sholas.Results indicate a significantly lowersimilarity index for the amplifiedproducts among the small (mean =0.658 ± 0.067) as compared to thelarge sholas (mean = 0.694 ± 0.064;p< 0.001). The coefficient of variationfor the similarity indices decreasedwith the increase in size of the frag-ments. Further, the range in the simi-larity indices was wider for smalland medium sized shola when com-pared to the large sholas. The fre-quency distribution of the similarityindices was significantly different forthe small and large shola (Fig 2).There was also a significantly greaterfrequency of similarity indices athigher range in the large shola frag-ments as compared to the smallsholas (KS test, p<0.001). In otherwords, the small sholas were moredissimilar to each other than werethe large sholas among themselves.

These results suggest that the popu-lations in the small fragments mayhave evolved independently afterthey were colonised by a founderpopulation over the years and insuch populations during the processof evolution, certain alleles andgenes may have become co-adapted

and hence persisted. As opposed tothe larger fragments, where there ispresumably a greater probability ofrandom exchange of alleles, in smallfragments such complexes couldhave been conserved due torestricted gene exchange. Thus,smaller populations over time mayhave become more diverse amongthemselves than would a set of largeislands.

In other words, large sholas seem toconverge towards a common equilib-rium state showing higher similarityamong themselves when comparedto the smaller fragments. Thus, theresults suggest that the smaller frag-ments though individually may notbe as diverse as compared to thelarge fragments, which together addsubstantially to the genetic hetero-geneity of the species. These resultshave important implications for theconservation of genetic diversity ofpopulations of species in fragmentedlandscapes.

Further information on this study can be obtained from Dr. R. Uma Shaanker and Dr. K.N. Ganeshaiahat the Departments of Crop Physiology,Genetics and Plant Breeding, Universityof Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore,India (atree@vsnl.com).

Developingin situ conservationstrategies forDipterocarps

LITERATURE CITED

MacArthur, R.H. and Wilson, E.O., 1967, Thetheory of island biogeography. PrincetonUniversity Press, Princeton, New Jersey.

Ganeshaiah, K.N., Uma Shaanker, R. andBawa, K.S., 1997, Diversity of species assem-blages of islands: Predictions and their testusing tree species composition of shola frag-ments. Curr. Sci., 73 (25): 188 - 194.

Tambat, B.S., Channamallikarjuna, V.,Rajanikanth, G., Ravikanth, G., Kushalappa,C.G, Uma Shaanker, R. and Ganeshaiah, K.N.,2001, Fragment size and diversity of speciesassemblages in shola and sacred groves: Aresmall fragments any worth? In of theInternational Conference on TropicalEcosystems: Structure, Diversity and Human wel-fare, (Eds.) K.N.Ganeshaiah, R. Uma Shaanker,K.S.Bawa, Published by Oxford-IBH, NewDelhi, 2001, pp. 314 - 318.

roducts from Dipterocarpforests provide substantialrevenues for many Asian

countries, especially in SoutheastAsia. At local level their importanceis also considerable; lowland tropicalrainforests, commonly dominated bydipterocarps, host a huge array ofbiodiversity and support the liveli-hood of rural people in numerousways. However, conservation strate-gies for dipterocarp species are lack-ing in many countries despite theireconomic importance. Several insti-tutions have been conductingresearch on dipterocarps and theirgenetic resources in the Asia Pacificregion but the major factor con-straining progress has been the lackof coordinated action with well-defined objectives and priorities(Bawa 1998).

The family Dipterocarpaceae com-prises 155 species in PeninsularMalaysia (Ashton 1982). In the past,dipterocarp conservation was notconsidered an important issue as thefamily was seen as common andnone of the species were presumablythreatened. However, a recent studyby Saw and Sam (2000) indicates thatover 57% of dipterocarp species havedistribution patterns restricted tospecific zones. There are also 30species that are endemic toPeninsular Malaysia and out ofthese, 12 species are considered rare.Integrated planning and implemen-tation efforts for in situ conservation,using information on genetic diver-sity and ecological characteristics, areneeded to ensure long-term survivalof rare and endangered dipterocarpspecies as well as other, more com-mon species.

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In situ CONSERVATION OF FGR

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GENETICS AND ECOLOGY OF SHOREA

LUMUTENSIS IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA

The genus Shorea consists of about194 species of which 18 are found inPeninsular Malaysia (Soerianegaraand Lemmens 1994). S. lumutensis isa medium to large size tree with boleexceeding 100 cm in diameter. In tim-ber trade, it is classified as ÔbalauÕ orheavy hardwood and it is suitable fordifferent forms of heavy construc-tional work as well as various appli-cations in houses, for example.Earlier, it was rather common in itsrestricted distribution area on coastalhills in the western PeninsularMalaysia but nowadays it hasbecome rare.

Tree species with narrow habitatspecificity and limited seed disper-sal, like S. lumutensis, are at particu-lar risk for genetic erosion and evenglobal extinction as anthropogenicactivities are modifying landscapesinto mosaics. Genetic diversity isespecially important for these speciesthat usually have small and isolatedpopulations even before the distur-bances take place. Many rare orendemic species have been found tobe genetically depauperate(H a m r i c k a n d G o d t 1 9 8 9 ) .Explanations of low genetic diversityin rare species have entreated effectsof recent evolutionary origin (Ashtonand Abbott 1992), genetic drift

(Barrett and Kohn 1991), genetic bot-tlenecks (Godt et al. 1995) and mat-ing systems that promote inbreeding(Hamrick and Godt 1989). However,some rare or endemic species havedisplayed unexpected high levels ofgenetic diversity (e.g., Lewis andCrawford 1995). In PeninsularMalaysia, high levels of geneticdiversity have been reported forcommonly found Dipterocarpspecies, such as Shorea leprosula (Leeet al. 2000a) and Dryobalanops aromat-ica (Lee et al. 2000b), but no geneticdiversity studies have been con-ducted for less common or rareDipterocarp species.

In 2001, the Forest Research InstituteMalaysia (FRIM) and IPGRI initiateda study on S. lumutensis to obtainmore ecological data, to determinethe amount of genetic diversity dis-played by the species and to describehow genetic diversity is distributedwithin and among populations. Thestudy also aims at determining thespatial genetic structure of S.lumutensis within a natural stand andestimating direct gene flow andbreeding unit area for in situ conser-vation of the species.

The distribution of S. lumutensis isreported to be restricted to DindingDistrict in the state of Perak inPeninsular Malaysia and thus a field

survey was conducted there withinthe Virgin Jungle Reserves (VJR) offive forest reserves (Lumut, SegariMelintang, Tanjung Hantu, PangkorUtara, Sungai Pinang and PangkorSelatan). The species could only befound in Lumut and Sungai PinangForest Reserves and within these for-est reserves, S. lumutensis formedsmall patches within a generalmatrix of coastal hill dipterocarp for-est, usually at elevations more than100 m above sea level. Occasionally,isolated individuals were also seenelsewhere.

FRIM has established an 8-ha perma-nent sample plot at the SungaiPinang Forest Reserve and recordedall S. lumutensis trees larger than 1cm at dbh. A total of 416 individualswere found and visual observation oftheir spatial distribution suggeststhat the individuals occur clusteredinto six groups within the sampleplot. Statistical analyses are under-way to assess the validity of thisobservation.

A small number of trees were foundin the medium size class (dbh 5 Ð 20cm) in contrary to earlier studieswith more common dipterocarpspecies (e.g., Shorea curtisii, S.macroptera, S. acuminata andNeobalanocarpus heimii) in hill dipte-rocarp forests where all species haveshown equal distribution of individ-uals in medium and large sizeclasses. A high number of seedlings,on the other hand, suggest that self-ing is common in S. lumutensis asinbred seedlings do not appear tosurvive for a sufficient period of timeto reach maturity. To analyse spatialgenetic diversity, FRIM scientistshave collected samples from trees indifferent size classes for DNA extrac-tion and subsequent laboratoryanalyses are underway usingmicrosatellites.

For additional information, please contact Dr Lee Soong-Leong, ResearchOfficer, FRIM (leesl@frim.gov.my) or Dr Jarkko Koskela, AssociateScientist, IPGRI Regional Office,Serdang, Malaysia (j.koskela@cgiar.org).

Canopy of Dryobalanops aromatica (Peninsular Malaysia)

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1984, Kapelle et al. 1995, Nepstad1990, Zahawi and Augspurger 1999).Zahawi and Augspurger (1999) stud-ied early succession in four aban-doned unseeded fields of differentage in Ecuador. They found that, ingeneral, species richness increasedover time and that secondary forestwith 25-40 years since abandonmenthad the highest diversity while theopen site with 5-8 years had the low-est diversity. Uhl and Jordan (1984)studied the dynamics of early succes-sion in Amazonia after forest cuttingand burning, and found 56 treespecies taller than 2 m after fiveyears. More than half of these wasprimary forest species. Kapelle et al.(1995) reported that early and latesuccessional forests are more diversethan primary forests in a montaneforest in Costa Rica. Moreover, theyconcluded that secondary forests athigher altitudes are as diverse astropical lowland forests. However,the levels of genetic variation inabandoned pastures have not beenstudied as succession progresses.

Swietenia macrophylla (Mahogany) isone of the timber species consideredthreatened by the InternationalTimber t rade Organisat ion.Mahogany has been logged fromMexico and Central America sincethe 17th century (Snook 1996). InCosta Rica, it is considered an endan-gered tree species by most forestersas there are only a few locationswhere the species is currently found.This is particularly true in the dryareas of western Costa Rica wheremahogany was harvested intensively.We studied the levels of genetic vari-ation in four abandoned pastureswith different period of time elapsedsince last disturbance, commonlyfire. In addition, we compared thelevels of variation found in thesefour sites with that found in a selec-tively logged mature forest. The genetic studies were carried out

In situ CONSERVATION OF FGR

ropical dry forests are consid-ered as the most threatened ofthe major tropical forest types

(Janzen 1988). In Central America,only about 1% of the original landarea covered by dry forest exists andCosta Rica is not an exception(Janzen 1988, Sader and Joyce 1988,Maas 1996, Sanchez 1996, Kramer1997). In Costa Rica, most tropicaldry forests were replaced with grass-lands for cattle raising between 1940and 1975 (Costa Rica 1950, 1973,Le�n et al . 1982, Maas 1996) .Typically, the pastures were estab-lished using Hyparrhernia rufa(Jaragua grass), which was introducedfrom Africa. This fire-tolerant grassallowed cattle ranchers to maintaintheir pasture by burning the fieldsduring the long dry seasons.However, after abandonment of pas-tures due to the low prices of beef onthe international market, seasonalburning of grassland is one of themajor threats for the preservation andrestoration of the tropical dry forests.

Fire is frequently cited as the mostimportant factor controlling thedynamics of succession in the tropi-cal dry forests (Janzen 1988).Typically, fires start by the combus-tion of highly flammable fire-tolerantJaragua grass and extend intoforested areas (Janzen 1986). Themain consequences of these seasonalfires are: 1) the destruction of exist-ing forest patches, 2) the modifica-tion of the edaphic and aerial micro-climate necessary for site recovery,and 3) the suppression of regenera-tion due to fire-induced mortality ofseedlings and saplings (Janzen 1986).Thus it is important to prevent firesto ensure further plant successionand subsequent site recovery.

Few studies have examined earlyplant succession in abandoned pas-tures fields in tropical regions (Uhl etal. 1981, Uhl 1988, Uhl and Jordan

Restoration of geneticdiversity in Swieteniamacrophylla in Costa Rica

T

LITERATURE CITED

Ashton, P. S. 1982. Dipterocarpaceae. FloraMalesiana 9: 237-552.

Ashton, P. A. and Abbott, R. J. 1992.Multiple origins and genetic diversity in thenewly arisen allopolyploid species, Seneciocambrensis Rosser (Compositae). Heredity68: 25-32.

Barrett, S. C. H. and J.R. Kohn 1991.Genetic and evolutionary consequences ofa small population size in plants:Implications for conservation. Pp. 3-30 inGenetics and Conservation of Rare Plants(D.A. Falk and K.E. Holsinger, K. E., eds.).Oxford University Press, New York.

