Introduction
Genetic diversity ensures the success of species in environments that
are highly variable and subject to change. Ultimately, the genetic diversity
of trees forms the basis of forestry and related forest industries.
It is therefore vital that genetic resources be conserved, maintained
and used in a sustainable manner to ensure the preservation of genetic
diversity for future needs. Indeed, man, as steward of the earth, has
an ethical responsibility to preserve species and safeguard genetic
diversity for future generations.
The management of genetic diversity has been given high priority in
Finland. A National Plant Genetic Resources Programme, covering plant
genetic resources in agriculture, horticulture and forestry, was launched
by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to promote the conservation
and sustainable use of genetic resources.* The implementation of the
programme for agriculture and forestry is monitored by an advisory board,
which acts as a link between various ministries, participates in the
preparation of legislation concerning plant genetic resources and deals
with Nordic and international issues related to plant genetic resources.
The Finnish Forest Research Institute, which is responsible for all
forest tree breeding in Finland, is the body responsible for the conservation
of forest genetic resources.
Trees do not recognise national borders. For the good management,
use and conservation of genetic resources, efficient international cooperation
is required at the global, European and Nordic levels. There are several
international agreements and programmes dealing with the management
of genetic resources, the most important for Finland being:
Convention on Biological Diversity, CBD
The Convention on Biological Diversity was set up under the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de
Janeiro in 1992. It aims at conserving the biodiversity and sustainable
use of biological resources. Finland signed the Convention in 1994.
EUFORGEN
Resolution 2 of the first Ministerial Conference on the Protection
of Forests in Europe, held in Strasbourg in 1990, obliges the signatory
states to conserve their own forest genetic resources. This led to the
establishment of the European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN),
which was adopted by the second Ministerial Confe rence on the Protection
of Forests in Europe held in Helsinki in 1993. Activities related to
EUFORGEN were initiated in 1994 and a total of 31 European countries,
including Finland, are involved in the programme today.
Nordic cooperation
In 2000, the Nordic Council of Ministers decided to appoint
a Nordic Genetic Resource Council, the purpose of which was to act as
an advisory body to the Council of Ministers in matters concerning the
genetic resources of forest trees. The Nordic Genetic Resource Council
cooperates closely with the gene banks and organisations responsible
for the conservation of forest genetic resources throughout the Nordic
region. These organisations include the Nordic Council for Forest Reproductive
Material (NSFP) and the Nordic Forest Research Cooperation Committee
(SNS). Within the Nordic Network for Forest Gene Conservation, which
is subordinate to the Nordic Council for Forest Reproductive Material,
national experts exchange ideas and experiences related to the practical
management of genetic resources.
The aim of genetic conservation is
to secure the adaptability of populations and species
in a changing environment by maintaining
a sufficient level of genetic variability.
Conservation Methods for Forest
Genetic Resources
The purpose of conserving of forest genetic resources
is to maintain hereditary variation in species and local populations
far into the future so that their viability and adaptability would be
sufficient to cope with changing environmental conditions. Environmental
change could be, for example, long-term climate change or changes in
ecological conditions caused by forest treatment and management practices.
Methods for conserving forest genetic resources can be
classified into two types according to whether the genetic resources
are conserved at the original site - in situ or outside
the original site - ex situ.
In situ conservation
normally requires that a representative area of undisturbed,
natural forest or a naturally regenerated commercial forest is set
aside as a gene reserve forest.
Ex situ conservation
is implemented by establishing collections of individual
trees in an orchard or by storing seeds, pollen or tissue.
The principal and complementary gene conservation methods
that have been adopted for each tree species in Finland are presented
in Table 1.
Table 1.
The methods of gene conservation for Finnish tree species. In situ
gene reserve forests are used to conserve the common and widely distributed
species while rare tree species are primarily conserved by establishing
ex situ collections.
The conservation of the genetic resources of grey alder,
European aspen and mountain ash does not require intensive special
measures because these species occur in large numbers in Finland,
and they are also widely distributed outside commercial forests and
they are not demanding in their habitat requirements.
In situ conservation
Protected areas and habitats
The principal objective of national parks, nature reserves
and other forested conservation areas is to preserve forest ecosystem,
but at the same time they may serve genetic conservation. Most of the
conservation areas in Finland are on state-owned land and enjoy legal
protection and are meant to be permanent. Some small, special habitats,
which are valuable for forest trees, are also protected by the Forest
Act and the Nature Conservation Act (80/1997).
These regulations are important to the genetic conservation
of certain rare tree species because, according to the Nature Conservation
Act, natural woods rich in noble hardwoods or black alder and also juniper
meadows can be selected as special objects whose treatment must not
endanger the special features of the areas. However, for genetic conservation
purposes, the nature reserves have two important limitations. Firstly,
their coverage and geographic location do not correspond to the needs
of genetic conservation. Secondly, the protection prevents management
that would be needed to promote regeneration. The regulations also restrict
the utilisation of genetic resources.
Gene reserve forests
There are 39 gene reserve forests in Finland altogether
and their combined area is about 6,700 hectares. As the network of forest
stands are spread over different climate zones, a large range in adaptive
traits is included.
The principal aim has been to create an extensive network
of gene reserve forests for Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway
spruce (Picea abies), as well as for silver birch (Betula pendula) and
pubescent birch (Betula pubescens). While the network of gene reserve
forests for Scots pine is nearly sufficient, those for Norway spruce
and the birch species are not. Both spruce and birch are frequently
regenerated by planting. In addition, as much of the land is privately
owned, it has proven hard to set aside land for gene reserve forests
in southern Finland. To overcome these problems, mixed stands and stands
that are smaller than the final goal will also be selected for gene
reserve forests for Norway spruce and birch species.
Requirements for a gene reserve forest
The basic requirements for a gene reserve forest are that
it is of local origin and preferably has been naturally regenerated.
Normally a stand is selected as a reserve for a certain species, but
mixed species are allowed and the area should comprise several age classes.
Gene reserve forests of wind-pollinated tree species, such as Norway
spruce (Picea abies), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and birch (Betula
pendula and B. pubescens) should be large enough for sufficient pollination
to be secured within the forest. The general objective is that a gene
reserve forest should cover an area of at least 100 hectares, but initially
the area can be smaller if it can be expanded later using a seed source
from the same stand. Since pure birch or Norway spruce forests are seldom
large enough in southern Finland, suitable mixed stands con-sisting
of two or three tree species have also been selected as joint gene resources.
For noble hardwoods, which are rare and only grow in small patches,
strips or mixed stands in Finland, smaller areas covering only a few
hectares are accepted as gene reserve forests.
Management of gene reserve forest