Bawa, K.S. 1998. Conservation of geneticresources in the Dipterocarpaceae. Pp.45–55 in A review of Dipterocarps:Taxonomy, ecology and silviculture (S.Appanah and Turnbull, J.M., eds.). CIFOR,Bogor, Indonesia.

Godt, M. J. W., J. L. Hamrick and S. Bratton1995. Genetic diversity in a threatenedwetland species, Helonias bullata (Liliaceae).Conservation Biology 9: 596-604.

Hamrick, J. L. and M. J. W. Godt 1989.Allozyme diversity in plant species. Pp.43–63 in Plant population genetics, breed-ing and genetic resources (A.H.D. Brown,M.J. Clegg, A.L. Kahler and B.S. Weir, eds.).Sinauer Associate , Sunderland,Massachusetts.

Lewis, P. O. and D. J. Crawford 1995.Pleistocene refugium endemics exhibitgreater allozyme diversity than widespreadcongeners in the genus Polygonel la(Polygonaceae). American Journal ofBotany 82: 141-149.

Lee, S. L., R.Wickneswari, M.C. Mahani andA.H. Zakri 2000a. Genetic diversity ofShorea leprosula Miq. (Dipterocarpaceae) inMalaysia: Implications for conservation ofgenetic resources and tree improvement.Biotropica 32: 213-224.

Lee, S. L., K.C.Ang and M. Norwati 2000b.Genetic diversity of Dryobalanops aromaticaGaertn. f. (Dipterocarpaceae) in PeninsularMalaysia and its pertinence to genetic con-servation and tree improvement. ForestGenetics 7: 209-217.

Saw, L. G. and Y.Y. Sam 2000. Conservationof Dipterocarpaceae in Peninsular Malaysia.Journal of Tropical Forest Sciences 12: 593-615.

Soerianegara, I. and R.H.M.J. Lemmens(eds.) 1994. Plant Resources of South-EastAsia. Timber trees: Major commercial tim-bers, No 5(1). PROSEA, Bogor, Indonesia.610 p.

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using five microsatellite marker locideveloped by White and Powell(1997). We collected 20 individualtrees and saplings from five succes-sional sites in the Santa RosaNational Park, Guanacate, CostaRica. The selection of the sites wasbased on data available in the parkon the occurrence of fire during thelast 20 years. We selected sites wheredisturbances occurred 6, 9, 15, 20years ago. The sites were namedJenny I, Jenny II, Las Mesas andPrincipe, respectively. In addition,we also selected a mature forest sitewith relatively low human distur-bance (Janzen 1983, Burnham 1997).

We found significant levels of geneticdiversity in all sites. Overall, therewere between 15 and 19 alleles ineach of the successional sites (Figure20). We also observed more than oneallele in each locus examined andmost alleles were present in morethan one site (Figure 21). The rela-tively low level of genetic differentia-

tion between sites (Fst = 0.08, S.D.0=0.14) indicate that most of the varia-tion is found within sites.

The results presented here indicatethat, in spite of the high levels of dis-turbance, it is possible to restore S.macrophylla populations with signifi-cant levels of genetic diversity. Ourresults also indicate that the few adulttrees left in the fields, along withnumerous saplings and juveniles, arenow an important sample of thegenetic diversity once present in thisarea. Moreover, these trees are servingas a reservoir for the re-colonisation ofabandoned pastures and thus theyhave an important role in restoringthese dry forests in Costa Rica.

More information can be obtained fromMaguil C�spedes and Dr. Oscar J. Rocha(ojrocha@cariari.ucr.ac.cr) at Escuela deBiolog�a, Universidad de Costa Rica,Ciudad Universitaria ÒRodrigo FacioÓ,San Pedro, San Jos�, Costa Rica.

LITERATURE CITED

1. Burnham, R.J. 1997. Stand characteristicsand leaf litter composition of a hectare inSanta Rosa National Park, Costa Rica.Biotropica 29: 384 – 395.2. Janzen, D.H. 1983. Natural history ofCosta Rica. Chicago University Press.Chicago, Illinois. 816 p.3. Janzen, D.H. 1986. Guanacaste NationalPark: tropical ecology and cultural restora-tion. Editorial Universidad Estatal a Distancia,San José, Costa Rica.4. Janzen, D.H. 1988. Tropical dry forest: themost endangered major tropical ecosystem.In: E.O.Wilson (Ed.) Biodiversity, pp. 130-137.National Academy Press.Washington, D.C.5. Kapelle, M, P.A.F. Kennis and R.A.J. de Vries.1995. Changes in diversity along succes-sional gradients in a Costa Rican upper mon-tane Quercus forest. Biodiversity andConservation 4: 10-34.6. Kramer, E.A. 1997. Measuring landscapechanges in remnant tropical dry forest. In:W.F. Laurance and R.O. Bierregaard Jr. (Eds.),Tropical forests remnants: ecology, manage-ment and conservation of fragmented com-munities, pp. 386 – 399. Chicago UniversityPress, Chicago.7. León, J.C., C. Barboza and J. Aguilar 1982.Desarrollo tecnológico de la ganadería decarne. CONICIT, San José, Costa Rica.8. Maas, J.M. 1995. Conversion of tropicaldry forest to pasture and agriculture. In: S.H.Bullock, H.A. Mooney and E. Medina (Eds.)Seasonally dry tropical forest. pp. 399 – 422.Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,Great Britain.9. Nepstad, D.C., C. Uhl and E.A.S. Serrao.1990. Surmounting barriers to forest regen-eration in abandoned, highly degraded pas-tures: a case study from Paragominas, Pará,Brazil. In: A.B. Anderson (Ed.). Alternatives todeforestation: steps toward sustainable useof the Amazon rainforest, pp. 215 – 229.Columbia University Press, New York, NewYork.10. Sader, S.A. and A.T. Joyce. 1988.Deforestation rates and trends in CostaRica. Biotropica 20: 11 – 19.11. Snook L. K. 1996. Catastrophic distur-bances, logging and the ecology of mahogany(Swietenia macrophylla King): grounds forlisting a major tropical timber species inCITES. Botanical Joournal of the LinneanSociety 122:35-46.12. Uhl, C. 1988. Restoration of degradedland in the Amazon basin. In: E.O. Wilson(Ed.) Biodiversity, pp. 326 - 332. NationalAcademy Press.Washington, D.C.13. Uhl, C., K. Clark, H. Clark and P. Murphy.1981. Early plant succession after cuttingand burning in the upper Rio Negro regionof the Amazon Basin. Journal of Ecology 69:631 – 649.14. Uhl, C. and C.F. Jordan. 1984. Successionand nutrient dynamics following forest cut-ting and burning in Amazonia. Ecology 65:1476 – 1490.15. Zahawi, R.A. and C.K. Augspurger. 1999.Early plant succession in abandoned pasturesin Ecuador. Biotropica 31: 540 – 552.

> Total number of alleles in eachof the successionalsites.In section:Restoration of genetic diversity inSwieteniamacrophylla in Costa Rica

> Figure 2: Variation in the number of alleles found in each of the successional sites.In section: Restoration of genetic diversity in Swietenia macrophylla in Costa Rica

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ropical forests provide a widerange of products as well associo-economic and ecological

services that support human lives inmany ways. However, forestresources of South America aredeclining at an alarming rate (FAO2001). The underlying causes arecomplex and diverse, and so are theconsequences. The BMZ funded pro-ject ÒConservation, management andsustainable use of forest geneticresources with reference to Braziland ArgentinaÓ aims at developingappropriate management practices tosupport conservation efforts throughan improved understanding of

human impact on the genetic diver-sity and ecological processes in fourselected ecosystems. These are theAraucaria araucana forests in south-west Argentina, the Araucaria angus-tifolia ecosystems in southern Braziland northern Argentina, the Atlanticforests in southeastern Brazil, andthe Amazonian rainforests in north-ern Brazil.

The project collaborates with localcommunities in five locations. Ateach site, a local research instituteconducts the research in collabora-tion with local NGOÕs, governmentalorganisations and community repre-sentatives. These have been involvedin the process from the very begin-ning to ensure that the project out-puts meet local needs while manag-

ing natural resources properly. Theproject seeks to develop sustainableutilisation practices for timber andnon-timber forest products (NTFP),contribute to the restoration ofdegraded landscapes and minimiseland-use changes and integratesocio-economic, genetic and ecologi-cal research. While realities andproblems are widely different, thesame working hypotheses andmethodologies are used to be able tocompare the selected sites.

The project has been operating fortwo years now and some resultsfrom three sites, i.e. the Araucariaangustifolia in Brazil, the Araucariaaraucana in Argentina and the MataAtl�ntica in Brazil, are given in thefollowing chapters. The project willcontinue one more year after whichit will be time to extrapolate andmake broader generalisations basedon the results and test their applica-bility in other ecosystems and sitesin the tropics.

Further information on the BMZ projectin Brazil and Argentina can be obtainedfrom Mr. Paulo van Breugel, AssociateScientist, IPGRI Regional Office for theAmericas (p.breugel@cgiar.org).

In situ CONSERVATION OF FGR

Conservation,managementand sustainableuse of forestgeneticresources in Brazil and Argentina

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LITERATURE CITED

FAO 2001. Global forest resources assessment2000. Main report. FAO Forestry Paper 140, FAO,Rome, Italy.http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/y0900e/y0900e00.htm

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Participants to the BMZ regional workshop (Paranà, Brazil)

Individuals of Araucaria araucana (Argentina)

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This information will be used todefine conservation strategies takingin account the socio-economicaspects of the farmers who own rem-iniscent areas of Araucaria forest. Thesocio-economic approach will bedeveloped using secondary data andquestionaire answered by local peo-ple in countryside of Parana state.Recently, some A. angustifolia popula-tions in the Province of Missiones,Argentina experienced problemswith seed production and thereforejoint research activities on reproduc-tive biology are being developedtogether with Argentinean partners.

For more information about our research with Araucaria forest, please contact Juliana Vit�ria MessiasBittencourt (vitoria@floresta.ufpr.br)

Araucariaangustifoliageneticresources in Brazil

he mixed Ombrophilous forestwith Araucaria angustifolia isone of the most important

biome that occurs naturally in thesouthern and southeastern Brazil. Itextends from 19¼30ÕS to 31¼30ÕS and41¼30ÕW to 54¼30ÕW including a smallarea in the Province of Missiones,Argentina. The original Araucariaforests covered an estimated area of200,000 km2 (MAACK 1981). Theseforests were extensively harvested asthe human population and agricul-ture area increased. The original areawas reduced to less than 3%, withonly 0.7% being considered as pri-mary forests (FUPEF 2000).

This project covers activities of theAraucaria angustifolia ResearchGroup, as proposed in the workshop

held in Piracicaba, Brazil, in June1999. At the moment A. angustifolia isthe target species but it has been dis-cussed that research focus should bewidened. The inter-disciplinaryresearch team includes researchers inecology, genetics and socio-econom-ics as well as participants from vari-ous local stakeholder groups. Theresearchers working at universities(Federal University of Paran� andState University of Londrina), theNational Center for Forest Researchof Embrapa (Brazilian Ministry ofAgriculture), INTA Ð NationalInstitute for Agricultural Technologyof Argentina and two NGOÕs(Bernardo Hakvoort AgroforestInstitute - IAF and Rureco). TheFUPEF/PROBIO (Project ofConservation and Sustainable Use ofBrazilian Biodiversity) is a key part-ner because its researchers are devel-oping a study on socio-economicsand legislation related to Araucariaforests in the Parana State.

The Araucaria angustifolia project iscarrying out studies on the geneticvariability of this species in a naturalpopulation, a logged population anda gene bank-conserved germplasmcollected from the wild population.

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LITERATURE CITED

Maack, R. 1981. Geografia física do Estado doParaná, 2nd. Edn, Rio de Janeiro: Livraria JoséOlympio Editora S.A. 350 p.Fundação de Pesquisas Florestais do Paraná2000. Projeto de Conservação daDibersidade Biológica Brasileira, Curitiba.

Traditional faxinal system with Araucaria angustifolia (Paranà, Brazil)

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simple nursery practices for nativeforest tree species were taught. Seedcollection activities were also car-ried out with the help of some com-munity members.

Livestock and wild animals are athreat to natural regeneration asthey eat seeds during the seed fall inautumn and germinated seedlingsduring spring. The micro-histologi-cal analysis of faeces is the bestmethod for diet estimation in arange scale. It is based on the micro-scopic identification of the non-digested remains and allows theanalysis of an unlimited number ofsamples. Different proportions ofAraucaria seed were found in faecesof different animals that were col-lected in late spring (germinationphase) and summer (seed fall) fromeight sites of A. araucana forests.Preliminary results indicate that thehighest proportion of seed tissueswere found in faeces of two intro-duced wild animals (red deer andboar) and of cows. To a less degree,seed tissue was found in faeces ofsheep and goats whereas no identifi-able cells were found in those ofhorses. Different livestock manage-ment practises for different domes-tic animals and a strong control ofintroduced wild animals seem to benecessary to assure the naturalregeneration of A. araucana in thosesites where germination and recruit-ment of seedlings is still possible.

Seeds were also collected from 25populations within the whole nat-ural distribution area of Araucaria

araucana in Argentina for a seedstudy. Seed traits like weight andsize were found to vary with geo-graphical and ecological conditions.Germination capacity is one of themost important adaptive traits oftenanalysed in genecological studies. Inthe present study, seed weight wassignificantly correlated with germi-nation capacity (r=0.81). Part of thecollected seeds were processed inthe nursery to obtain seedlings forprovenance and progeny tr ialsand for rehabilitating A. araucanapopulations.

An evaluation of the extractionrate of seeds by indigenous peopleduring the last 15 years suggeststhat the forests in the study areahave an interval of 3 years in theproduction of pi�ons. This could berelated to the exhaustion of plantcarbohydrate reserves. In addition,spring precipitation seem to have astrong influence as we found a neg-ative correlation between springrains (when pollination occurs) andproductivity 16-18 months later,mainly in forests in more humidareas. The large scale climatic phe-nomenon of ENSO (El Ni�o-Southern Oscillation) could be theprincipal factor that determines thepattern of years of high and lowseed production. First data analysisindicated that the current extractionrate of seeds by indigenous peopleshould have no impact on the regen-eration in years of high productivity,but could be a limiting factor inother years. A change in the currentextraction regulations appears to be

Araucariaaraucanageneticresources in Argentina

. araucana (Molina) K. Koch),ÒPehuenÓ, is a typical treespecies in the Sub-Antarctic

forests in southern South America. Ithas been commercially logged for itsvaluable timber but also formsunique landscapes that are presentlyused for tourism within protectedareas. The species also has specialcultural importance for theMapuche aboriginal people. Theyuse the seeds for their own con-sumption and as a supplementalfeed for their livestock. In someMapuche communities, Araucariaseeds constitute about 13 % of theirannual diet and because it is col-lected in autumn it becomes of addi-tional importance as winter food.

From the ecological and geneticpoint of view, regeneration throughA. araucana seed is very important tomaintain or even increase thegenetic diversity of the eroded pop-ulations. The degradation of theAraucaria ecosystem may also indi-cate the genetic erosion especially inthose small non-regenerating andfragmented populations located inthe most arid and isolated easternparts of its natural distribution area.Both environmental conditions andeffects of human uses probablyaffect genetic (gene flow, sexualfunction, mating systems, etc.) andecological processes (regenerationtype, seed dispersal, etc.).

The project has organised jointactivities with the aboriginal com-munities. Through workshops, theobjectives and goals of the projectwere explained, basic landscapemaps (demography, forest types,livestock use, etc.) were drafted and

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A Araucaria araucana (Lanin National Park, Argentina)

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he Pontal do Paranapanema isone of the poorest regions inthe state of S�o Paulo, situ-

ated in the confluence of the tworivers, Paran� and Paranapanema. Itfalls within the legal boundaries ofthe Mata Atl�ntica zone, meaningthat use of the forest is regulated.The original vegetation of thisregion is classified as ÒMataAtl�ntica do Interior or PlanaltoÓ(seasonal semi-deciduous forest).Forest fragmentation started relativelyrecently in this region as compared tomost other parts of the country, exclud-ing the northern states.

The present landscape in thePontal do Paranapanema wasshaped over the last 50 years, result-ing in less than 1.85% of the landcovered by the original forests. Theremaining forests are distributedover many fragments with a totalarea of approximately 50,000hectares. Together, they constitutemost of the remaining forest geneticresources of the Mata Atl�ntica doPlanalto in the S�o Paulo state.Many of these fragments can befound in areas that are in theprocess of agrarian reform. Theseare the areas were landless farmers,often from other regions, are settled.In the framework of the agrarianreform, 60 settlements have beenestablished with a total of about6,000 families on 60,000 hectares.The prospect for the future is thattotally 50,000 families will be settledon 1 million hectares of abandonedand promiscuous land. This maystrongly increase the pressure on the

remaining forest fragments causingfurther depletion of the ÔMataAtl�ntica do PlanaltoÕ forest geneticresources.

The project aims to produce andcollate information on what willcontribute to the development andimplementation of sustainable man-agement of Mata Atl�ntica forestfragments in Pontal do Parana-panema, combining conservationand use of forest genetic resourcesby rural settlements. Furthermore,the activities aim at integrating for-est genetic resources conservationand regional land-use priorities aswell as the development andimprovement of the current agrarianreform model without causing ero-sion for biodiversity.

Two forest fragments of 300 and2,000 hectares and the Morro doDiabo National Park with approxi-mately 35,000 hectares were selectedfor research sites. The two frag-ments are located in the settlementsof Madre Cristina and Tucano,respectively. The former has beenexisting for two and a half years andhas now 210 families. The latter hasbeen existing for 10 years and con-sists of 38 families. The Morro doDiabo National Park is the largestforest fragment of the MataAtl�ntica Do Interior region and stillcontains areas with relatively undis-turbed forest areas. The projectanalyses forest dynamics in theselected areas focusing on four treespecies, i .e. Hymenaea courbaril,Peltophorum dubium, Cedrella fisilisand Copaifera langsdorfii. The specieswere selected by the local communi-ties, scientists and other stakehold-ers based on their current andpotential economic and ecologicalvalues. The aim is to assess theimpact of fragmentation on the eco-logical and genetic processes of thefour target species and to evaluatethe current and potential role of theforests as a source of income for thelocal communities. A third elementof the project is the developmentand implementation of agroforestrysystems as an alternative land-use

necessary to take into account thevariation in seed production basedon a given year and ecological con-ditions of a stand.

Through co-dominant isozymegene markers, genetic differentiationand diversity among and withinpopulations are being studied.Electrophoretic analysis of haploidconifer endosperm tissue wouldallow, for example, the understand-ing of gene flow and breeding sys-tems which are of great importanceespecially in the eastern fragmentedpopulations. First of all, phenotypicvariation was found in IDH, PGM,GOT, PGI, MNR, MDH and SKDHenzyme systems. The genetic controlof the observed segregation is beingtested in order to determine theneeded gene markers. According tothese preliminary results we expectto determine about 10 gene markerloci which are thought to detectenough genetic variation. Throughthese markers, genetic diversity(variation within) and differentia-tion (variation among populations)of Araucaria will be estimated atregional and local levels. The utilisa-tion of other genetic markers likeAFLP and microsatellite is alsobeing considered.

Further information can be obtainedfrom Dr. Leonardo Gallo (lgallo@bariloche.inta.gov.ar) at Unidadde Gen�tica Forestal, Instituto Nacionalde Tecnolog�a Agropecuaria, Argentina.

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Forest geneticresources ofMata Atlânticado Interior(Tropical SemiDeciduousForest), Brazil

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system that will harmonise the useand conservation of forest geneticresources.

The preliminary results of inven-tories on the populations of the fourtarget species in Morro do Diaboshow a clear preferential distribu-tion, indicating occurrence in a cer-tain stratum with specific vegetationstructure, topography and soilswhile avoiding other strata. It ispossible that during the fragmenta-tion process certain environmentsare diminished or even eliminated,causing drastic changes in the sus-tainability of populations of specieswhose distribution is limited to thatspecific stratum. The results of thesurveys in the fragments indicatethat, for all four species, populationstructures and densities are differentfrom those in the park. Most diver-gent are the populations in Tucanothat can partly be contributed to thehigh level of disturbances in recentyears (fire, cutting, invasive exoticgrass species). The populations inMadre Cristina, notwithstanding itsmuch smaller size, have a spatialstructure more similar to the popu-lations in the Morro do DiaboNational Park. This is probably dueto lower levels of disturbances andthe vicinity of the park.

The effect of the rural communi-ties that live around the studied for-est fragments is principally preda-

tory, causing an unsustainable situa-tion. One form of illegal utilisationof forests by these communities isselective logging of wood for localmarkets as well as to make tools,fences and house constructions andto obtain firewood. Collection ofnon-wood products, such as honey,medicinal plants and, more recently,ornamental plants is another impor-tant use of the forests. Together withthese forms of exploitation, huntingof wild animals is one of the activi-ties with the largest impacts on thefragments. In addition to the localcommunities living around the frag-ments, people from urban areas arealso using the forest fragments forhunting, thus increasing problems.The intensity of use of forestresources is different in the two frag-ments, related to their size, age andthe size of the human settlements.

One of the project goals is to raiseawareness among the settlers andtheir leaders on the importance offorest genetic resources. In relationto this, the project has alreadyadopted a new element, installationof experimental agroforestry plots.These plots will combine the use ofagricultural crops and medicinalplants that are of interest for the set-tlers to the four target tree species ofthe project. Medicinal plants wereincluded as a result of specificrequests from the local communi-ties. At the moment, the local com-

munities have indicated three pilotareas and planting have beenstarted.

GENETIC STUDIES

Detailed analyses of genetic struc-ture, mating system and paternity(gene flow) of tree populations havealso been carried out in the AtlanticForests. Population dynamics cansignificantly affect evolutionary fac-tors, such as selection and geneticdrift, and thus may have importantconsequences on the genetic struc-ture of tree populations. However,the magnitude of effects of drift andselection on patterns of genetic vari-ation will depend on the reproduc-tive ability of the organism and itsimpact on gene flow. The relation-ship between gene dispersal andlevels of genetic diversity withinpopulations can be illustrated byexamining the effect of plant breed-ing system and pollen dispersalmechanisms on the levels of geneticdiversity (Hamrick and Nason 1996).

One of the most direct methods tostudy gene flow is carrying outpaternity tests between individualsfrom different populations withhighly informative microsatellitemarkers (SSR). These have increas-ingly been used in studies ongenetic structure, gene flow andpaternity in tropical tree popula-tions (e.g. Chase et al . 1996a,b;Dayanandan et al. 1999; Collevatti etal. 1999). They have yielded veryprecise data that allowed animproved understanding of the pop-ulation dynamics of a number ofspecies. However, essentially allstudies on mating systems ofNeotropical trees have been carriedout for species in tropical forests ofCentral America, particularly inPanam�, Costa Rica and Mexico.Much work has also been done forAsian tree species but few studieshave been published for Braziliantree species to date.

The use of SSRÕs have severaladvantages: I) it is codominat; II) itis abundant and uniformly dis-persed on eukariotic genome; III) it

In situ CONSERVATION OF FGR

Some participants to BMZ workshop (Pontal, Sao Paulo, Brazil)

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During the last decades, research hasbegun to reflect increasing awarenessof the fact that conservation and devel-opment are closely related subjects. Inareas where people actually livedirectly from the exploitation and man-agement of forest resources, the rela-tionship between the environment andsubsistence of human populations hasbecome a fundamental factor for anyconservation effort. Understanding tra-ditional knowledge and practices is afirst step towards more realistic andapplicable policies and planning toconserve forest genetic resources.

The present project aims at tacklingthis issue, dealing with an endangeredecosystem (Atlantic Forests) and com-munities that are presently beingasked to make choices about theirfuture, i.e. the Remnants of Quilom-bos. It was primarily designed as acomplement to a GTZ funded projectin Brazil and Argentina (see the articlein this issue of the FGR research high-lights) since they both have similarsocio-economic objectives.

The ÒVale do RibeiraÓ (RibeiraValley) in S�o Paulo and specificallythe Quilombos slave remnant commu-nities in the areas around theIntervales and Jacupiranga State Parkswere considered to be importantsources of socio-economic information.The Vale do Ribeira is situated in theSouth of S�o Paulo State and it com-

prises numerous conservation areascovered by Atlantic Forest. In theVale do Ribeira, six conservationunits (State Parks, EcologicalStations, etc.) encompass 200,000hectares of forest. Another 400,000hectares are protected under the labelof Òrestricted use areasÓ or Òenviron-mental protection areasÓ (APA). Manycommunities live nearby the conserva-tion units and a number of them havea part of their territories inside theparks, most of them inside the APAs.

Many of these communities aredescendants of slaves that fled fromthe nearby farms in the 19th century.They subsequently formed ÒvillagesÓcalled ÒquilombosÓ and the inhabitantsÕremnants are called ÔquilombolasÕ. In thelast ten years, some of those communi-ties have been recognised as descen-dants of slaves. This had importantconsequences as the Brazilian 1988National Constitution has guaranteedrights of formal land ownership to theÒQuilombos Remnant CommunitiesÓ(Comunidades Remanescentes deQuilombos). Later, governmental agen-cies carried out anthropological stud-ies in order to confirm their origins.Hitherto, about 700 communities allover the country were initially pointedout as Ôslaves remnantsÕ. Only 23 ofthem had already their territory for-mally recognised. S�o Pedro andSapatu, the two communities that arepart of this study, are found in the sur-roundings of Jacupiranga andIntervales State Parks. S�o Pedro hasalready obtained the land title whileSapatu is still engaged in the process oflegitimisation.

The formal recognition by theConstitution had called attention tothese communities and was followedby numerous governmental and non-governmental projects aimed to Òpro-mote their developmentÓ. Meanwhile,since the beginning of the 80Õs, theagencies in charge of the Sao PauloState Parks begun to realise that inorder to succeed in their conservationefforts, they need to take into accountthe existence and needs of communi-ties located in or around the conserva-tion areas.

LITERATURE CITED

1. Chase, M.R., Moller, C., Kesseli, R. andBawa, K.S. 1996a. Distant gene flow in tropi-cal trees. Nature, 383, 398-399.

2. Chase M.R., Kesseli, R. and Bawa, K.S.1996b. Microsatellite markers for populationand conservation genetics of tropical trees.American Journal of Botany, 83 (1), 51-57.

3. Collevatti, R.G., Brondani, R.V. andGrattapaglia, D. 1999. Development and char-acterization of microsatellite markers forgenetic analysis of a Brazilian endangeredtree species Caryocar brasiliense. Heredity, 83,748-756.

4. Dayanandan, S., Dole, J., Bawa, K. andKesseli, R. 1999. Population structure delin-eated with microsatellite markers in frag-mented populations of a tropical tree, Carapaguianensis (Meliaceae). Molecular Ecology, 8,1585-1592.

5. Hamrick, J.L., Nason, J.D. 1996.Consequences of dispersal in plants. In:Rodhes, O. E. J., Chesser, R. K. and Smith M.H. (eds.) Population dynamics in ecologicalspace and time. University of Chicago Press,203-236.

Socio-economicaspects related to FGR conservation in Quilombosremnants communities in the BrazilianAtlantic Forests

is highly multiallelic; IV) it is easilyamplified by PCR assay; v) it can beanalysed by multiplex assay, whichpermits analyses with lots of indi-viduals and loci in relatively shortperiod of time. However, RAPDmarkers are still dominant as theyprovide estimates of genetic diver-sity and outcrossing rates. The esti-mation of standard deviation can bereduced because high number ofloci may be evaluated with RAPDmarkers, helping to obtain resultswith relatively good accuracy. In thepresent study, both RAPD andmicrosatellites were used for geneticstudies with a major aim to under-stand genetic structure, gene flowand mating systems of the four targetspecies. Knowledge on the biology oftropical forests and, in particular, thereproductive biology of tree species,can help designing conservation andscientifically sound utilisation strate-gies for these ecosystems.

For additional information on this study, please contact Prof. Paulo Kageyama(kageyama@carpa.ciagri.usp.br) at the University of S�o PauloPiracicaba, Brazil.

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Conversely, the enforcement of envi-ronmental regulations in those Ôenvi-ronmental protection areasÕ do notallow the local inhabitants to use theland in their ÒtraditionalÓ way andprohibit the exploitation of Òpalm ofheartÓ (palmito Ð Euterpe edulis) whichis an endangered species. The palmitohas been their major source of incomesince the 1950«s and the communities

have become economically dependenton a single product while graduallyloosing their previous sustainableprinciples. Community members saythat they used to follow certain rules,as for example keeping a certain num-ber of Òmother treesÓ (mature enoughto produce seeds) per area exploited.The abandonment of those practicescame, paradoxically, together with the

enforcement of the environmental reg-ulations since the prohibition of usingland for agricultural purposes trig-gered an intensification of the illegalexploitation of the species.

Conservation is effective only if thelocal communities can also participatein planning and implementing conser-vation efforts. To understand, assessand study the way they have beenmanaging forest genetic resources andthe impacts of external agenciesÕ inter-vention in the way they relate to thesurrounding environment is funda-mental to the design of practical, feasi-ble and sustainable conservation anddevelopment policies.

Two species were chosen for the pre-sent study: Euterpe edulis and Maytenusaquifolia, a medicinal plant locallycalled Òespinheira santaÓ which isused to treat stomach related diseases.This Project aims at assessing the roleof local communities in the conserva-tion/depletion of Euterpe edulis andMaytenus aquifolia genetic resources.The study has the following specificobjectives:

■ Identify the practices of resource useand management used by commu-nities in the past and in the present;

■ Understand changes occurred inthese practices within a socio-eco-nomic and political perspective;

■ Assess the role of public policies inthe conservation and use of the twokey species in the area;

■ Finally, to contribute with proposi-tions to public policy making inorder to meet social, economic andenvironmental needs of the localcommunities.

The study will take one year (July2001-July 2002) and is presently in thephase of mapping out importantactors and gathering secondary eco-logical and genetic information.

For further information please contact Mariana Wongtschowski(marianarussa@ig.com.br) or Dr. Dalcio Caron(dalcaron@esalq.usp.br).

In situ CONSERVATION OF FGRP

hoto

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rce:

SO

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ata

Atla

ntic

a/IN

PE

/ISA

Atlantic Forest covered Area

> Source: SOS Mata AtlânticaFoundation/INPE/ISA; “Atlas daEvolução dosRemanescentesFlorestais eEcossistemasAssociados noDomínio da MataAtlântica”, 1998

Atlantic Forest original area,according to Dec.750/93

Forest Remnants

SCALE400 0 00 800

km

28 fgr research

The IPGRI-DFSC project onrecalcitrant and intermediatetropical forest tree seeds has

covered a considerable ground inscreening seeds of over 50 tropicalforest species for their desiccationtolerance and storage behaviour.The participating National ForestResearch Institutions have been busyin carrying out of desiccation trials toestablish minimum safe moisture

content, best combinations of mois-ture content and temperature forstoring. In addition, several otherinstitutions in UK (Royal Botanicgarden Kew), D e n m a r k ( R o y a lVeterinary Agricultural University,Danida Forest Seed Centre), SouthAfrica (University of Natal), Kenya(ICRAF) and USA (US Forest Service)have provided invaluable support tothe project in replicating the work ofthe National Research Institutions.

Most of the species were chosenbecause they are economicallyimportant in their country of originand are expected to be recalcitrant.So far about 80% of the species tar-geted have been screened (see Table1 for a summary of the results).Many of the investigations haveclearly established the desiccationtolerance of the seeds, i.e. whetherthey are tolerant or sensitive.However, it is still difficult to gener-alise the seed storage behaviour ofindividual species. Preliminaryresults indicate that 40% of thespecies screened tend to show ortho-dox seed behaviour in their desicca-tion tolerance (see figure). For exam-ple, Adenanthera colubrina fromBolivia can be dried to 6.9% moisturecontent and still retain 98% germina-tion. Other desiccation tolerantspecies include Dovyalis caffra andStrychnos cocculoides from Kenya,Diospyros melanoxylon from India andD. mollis from Thailand, Brideliamicrantha from South Africa. The pro-ject is also showing that many of thespecies are desiccation sensitive likeCinnamomum cassia from Vietnam,Madhuca indica from India, Hancorniaspeciosa from Brasil) and the Shoreaspecies from Southeast Asia. About

10% of the species are intermediate,meaning that they are desiccationintolerant to some extent. The neem(Azadirachta indica) is an interestingcase. Its storage behaviour is a con-troversial one probably because ofthe use of its seeds at different devel-opment stages. It has been shown tobe desiccation tolerant down to 4%moisture content and has intermedi-ate storage behaviour. Other exam-ples in this category includeBuchanania lanzan (India) and Genipaamericana (Brasil). Some species areshowing inconclusive results and theexperiments need to be repeated.

During this phase, we have wit-nessed a strong sense of collabora-tion between all partners, particu-larly between collecting and replicat-ing partners who are exchangingtheir results, writing joint reports andexchanging seeds freely for the pur-poses of project. The project newslet-ter has also helped a great deal inharnessing this collaboration. Theproject is continuing to produce thenewsletter twice a year. Thesenewsletters provide the networkwith up-to-date information on pro-ject activities, key technical articleson recalcitrant seeds, preliminaryresults as they are being generatedwithin the project and an updatedaddress list. In addition to thenewsletter, information on the projectcan be obtained on the DFSCHomepage (www.dfsc.dk) with linksestablished to the IPGRI homepage(www.ipgri.cgiar.org). The web sitecontains information about the pro-ject work plan, protocol, preliminaryresults and also the more recentnewsletters can be downloaded.

In order to build upon the capacity ofresearch institutions for applied for-est tree seed research, three regionaltraining workshops for Africa, LatinAmerica and Asian countries were suc-cessfully held during the past twoyears. The aim of the workshops wasto bring people working together inthe region to meet, discuss and sharetheir experiences. The workshops werevery practical, involving exercises inseed anatomy and desiccation trials.

fgr researchfgr researchHIGHLIGHTS

Tropical Forest Tree Seed:Challenges to conservationand use

Ex situconservationof FGR

INCONCLUSIVE

INTERMEDIATE

SENSITIVE

TOLERANT

> Figure 1: Desiccation toleranceamong seeds from 38 tropical forest treespecies

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fgr research 29

For more information on the project, pleasecontact Dr. Ehsan Dulloo , IPGRI HQ email e.dulloo@cgiar.org or Ms DortheJoker, Danida Forest Seed Centre,Krogerupvej 21, DK-3050 Humlebaek,Denmark Tel: 45- 49-19 05 00, Fax: 45- 49-16 02 58, Email direct: doj@sns.dk .

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Azadirachta indica var. siamensis (Thailand)

Table 1. Summary results on desiccation trails

Acmena acuminatissma

Acridocarpus natalitius

Anadenathera colubrine

Azadirachta indica

Astronium graveolens

Bridelia micrantha

Buchananialanzan

Calophyllum brasiliensis

Cavacoa aurea

Cinnamomum cassia

Seeds are sensitive to desiccation, withcritical moisture content (mc) between 58.2 and 47.8%.

Seeds survive rapid desiccation to 6.08%mc. Germination decline to 20% when dried to 2.37% mc.

Seeds are desiccation tolerant when driedto 6.9% with high germination % (98%).

Intermediate, variation according to source of collection.

Seeds are desiccation tolerant and also cold tolerant.

Seeds dried to 45.21 % of axis mc had not effect on seed viability.

Seeds are desiccation and low temperature [15, 0 and –200C] tolerant for limited period.

Seeds are desiccation sensitive.

Results were inconclusive but some seeds survived to an axis mc of 8.34%.

Seeds are very sensitive to desiccation.It is recommended to keep seeds at above40% mc at 5C.

Wang, South China Agricultural University, May 2001

Drew, Erdey & Berjak, University of Natal, February 2000.

Espinosa, BASFOR, Bolivia, September 2000

Naithani Varghese, Naithani & Godheja, Pt Sravishankar Shukla University, Raipur, India, April 2001

Vasquez, CATIE, Costa Rica, January 2000

Shange, Erdey & Berjak, Univeristy of Natal.January 2001

Naithani Varghese, Naithani & Godheja, Pt Sravishankar Shukla University, Raipur, India, April 2001

Vasquez, CATIE, Costa Rica, January 2000

Drew, Erdey & Berjak, University of Natal, February 2000.

Le Dinh Kha, Huy Son, Ho Quang, Tuan Hung,Research centre for Forest tres Improvement,Forest Science Institute of Vitenam, April 2001

Species Preliminary result Source

Ex situ CONSERVATION OF FGR

30 fgr research

fgr researchfgr researchHIGHLIGHTS

Table 1. Summary results on desiccation trails

Cordylapinnata

Diospyros melanoxylon

Diospyros mollis

Dovyalis caffra

Genipa americana

Hancornia speciosa

Harpephyllum caffrum

Illicium verum

Kigelia africana

Lophira lanceolata

Madhuca indica

Manilkara kauki

Neobalanocarpusheimii

Possibly desiccation sensitive.

Seed are desiccation tolerant up to 4.2% mc.

Seeds are desiccation tolerant downto 8% mc.

Seeds are desiccation tolerant downto low mc of 4%.

Tolerate desiccation down to 9.34 % mc.Can be stored at low temperature in theshort term (10 months).

Seeds are desiccation sensitive and do nottolerate any storage temperature or packing.Confirmed by experiments in CATIE, Costa Rica.

Desiccation experiment inconclusive duelow germination of control. Seeds dried to 7.10 % had similar germination levels as controls (10%).

Seeds are desiccation sensitive.

Seeds are desiccation tolerant.

Experiment on going.

Seeds are desiccation sensitive and cold sensitive.

Seeds desiccation tolerant downto 10% mc.

Seeds are desiccation sensitive.

Diallo, Institute Senegalais De RechercheAgronomique, Senegal, May 2001

Naithani Varghese, Naithani & Godheja, Pt Sravishankar Shukla

Lait, ASEAN Forest Seed Centre, Thailand, April 2001

Omondi, Kenya Forest Research Institute,February 2000

Salamao, CENARGEN, Brasil, September 2000

Salamao, CENARGEN, Brasil, September 2000

Shange, Erdey & Berjak, Univeristy of Natal. June 2000

Le Dinh Kha, Huy Son, Ho Quang, Tuan Hung,Research centre for Forest tres Improvement,Forest Science Institute of Vitenam, April 2001

Yameogo/Gamene & Neya, Centre national de Semencess Forestieres, Burkina Faso

Yameogo/Gamene & Neya, Centre national de Semencess Forestieres, Burkina Faso

Naithani Varghese, Naithani & Godheja, Pt Sravishankar Shukla University, Raipur, India, April 2001

Soetisna & Rantau, R&D Center for Biodiversity,Indonesia, July 2000

Nadarajan & Krishnapillay, Forest researchInstitute of Malaysia, December 1999

Species Preliminary result Source

fgr research 31

Table 1. Summary results on desiccation trails

Podocarpus nagi

Pouteria macrophylla

Psychotria capensis

Shorea assamica

Shorea leprosula

Shorea roxburghii

Shorea siamensis

Sterculia quinqueloba

Strychnos cocculoides

Syzygium cuminii

Vitellaria paradoxa

Warburgia salutaris

Warbugia ugandensis

Ximenia americana

Zanthoxylon zanthoxyloides

Seeds of Podocarpus nagi are desiccation tolerant.

Seeds are desiccation sensitive whendried below 35% mc.

Seed are desiccation tolerant down to 13.51% mc.

Seeds are desiccation sensitive below 20% mc.

Desiccation sensitive when dried below20% mc.

The seeds tolerate partial desiccation, but below 27% mc the viability is reduced. Similar resultsobtained by FRIM, Malaysia.

Seeds are desiccation sensitive whendried below 30%mc.

Seed are desiccation tolerant whendried to 10 % moisture content.

Seeds are desiccation tolerant, bestresult 15-16°C after 3-6 months.

Seeds recalcitrant, highly desiccation sensitive (Tanzania,S. Africa).

Seeds are desiccation sensitive.

Tolerant to desiccation to 7% mc.

Seeds are desiccation tolerant, but are cold sensitive.

Desiccation tolerant when dried downto 3% mc.

Experiment inconclusive.

Wang, South China Agricultural University, May 2001

Espinosa, BASFOR, Bolivia, September 2000

Shange, Erdey & Berjak, Univeristy of Natal. June 2000

Nadarajan & Krishnapillay, Forest research Institute of Malaysia, December 1999

Soetisna & Rantau, R&D Center for Biodiversity,Indonesia, April 2001

Lait & Chaisurisri, AFTSC, April 2000

Lait, ASEAN Forest Seed Centre, Thailand, April 2001

Muntali & Gondwe, Forest Research Institute Malawi,

Msanga, National Tree Seed Programme,Tanzania; Fletcher & Pritchard, RBG Kew, UK

Msanga, National Tree Seed Programme,Tanzania;

Yameogo/Gamene & Neya, Centre national de Semencess Forestieres, Burkina Faso

Msanga, National Tree Seed Programme,Tanzania; Fletcher & Pritchard, RBG Kew, UK

Omondi, Kenya Forest Research Institute, January 2000

Msanga, National Tree Seed Programme,Tanzania;

Yameogo/Gamene & Neya, Centre national de Semencess Forestieres, Burkina Faso

Species Preliminary result Source

Ex situ CONSERVATION OF FGR

32 fgr research

Genomicapproaches toforest breedingand conservation

olecular marker-based breedingstrategies have been used to accel-erate the process of moving trait

genes into high-yielding germplasm. Morerecently, genomics-based strategies for genediscovery or finding new alleles, coupledwith high-throughput transformationprocesses and miniaturised, automated ana-lytical and functionality assays have acceler-ated the identification of product candidates.Genome-related databases have alreadybecome an invaluable part of the scientificlandscape, commonly visited by molecularbiologists and bioinformatics people. Therole of these databases will be greater onlyif these data could be combined with otherrelevant biological information, such asfrom complex adaptive traits. It is clear thatthere is need for both highly detailed andsimplified database platforms, the latterbeing specially needed to make expertdomain data more accessible to non-special-ists. The main goal of this project is to estab-lish a user-friendly Internet databasedesigned to offer up-to-date information forthe development of potential genetic mark-ers useful for forest conservation and/orforest breeding based on gene sequences ofknown function.

We believe that with this project, knowledgegained from model systems, such as fromArabidopsis thaliana, from well-studied forestspecies and from a few major crops could bemade available and applied across a broaderrange of species. The extrapolation of infor-mation from the well-studied species to oth-ers, including many tropical tree species,could provide a solid base for designingstrategies for their improvement and conser-vation. The project created a virtual institute forthe divulgation of information and research onforest genomics (NPGEF), which could be foundat http://www.ipef.br/melhoramento/genoma/. This site also contains a virtual library and linksto other sites related to forestry and genomics.For additional information, please contact LucianaD. Ciero (ldctleme@terra.com.br) or Marcelo C.Dornelas (mcdornel@carpa.ciagri.usp.br) at IPEF-LCF/ESALQ-USP, Departamento de Ci�ncias Florestais, Brazil.

fgr researchfgr researchHIGHLIGHTS

Ex situCONSERVATION OF FGR

Regional programmes and collaborationon FGR

ith their regular annualmeetings and with thefrequent contacts among

scientists from different Europeancountries , the f ive species-ori-ented EUFORGEN Networks(http://www.ipgri.cgiar.org/net-works/euforgen/euf_home.htm) pro-vide a unique opportunity for theidentification of research needs andfor planning and developing jointproject proposals. As a result,Network members often worktogether with, or as partnersinvolved in different research pro-jects, discuss the applications andfacilitate broad dissemination ofresults. EUFORGEN Networks arecomposed of members officiallynominated by the participatingcountries, who act as national focalpoints for the species concerned.They involve more than thirtyEuropean countries, and thereforerepresent a significantly wider eco-geographic coverage than mostresearch projects. At the technicallevel, EUFORGEN Networks

endeavour to develop collaborativeactivities that complement theapproach adopted in individualresearch projects, for example link-ing in situ and ex situ conservation.In fact, during the last few yearsthere has been an intense researchactivity on forest genetic diversityin Europe, with particular atten-tion to broadleaved tree species.The European Commission hasfinancially supported most projectsin this area.

Two most successful examplesinclude EUROPOP Ð the recentlycompleted project on GeneticDiversity in River Populations ofEuropean Black Poplar, coordinatedby Alterra Green World Research,the Netherlands, and the ConcertedAction for the Evaluation of GeneticResources of Cork Oak, which wasled by Esta�ao Florestal Nacional,Portugal. EUROPOP, originally initi-ated by members of the EUFORGENblack poplar (Populus nigra)Network, developed a set of techni-

EUFORGEN:The role of FGR Networks in supporting Europeanresearch

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cal recommendations that will be onthe agenda of the forthcomingNetwork meeting in October 2001.Discussion on these and their lateradoption will contribute to accom-plishing the main objective of theNetwork Ð to facilitate the imple-mentation of practical gene conser-vation measures in EuropeÕs riparianecosystems. The synergies betweenthe cork oak (Quercus suber) projectand the corresponding EUFORGENNetwork were recognised as essen-tial for establishing a provenanceexperiment in seven Mediterraneancountries (Algeria, France, Italy,Morocco, Portugal, Spain andTunisia) three years ago. TheNetwork has continued to play arole in exchanging informationamong these countries after the com-pletion of the project.

Conservation of Elm GeneticResources is conducted in the frame-work of EC Regulation 1467/94 (GenRes 78). The project aims at a betterevaluation of the existing collectionsof European elms (Ulmus glabra, U.minor, U. laevis) and effective ex situconservation measures. It involvespartners in nine countries that pro-vide expertise on different aspectssuch as molecular markers, cryop-

reservation, entomology and pathol-ogy. The activities include the estab-lishment of an European database,characterisation of genetic diversityusing molecular markers, identifica-tion of valuable clones, rationalisa-tion of existing collections, develop-ment of cryopreservation tech-niques, establishment of a core col-lection and raising public awareness.In particular, the project contributedto the formulation of the ex situ con-servation strategy for threatenedUlmus species in Europe. This wascomplemented by an in situ conser-vation strategy adopted by theEUFORGEN Noble HardwoodsNetwork (which considers elmspecies to be highest conservationpriority), emphasising the need fordynamic and integrated manage-ment of genetic resources in Europe.The coordinator of the project fromCEMAGREF, France, attended allfive Network meetings held so far,ensuring a continuous flow of infor-mation. Links between activities inthe EU-member and non-membercountries have also been established.

Research on the geographic varia-tion of forest trees, supported by theEU-funded CYTOFOR project, isessential for gene conservation pur-poses and for tree improvement.The project has had a number ofcomponents, including phylogeo-graphic studies, historical (post-glacial migration routes) investiga-tions, hybridisation between species,links between ecological and popu-lation genetic studies. It took a mul-tiple species approach, combininggenetic data on 22 economically orecologically important species ofseven different families. Nine coun-tries were involved. Obvious appli-cations of the research resultsinclude certification of forest repro-ductive material, determination oforigin of populations and prioritysetting for conservation measures.The tools included chloroplast DNAmarkers for phylogeographic stud-ies. Distribution patterns of haplo-types appear to be strongly relatedto the biology of the species or to thehistory of the populations. Sorbus

torminalis showed no geographicstructure whereas the patterns forUlmus were comparable to those forQuercus, showing a clear geographicpattern in Europe (http://www.pierroton.inra.fr/cytofor). Theresults of CYTOFOR provide essen-tial input to the technical recommen-dations that are currently beingdeveloped by the Noble HardwoodsNetwork. They target to reach forestmanagers and agencies responsiblefor gene conservation in Europeancountries.

The new CASCADE project(http://soi.cnr.it/~chestnut/home.html)focuses on evaluation of geneticdiversity at adaptive traits andgenetic markers in chestnut(Castanea sativa) in relation to evolu-tionary factors and human impact,and on the formulation of long-termconservation priorities. Twelve insti-tutions from Greece, France, Italy,Spain, Sweden and UK participate inthis project. The project covers dif-ferent research issues and socio-eco-nomic aspects of gene conservation.A long-term gene conservation strat-egy for chestnut was developedwithin the framework of the NobleHardwoods Network. The partici-pating countries in EUFORGEN arethe designated users of the results ofthe project, which will provide guid-ance for the further developmentand implementation of the strategy.

The objective of DYNABEECH(http://www.biotheon.com/dyn-abeech) is to assess the impact of for-est management on ecological andgenetic structures in European beech(Fagus sylvatica) by comparing inten-sively managed forest and ÒvirginforestsÓ in four locations. Six part-ners from Austria, France, Italy,Germany and the Netherlands con-tribute to the project. OAKFLOW(http://www.pierroton.inra.fr/oak-flow) has the aim of examining intra-and interspecific geneflow as amechanism for promoting diversityin temperate white oaks (Quercusspp.). There are 13 partners and anumber of subcontractors, whichalso host intensively studied plots.Mixed mountain forest (Poland)

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The objectives are to trace geneflowby pollen and seed, to evaluate eco-logical and genetic consequences ofgeneflow, and to evaluate impacts ofgeneflow on management rules. Themanagement rules developed andparticularly the data on neighbour-hood size that have been obtainedare very relevant for the develop-ment of conservation guidelines pre-pared and disseminated through theEUFORGEN Social Broadleaves(temperate oaks and beech)Network. In fact, this was one of themain items discussed during thefourth meeting of the Network inNorway in June 2001.

The projects listed so far are fundedby the European Union. However,through EUFORGEN it was also pos-sible to initiate a project on GeneticResources of Broadleaved ForestTrees Species in SoutheasternEurope, supported by the govern-ment of Luxembourg. It aims at fur-ther developing national strategieson the conservation and sustainableuse of forest genetic resources inBulgaria, Moldova, Romania andUkraine. A complementary approachwas chosen encompassing the in situconservation of genetic diversity ofnative forests, further developmentand use of technologies for ex situconservation. The project put strongemphasis on capacity building andthe strengthening of links betweenthe institutions and scientistsinvolved with their counterparts in

other European countries. The mainobjective of the current, second phaseof the project (2001-2004) is to createthe conditions for the conservationand sustainable management of for-est genetic resources in the partici-pating countries. This will beachieved through complementaryconservation and management ofbroadleaved forest genetic resources;addressing policy issues and devel-oping proposals to help address thesituation and support the develop-ment of the national programmes;information management and publicawareness. The project has strong linkswith four Networks of the EUFOR-GEN Programme and provides anopportunity for testing some of thetools that have been developed.

Finally, EUFORGEN meetings alsooffer the opportunity to highlightother projects in which theNetwork members are not directlyinvolved. For example, during thelast Noble Hardwoods Networkmeeting (held in Ireland in May2001), there was a presentation of anew project called ÔImprovingFraxinus productivity for EuropeanneedsÕ. It will include testing, selec-tion and propagation of improvedgenetic material to address geneticdiversity, breeding, sexual and veg-etative reproduction and otherimportant aspects of productivity( h t t p : / / w w w . e u . i n t / -c o m m / r e s e a r c h / q u a l i t y - o f -life/ka5/en/00631.html).

The EUFORGEN Networks collabo-rate on research-related aspects withthe International Union of ForestryResearch Organizations (IUFRO),particularly with its working groupson conservation, genetic resourcesand breeding. For instance, the bibli-ographic database on gray literatureon forest genetic resources was initi-ated as a joint effort (http://-www.ipgri.cgiar.org/networks/euforgen/Biblio/search.asp).

These examples illustrate the role ofthe EUFORGEN Programme inmobilising funds for tasks carriedout by the Networks, which aim atpromoting and facilitating geneticconservation activities in Europe.There is a further need to collect andintegrate information from differentsources (i.e. molecular markers,provenance experiments, historicalsources and ecological data) for theformulation of effective genetic con-servation strategies in the long term.This knowledge can only be gener-ated and effectively used throughthe collaboration among all the rele-vant international and nationalresearch efforts.

Dissemination of research results is,of course, another important aspect.There are several projects currentlyactive in research on forest geneticdiversity and many results are avail-able. An increasing number of coun-tries are eligible to participate in theEU framework programmes and pro-jects as a result of the European inte-gration process. In order to reach awider audience of forest managersand other users in all Europeancountries, plans are underway tohold a conference to share the resultsobtained by the different groupswith participants from the men-tioned EU-funded projects, EUFOR-GEN Networks and other stake-holders in 2002.

More information on EUFORGEN is available from: Dr. Jozef Turok, EUFORGEN Interim Coordinator (j.turok@cgiar.org).

fgr researchfgr researchHIGHLIGHTS

Provenance and progeny trial of cork oak (France)

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fter the establishment of theSub-Saharan African ForestGenetic Resources (SAFOR-

GEN) Programme in 1999, the firstactivity of the programme was toestablish links with Sub-SaharanAfrican (SSA) countries and elabo-rate basic documents, such as pro-gramme objectives, mode of opera-tion, a list of priority activities andthe programme strategy. SAFOR-GEN basic documents were sent toSSA countries for endorsement in2000 and the programme has alsofinalised the draft of its strategy. Atthe same time the Secretariat ofSAFORGEN has continued net-working activities and implementedactivities to develop conservationstrategies for important tree speciesin the region.

By May 2001, the following countriesendorsed IPGRIÕs letter of agree-ment, appointed national coordina-tors and selected SAFORGEN net-works in which they would like to

participate: Benin, Burkina Faso,Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Ethiopia,Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Mada-gascar, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sudan,Togo and Uganda.

Three key elements are highlightedin SAFORGEN strategy: (1) strongpartnership, (2) strengthening FGRprogrammes in SSA countries, and(3) developing methodologies andtools for conservation and sustain-able use of FGR. To implement thisstrategy, a holistic view on gene con-servation will be adopted including amultidisciplinary approach linkingvarious disciplines. Regional collabo-ration will be enhanced by network-ing to optimise the use of availableresources in member countries andto gain comparative advantages.

SAFORGEN TREE SPECIES NETWORKS

Readers of this newsletter wereinformed last year that the Programmehad organised the first MedicinalTree Species Network meeting in

Cotonou, Benin on 15-17 December1999. The network came up with alist of priority species. A TogoleseNGO, CERPHAPLATA is carryingout activities on two medicinal treespecies Alstonia boonei and Nauclealatifolia well-known by local peoplefor their anti-malarial properties. Thegenetic diversity and the impact ofharvesting on the two species arebeing studied.

In 2000, SAFORGEN organised itsfirst Food Tree Species Networkmeeting in Ouagadougou, BurkinaFaso and 20 participants from 12 SSAcountries attended the meeting.Medicinal and food tree species aremore important for local people andthus it was crucial for SAFORGEN tofirst launch the activities of these twonetworks. The two major problemsthat sub-Saharan African countriesare facing are related to malnutritionand health care. The farmers needdiversity as security against unpre-dictable climatic conditions, to opti-mise use of their resource base andalso to diversify their agriculturalproduction especially in areas withpoor infrastructure or under devel-

SAFORGEN

Participants to the first meeting of SAFORGEN (Burkina Faso)

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oped markets. Forest fruits have longbeen used to complement diets. Fruitscontain vital nutrients and essential vit-amins, which are important especiallyfor children who are often prone tomalnutrition and related diseases.

During the first Food Tree SpeciesNetwork meeting, participants agreedto a list of priority species (in priorityorder): Tamarindus indica, Parkia biglo-bosa, Adansonia digitata, Vitellaria para-doxa, Ziziphus mauritiana, Anacardiumoccidentale, Irvingia gabonensis, Balanitesaegyptiaca, Detarium microcarpum,Hyphaene theba�ca and Sclerocarya birrea.Also, the network chairs listed priorityactivities that will be shared amongmember countries:

■ Developing leaflets and posters forthe target species: Tamarindusindica (Kenya) ; Parkia biglobosa(Burkina Faso); Adansonia digitata(Guinea); Vitellaria paradoxa(Burkina Faso), Ziziphus mauritiana(Niger), Anacardium occidentale(Togo), Irvingia gabonensis (Benin),Balanites aegyptiaca (Chad), De-tarium microcarpum (Burkina Faso),Hyphaene theba�ca (Sudan) andSclerocarya birrea (Niger).

■ Documenting the species.■ Drafting proposals: ten concept

notes were drafted, seven out ofwhich were based on tree speciesin humid ecosystems.

DEVELOPING CONSERVATION STRATEGIES

for six SAFORGEN priority species -In August 2000 UNEP awarded aresearch grant to SAFORGEN todevelop conservation strategies forselected tree species. Three SAFOR-GEN member countries (Benin,Kenya and Togo) were selected tocarry out the studies based on theirecological conditions. Subsequently,six model tree species were selectedaccording to their geographic distrib-ution, mode of regeneration and util-isation. The Kenya Forestry ResearchInstitute (KEFRI) is focusing on twofood tree species (Dialium orientaleand Tamarindus indica) while theNational University of Benin isstudying two fodder tree species(Khaya senegalensis and Afzelia africa).CERPHAPLATA is conducting researchon two, anti-malarial tree species(Alstonia boonei and Nauclea latifolia).

The three institutions are conductingthe following studies on the selectedspecies:■ Ecogeographic surveys■ Level of the threats ■ Ecological information such as the

mode of distribution and seed dis-persion, phenological observations,pollinators, etc.

■ Natural regeneration■ Genetic diversity within the speciesThe final report of the project will comeup with the conservation options for

the six species according to the infor-mation gathered from these studies.

PUBLISHING COUNTRY REPORTS ON FGRFAO in collaboration with SAFOR-GEN Programme organized inSeptember 1998 in Ouagadougou, asub-regional workshop on conserva-tion and sustainable utilization ofFGR in Sahelian and North Sudanianzones. The main objectives of theworkshop were to develop a synthe-sis report on the status of FGR in thesub-region and to come up with asub-regional Action Plan. FAO andSAFORGEN Programme edited andpublished in 2001 the book with thesynthesis report and the sub-regionalPlan of Action. The two institutionswith the financial support of DanidaForest Seed Centre, have also editedand published country reports thatwere prepared beforehand bynational experts as well. They havebeen distributed within and outsidethe respective countries. Informationregarding standard methodologiesand protocols used for the reportscan be found on the FAO website:http://www.fao.org/forestry/FOR/FORM/FOGENRES/homepage/Wpapers.stm.For additional information on SAFORGEN, contact Dr. OscarEyog-Matig, SAFORGEN Coordinator,IPGRI Sub-regional Office for West andCentral Africa (o.eyog-matig@cgiar.org).

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fgr research 37

REGIONAL PROGRAMMES ON FGR

sub-regional workshop onFGR in Southeast Asia washeld in Thailand between 26

February and 10 March 2001. Theworkshop was organised by ForestGenetic Resources Conservation andManagement Project (FORGEN-MAP), which is a joint activity of theRoyal Forest Department of Thailand(RFD) and the Danish Cooperationfor Environment and Development(DANCED). The FAO ForestryResearch Support Programme forAsia and the Pacific (FORSPA) andIPGRI provided additional supportfor this workshop. Totally 30 dele-gates from Cambodia, Indonesia,Laos, Malaysia, Philippines,Thailand and Vietnam participatedin the workshop. FORSPA, IPGRI,Danida Forest Seed Centre (DFSC),and CSIRO Forestry and ForestProducts from Australia were alsorepresented.

The workshop was organised in dif-ferent parts of Thailand, i.e. in thenorth (Tak, Kamphaeng Phet), north-eastern (Ubon Ratchatani) and south(Narathiwat), and field trips to rele-vant sites were included in the pro-gramme. Presentations during theworkshop consisted of countryreports and a number of invitedpapers. At the end of the workshopdelegates conducted group work oncriteria for priority setting, specieslinks/common species priorities,utilisation/domestication and part-nership in conservation of FGR andregulation/management of FGR.

The country reports revealed that thestate of FGR conservation and thecapacity of national institutions toimplement related activities are quitedifferent among the countries. Theworkshop was able to identify 65priority species, which were listed intwo or more country reports asimportant for conservation and use.However, the priority lists in thecountry reports were prepared usingdifferent approaches in the countries.Information to compile the prioritylists were based on national work-shops or similar arrangements with

a range of different stakeholders inCambodia (a workshop held in2000), Thailand (1998), Indonesia(1978, 1995, 2000), Laos (1999) andVietnam (2000). No national work-shops on FGR have been organised inthe Philippines, Malaysia or Myanmar.

The workshop also identified severalissues that create obstacles for con-servation and management of FGR inthe sub-region. These were listed asfollows: 1) lack of law enforcement,2) lack of participation by local peo-ple, 3) limited resources of nationalinstitutions to carry out the work onFGR, 4) more emphasis is given towildlife than plant conservation, 5)conservation efforts are morefocused on ecosystems than speciesor genes, and 6) insufficient scientificdata, information dissemination andnetworking.

The final discussions stressed theneed to continue the efforts on FGRconservation and use in SoutheastAsia. A follow-up meeting or work-shop should be organised to initiatethe formulation of a sub-regionalaction plan for conservation and useof FGR. All participating countries

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38 fgr research

agreed that there is a need to estab-lish a sub-region network on FGR toalleviate some of these obstacles andthe workshop suggested that IPGRIshould take a lead role in coordinat-ing such an effort. More details onthis workshop, including the countryreports and the invited papers, canbe found from the proceedings pub-lished jointly by FORGENMAP,IPGRI, FORSPA, DFSC and RFD.

s a follow-up to the recommen-dations of the Southeast AsianFGR workshop in Thailand,

IPGRI and the Asia PacificAssociation of Forestry ResearchInstitutions (APAFRI) have initiatedthe development of a new FGR net-work, i.e. the Asia Pacific ForestGenetic Resources Programme(APFORGEN). The workshop recom-mendations were originally focusedon Southeast Asia alone but IPGRIand APAFRI decided to expand thegeographical coverage of the newnetwork based on similar needs inother Asian countries. In a regionalseminar in1999, for example,APAFRI members had expressedtheir need for increased information

exchange in biodiversity assessmentand conservation methodology. InFebruary 2002, IPGRI and APAFRI con-sulted their partners in 14 countries(tentatively Bangladesh, India, Nepal,Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Cambodia,Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia,Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand,Vietnam and China) and requestedtheir feedback for further developmentof the proposed programme and fund-raising for its implementation.

The overall objective of APFORGEN isto manage tropical forest genetic diver-sity more equitably, productively andsustainably in the participating coun-tries. The specific objectives of the pro-posed programme are to: 1) strengthennational programmes on forest geneticdiversity; 2) enhance regional network-ing and collaboration; 3) locate and con-serve genetic diversity of selected prior-ity forest species; and 4) increase sus-tainable use of genetic diversity in nat-ural and man-made forests. Target ben-eficiaries include forest research institu-tions, policy-makers, local communitiesand NGOs, government forestrydepartments and private forestry com-panies. Several international andregional organisations have also beenrequested to provide their feedback andideas regarding APFORGEN and itsactivities. Once established, APFOR-GEN will be linked to the ongoing net-working efforts on FGR in the SouthPacific, i.e. the SPRIG programme sothat the APFORGEN countries canlearn from the experiences of the Pacificcountries and also to increase informa-tion exchange with them. Similarly,APFORGEN will be linked to EUFOR-GEN and SAFORGEN.

For further details on APFORGEN and its development, please contact IPGRIRegional Office in Serdang, Malaysia (Dr Percy Sajise, Regional Director,p.sajise@cgiar.org or Dr Jarkko Koskela,Associate Scientist, j.koskela@cgiar.org) or APAFRI Secretariat in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Dr Daniel Baskaran, Executive Secretary,baskaran@frim.gov.my orDr Lim HeokChoh, Executive Director,sim@apafri.upm.edu.my).

fgr researchfgr researchHIGHLIGHTS

PUBLICATIONS

Koskela, J., S. Appanah, A.P. Pedersenand M.D. Markopoulos, (eds.) 2002.Proceedings of the Southeast AsianMoving Workshop on Conservation,Management and Util ization ofForest Genetic Resources, February25th–March 10th 2001, Thailand.FORGENMAP/IPGRI/FORSPA/DFSC/RFD,Bangkok,Thailand (in print).286 p.Further information on the workshopin Thailand can be obtained from:Dr. Pundit Ponoy, Project Director,FORGENMAP,Royal Forest Department,Thailand (forgenmap@forest.go.th) orDr. Jarkko Koskela, AssociateScientist, IPGRI Regional Office forAsia, the Pacific and Oceania,Malaysia (j.koskela@cgiar.org).

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fgr research 39

he first workshop of theInternational Training Pro-gramme on Conservation and

Management of Forest GeneticResources (FGR) in Eastern Europewas held in Gmunden, Austria from29 April to 12 May 2001. It wasjointly organised by the FederalMinistry of Agriculture and Forestry,Environment and Water Management(BMLFUW) of Austria and IPGRI intechnical collaboration FAO. Thetwo-week workshop was attendedby 22 young scientists and practition-ers from 15 countries (Belarus,Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary,Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia FYR,Moldova, Poland, Romania, RussianFederation, Slovenia, Ukraine,Yugoslavia). The workshop wasorganised as a contribution to theimplementation process of interna-tional resolutions from the MinisterialConferences for the Protection ofForests in Europe.

The overall objective of this trainingprogramme is to improve conserva-tion and to promote sustainable useof forest genetic resources in easternEurope. Research and evaluation ofgenetic resources and tree breedinghave a long tradition in these coun-tries. The future of FGR conserva-tion, however, is under serious con-cern due to enormous challenges,which are related to include institu-tional structures, coordination, tech-nology and human resources. Duringthis workshop, the trainees were pro-

In April 2001, IPGRI formallyjoined the Asia Pacific Associationof Forestry Research Institutions

(APAFRI). The two institutions have ear-lier exchanged ideas on FGR conservationand use since early 2000 when IPGRIÕsFGR programme based its first staff mem-bers to the region. IPGRI was welcomed asa new member during the 8th meeting ofthe APAFRI Executive Committee held inChiang Mai, Thailand on 10 May 2001.APAFRI was formally established in aregional meeting of heads of forestryresearch institutions held in Bogor,Indonesia in 1995. Prior to this, theForest Research Support Programme ofAsia and the Pacific (FORSPA) at theFAO Regional Office in Bangkok hadinitiated an effort to coordinate a num-ber of informal forestry research net-works that already existed in theregion. APAFRI aims at increasingforestry research capacity in the regionby fostering institutional and profes-sional collaborations among the mem-ber institutions from 23 countries.APAFRI is open to all interested institu-tions that are active in forestry researchand offers a number of services to itsmembers, such as dissemination ofinformation and publications, mainte-nance of a regional database on forestryresearch, and facilitation of meetingsand training workshops. For moreinformation, please contact APAFRI at:

Asia Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutionsc/o Forest Research Institute MalaysiaKepong, 52109 Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaWeb page: http://www.apafri.org/; E-mail: secretariat@apafri.upm.edu.myTel. +60-3-6272 2516, 6277 3207; Fax +60-3-6277 3249

NEWSInternationalTrainingProgramme on Conservationand Management of FGR inEastern Europe

T

NEWS

vided with an overview of basicprinciples of conservation geneticsand their practical application inforest management. Topicsincluded molecular genetics, evo-lutionary genetics, in situ and exsitu conservation strategies andtechniques and provenanceresearch. A number of case studieson important European treesspecies were used to illustrate thecurrent state of conservation andgenetic knowledge. Legal and pol-icy aspects of FGR conservation atthe European and global levelwere also covered.

In addition to the training materialprepared for the workshop, thetrainees had a unique opportunityto meet scientists from differentinstitutions throughout Europe andto create links for future coopera-tion. They also obtained access toinformation that is not readilyavailable in their own countriesand the opportunity to discusstheir specific research and technicalneeds in working groups. In viewof the positive results obtained, theorganisers have decided to go aheadwith the second training workshop,which will concentrate more onapplied aspects of gene conservationand will be held in Austria in 2002.

For further information please contact Jozef Turok, IPGRI(j.turok@cgiar.org) or Thomas Geburek, FBVA(thomas.geburek@fbva.bmlf.gv.at).

The lecturers at the workshops were: L. Ackzell (Sweden), W. Amaral(IPGRI), S. Borelli (IPGRI), A. Buck(LU/MCPFE), J. Engels (IPGRI), G.Eriksson (Sweden), G. Frank (Austria),Th. Geburek (Austria), H. Hasenauer(Austria), H. Hattemer (Germany), B.Heinze (Austria), R. Klumpp(Austria), G. Koch (Austria), K. V.Krutovskii (USA), Cs. M�ty�s(Hungary), F. M�ller (Austria), C.Palmberg-Lerche (FAO), L. Paule(Slovakia), M. Pregernig (Austria), K.Schadauer (Austria), S. Schantl (Austria),M. Schneider (Austria), J. Turok (IPGRI)and E. Wilhelm (Austria).

IPGRI joinsthe AsiaPacificAssociation of ForestryResearchInstitutions

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40 fgr research

he Panel of Experts on ForestGene Resources was establishedin 1968 at the request of the

Fourteenth Session of the FAOConference (1967), with a mandate to"help plan and coordinate FAO'sefforts to explore, utilize and conservethe gene resources of forest trees and,in particular, help prepare detailedshort- and long-term programmes ofaction, and to provide information toMember Governments". The Panel meets every two years. Itreports on the state of forest geneticresources and makes recommendationsfor their conservation and use. Its 15members have expertise in a wide vari-ety of forest environments. The work ofthe Panel is supported by a network ofnational institutions, which provide thePanel and its Secretariat with informa-

tion on activities and priorities.The Twelfth Session of the abovePanel was held on 21- 23 November2001, in Rome. The Panel took noteof the debate which had taken placein other international fora, notablythe recent approval by the 31st ses-sion of the FAO Conference of theInternational Treaty on GeneticResources for Food and Agriculture;and the deliberations of the 7thSession of the SBSTTA of theConvention on Biological Diversity,in which forest biological diversityhad been among the main issues onthe agenda. The Panel membersreported on the forest geneticresources activities in the variousregions covered by each of themand reviewed global developmentsand the work of FAO in the pastbiennium.The Panel passed a number of spe-cific recommendations and stressedthe need to continue to raise aware-ness of the social, economic andenvironmental benefits of conserva-tion and wise utilization of forestgenetic resources, and of the directand indirect contributions, whichsuch action made to national andrural development. It stressed theneed to further emphasize the com-patibility of conservation and genetic

management with the managed uti-lization of forest resources to meetpresent-day as well as future needs. The main recommendation con-cerned the following point: (a) thesupport to national institutes in thedevelopment and implementation offorest genetic resources programmesand support to institutional network-ing and twinning, (b) the furtherdevelopment, dissemination andadaptation of methodologies andpilot activities in the conservationand sustainable use of forest geneticresources, (c) the facilitation ofexchange of technologies and forestreproductive materials, (d) the dis-semination of information on bene-fits and potential adverse effects ofthe use and application of newbiotechnologies; and on access, benefit-sharing and biosafety, (e) the provisionof up-to-date information on the stateof the world's forest genetic resources(REFORGEN), (f) the raising of aware-ness of forest genetic resources issuesand their impacts and benefits.

The Panel updated the list of priorityspecies for each region, which together witha number of specific technical recommen-dations will be available in the Report ofthe PanelÕs Twelfth Session, expected to bepublished in early 2002.

fgr researchfgr researchHIGHLIGHTS

Participants to the FAO/EUFORGEN workshop on FGR (Austria 2001)

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T

MANAGING PLANT GENETIC

DIVERSITY

The proceedings of the conference on Science and

Technology for Managing Plant Genetic Diversity in

the 21st Century.

M.M. Engels,V. Ramanatha Rao.A.H.D. Brown and

M.T. Jackson, 2002

GRST(Genetic Resources Science and Technology

Group), IPGRI (International Plant Genetic

Resources Institute), CABI Publishing, UK

FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES CON-

SERVATION AND MANAGEMENT.VOL.2

FAO, DFSC, IPRGI, 2002. In managed natural

forests and protected areas (in situ). International

Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Italy.

BROADENING THE GENETIC BASE OF

CROP PRODUCTION

H.D. Cooper, C. Spillane and T. Hodgkin, 2001

CABI (Cab International ), FAO(Food and

Agricultural Organization of the United Nations),

GRST(Genetic Resources Science and Technology

Group), IPGRI(International Plant Genetic

Resources Institute).

PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOUTHEAST

ASIAN MOVING WORKSHOP ON

CONSERVATION, MANAGEMENT AND

UTILIZATION OF FOREST GENETIC

RESOURCES,

February 25th–March 10th 2001,Thailand. J.

Koskela, S.Appanah,A.P. Pedersen and M.D.

Markopoulos, (editors.) 2002.

FORGENMAP/IPGRI/FORSPA/DFSC/RFD,

Bangkok,Thailand (in print). 286 p.

CONIFERS NETWORK

Report of the first meeting, 22-24 March 2000 -

Brdo/Kranj, Slovenia

J.Turok, Cs. Mátyás, B. Fady and S. Borelli (compil-

ers), 2001

EUFORGEN(European Forest Genetic Resources

Network), EUR(Regional Office for Europe).

EUFORGEN

Mediterranean Oaks Network

Report of the 1st meeting, 12-14 October 2000,

Antalya,Turkey

S. Borelli and M.C.Varela (compilers), 2001

EUFORGEN-MO (EUFORGEN - Mediterranean

Oaks), EUR (Regional Office for Europe).

EUFORGEN

Social Broadleaves Network

Report of the 3rd meeting, 22-24 June 2000 -

Borovets, Bulgaria

S. Borelli,A. Kremer,T. Geberuk, L. Paule and E.

Lipman (compilers), 2001

EUFORGEN-SB(EUFORGEN - Social

Broadleaves), EUR(Regional Office for Europe).

SEEDING SOLUTIONS.Volume 2.

Options for national laws governing control

over genetic resources and

biological innovations

The Crucible II Group, 2001

DHF (Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation),

IDRC(International Development Research

Center), IPGRI(International Plant Genetic

Resources Institute).

PROGRAMME DE RESOURCES

GÉNÉTIQUES FORESTIÈRES EN

AFRIQUE AU SUD DU SAHARA

(PROGRAMME

SAFORGEN)

Réseau "Espèces Ligneuses Médicinales". Compte

rendu de la première reunion du Réseau 15-17

Décembre 1999 Station IITA Cotonou, Benin

O. Eyog Matig, E.Adjanohoun, S. de Souza et B.

Sinsin (eds), 2001

BAD(Banque Africane de Développement),

CENPREBAF (Centre Pilote Régional de la

Biodiversité Africaine), IPGRI(International Plant

Genetic Resources Institute), UNEP(United

Nations Environment Programme).

IN SITU CONSERVATION

OF POPULUS NIGRA

F. Lefèvre, N. Barsoum, B. Heinze, D. Kajba, P.

Rotach, S.M.G. de Vries and J.Turok , 2001

EUFORGEN-Pn (EUFORGEN - Populus nigra

Network), EUR (Regional Office for Europe)

PLANT GENETIC CONSERVATION AND

USE IN CHINA

Proceedings of a National Workshop on

Conservation and Utilization of Plant Genetic

Resources, 25-27 October 1999, Beijing, China

Weidong Gao,V. Ramanatha Rao and Ming-De

Zhou (eds), 2001

EAS(Office for East Asia),

ICGR-CAAS(Institute of Crop Germplasm

Resources, Chinese Academy of Agricultural

Sciences).

NEWS

IPGRI PUBLICATIONS

fgr research 41

IPGRI is pleased to announce thelaunching of a fellowship scheme inmemory and of Dr Abdou-SalamOu�draogo. Dr Ou�draogo ledIPGRIÕs forest genetic resources pro-gramme from 1993-1999. As IPGRIDirector for Sub-Saharan Africa heably led the instituteÕs activities inthe region until his untimely death ina plane crash in January 2001. Asfounding Director of the Forest TreeSeed Centre in Ouagadougou andCoordinator of the FAO/CILSSregional forest genetic resources pro-gramme he made a tremendousimpact nationally and regionally, tak-ing his skills to the international levelthrough serving on various FAO,CIRAD-For�t, IUFRO and IUCNcommittees. Dr Ou�draogo left anindelible mark on IPGRI and theworld forestry community as awhole. At the time of his death hewas exploring ways to bring youngAfrica scientists into the internationalresearch environment; his ideas areincorporated into the Abdou-SalamOu�draogo Fellowship Scheme.

Applications are invited from scien-tists from Sub-Saharan Africa towork with IPGRI in one of the insti-tuteÕs locations in Africa (Nairobi,Cotonou, Douala, Kampala) for aperiod of up to six months. IPGRIwould support the travel, subsis-tence and research expenses of theFellow up to a sum of US$10,000.The fellowship can be combined withother awards.

The proposed work should fall into thebroad area of conservation and use ofgenetic resources. In the first year ofthe Fellowship Scheme, preference willbe given to proposals with a forestryemphasis. The work should link to or

fgr researchfgr researchHIGHLIGHTS

Abdou-SalamOuédraogoFellowship

complement IPGRIÕs research pro-gramme, details of which can befound at http://www.ipgri.cgiar.org.Proposals that link IPGRIÕs work tothat of other research and develop-ment institutes in Africa will be par-ticularly welcome.

The application forms can be down-loaded from:http://www.ipgri.cgiar.org/regions/ssa/documents/ASOApplicationform2002.doc

Applications accompanied by a letterof application and full curriculumvitae should be submitted to theaddress indicated by 31 March 2003.Applications will provide the basis fora pre-selection. A short-list of pre-selected candidates will be invited todevelop more detailed proposals fromwhich the final selection will be made.

For more information please contact: Issiaka Zoungrana, Training Officer. IPGRI-SSA C/o ICRAF P. O. 30677, Nairobi Kenya. Email: I.zoungrana@cgiar.org

42 fgr research

The mandate of theInternational Plant GeneticResources Institute is toadvance the conservation anduse of plant genetic resourcesfor the benefit of present andfuture generations. IPGRIworks to develop improvedmethods for conserving plantgenetic resources and to ensurethat the diversity present inagricultural crops, their wildrelatives and forest tree speciesis safely maintained.The Institute recognizes theneed for sound, scientifically-based conservation strategies,in keeping with the goalsof the Convention on,Biological Diversity.

IPGRI has three mainobjectives that describethe goals of its work:

■ strengtheningnational programmes;

■ contributingto internationalcollaboration;

■ developing and disseminating knowledge and technologies relevant to the improved conservation and use ofplant genetic resources.

IPGRI is a Future Harvest CentreSupported by the ConsultativeGroup on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)

IPGRI SCIENTISTSINVOLVED IN FOREST GENETIC RESOURCE ACTIVITIES

Mr.Tom BazuinAssociate Scientist, FGRIPGRI Regional Office for Central West-Asia and North Africa (CWANA)

Mr. Michele BozzanoTemporary Scientific AssistantEUFORGEN SecretariatIPGRI Regional Office for Europe

Dr. Ehsan DullooGermplasm Conservation ScientistIPGRI HQ

Dr. Jan EngelsDirector, Genetic Resources Science and TechnologyGroup (GRST) IPGRI HQ

Dr. Oscar Eyog-MatigSAFORGEN CoordinatorIPGRI Sub-Regional Office for West and Central Africa

Dr. Pablo EyzaguirreSenior Scientist,Anthropology and Socio-economics.Project coordinator: Human and policy aspects of PGR IPGRI HQ

Mr. Orou-Gande GaoueSAFORGEN Temporary Scientific AssistantIPGRI sub-Regional Office forWest and Central Africa

Dr.Toby HodgkinPrincipal Scientist, Genetic DiversityProject Coordinator:Linking conservation & useIPGRI HQ

Dr. Jarkko KoskelaAssociate Scientist, FGR IPGRI Regional Office forAsia, the Pacific and Oceania

Mr. Michael MboggaAssociate Scientist, FGRIPGRI HQ

Dr.Weber Neves do AmaralSenior Scientist, FGR Project Coordinator,IPGRI HQ

Dr. Leonardo PetriAssociate Scientist, FGRIPGRI HQCurrently director of the Parchi Val di Cornia S.p.a.

Dr. Ramanatha RaoSenior Scientist, Genetic Diversity ConservationIPGRI Regional Office for Asia, the Pacific and Oceania

Mr. Hong Lay TongBamboo and Rattan and FGR SpecialistIPGRI Regional Office for Asia,the Pacific and Oceania

Dr. Jozef TurokEUFORGEN CoordinatorIPGRI Regional Office for Europe

Mr. Paulo van BreugelAssociate Scientist, FGRIPGRI Regional Office for the Americas

Ms. Barbara VincetiAssociate Scientist, FGRIPGRI HQ

NON-IPGRI CONTRIBUTORS

Prof. K.S. BawaDepartment of Biology, University of Massachusetts,100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125, USA.Tel. (1)617 287 6657, Fax (1) 617 287 6650E-mail: Kamal.bawa@umb.eduWeb: http://nikester.bio.umb.edu/bawa.html

Mr. Jonathan CorneliusCATIE,Turrialba 7170, Costa Rica.Tel. (506) 556 04 01 314; Fax (506) 556 15 33E-mail: jcorneli@catie.ac.cr

Dr. Christopher DickPost-doctoral ResearcherSmithsonian Tropical Research InstituteApartado 2072, Balboa,Ancon,Republic of PanamaUnit 0948,APO AA 34002. U.S.A.E-mail: dickc@naos.si.edu

Dr. Marcelo DornelasMarcelo Carnier Dornelas Departamento de Ciências Florestais,IPEF-LCF/ESALQ-USP, Brazil.E-mail: mcdornel@carpa.ciagri.usp.br

Dr. Leonardo GalloUnidad de Genética Forestal, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria,8400 San Carlos de Bariloche,Argentina.Tel: (54) 944 22731Fax: (54) 944 24991E-mail: lgallo@bariloche.inta.gov.ar

Dr. K. N. GaneshaiahDepartments of Genetics and Plant Breeding and Crop Physiology, University ofAgricultural Sciences, GKVK Campus,Bangalore 560 065,India. Fax: 91-080-3344593/3437183E-mail: atree@vsnl.com

Dr P.Y. KageyamaESALQ. University of São Paulo, Department ofForest Sciences, Caixa Postal No. 9, Piracicaba. SP.13,400 Brazil.Tel. (55) 194 330 011 315;Fax (55) 194 336 081/225 925E-mail: kageyama@carpa.ciagri.usp.br

Prof. Le Dinh KhaScientific Adviser, Research Center for Forest TreeImprovement, FSIV Chem,Tu Liem, Hanoi,Vietnam.Tel.: (84) 48 34 78 13; Fax: (84) 48 36 22 80E-mail: rcfti@netnam.org.vn

Dr. Mathew P. KoshyDepartment of Forest Sciences 3645-2424 Forest Sciences Center University of British Columbia Vancouver,B.C. Canada V6T 1Z4.Tel: (1) 604 822 8737; Fax: (1) 604 822 9102E-mail: koshy@interchg.ubc.ca

Dr. Oscar RochaDepartment of Biology, University of Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica.Tel. (506) 25 35 323 5392; Fax (506) 20 74 216E-mail: ojrocha@cariari.ucr.ac.cr

Dr. R. Uma ShaankerDepartments of Genetics and Plant Breeding and Crop Physiology,University of Agricultural Sciences,GKVK Campus, Bangalore 560 065, India.Tel. 91 080 333 0153 236;Fax: 91-080-3344593/3437183E-mail: atree@vsnl.com

Dr. Marcelo VarellaUniversidade de Brasilia,Centro de Desenvolvimento SustentávelSetor de Autarquias Sul, Quadra 5Bloco H - sala 200 CEP: 70070-914. Brasília - DFE-mail: varella@club-internet.fr

This issue of FGR research highlights is edited by the following IPGRI staff: Jarkko Koskela, Barbara Vinceti,Weber A.N.Amaral and Michael Mbogga.

INTERNATIONAL PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES INSTITUTE HeadquartersVia dei tre denari 472/a00057 Maccarese (Fiumicino)Rome, ItalyTel (39) 0661181Fax (39) 066197661email: ipgri@cgiar.orghttp://www.ipgri.cgiar.org