Our affiliation with the European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN) strengthens our commitment to the strategies advocated by that body for the conservation of forest genetic resources. EUFORGEN is currently in Phase IV where one of its stated objectives is the establishment of a pan-European network of gene conservation units for native European tree species. In order to encourage the establishment of such units in Britain we have provided a Practice Note outlining what this involves (Hubert & Cottrell 2014).

Forest Reproductive Materials (FRM) regulations are the statutory responsibility of the FC. We provide scientific support to underpin these regulations e.g. use of molecular markers to inform and police FRM related activities in the nursery trade such as the secure identification of marketed clones.

References

Konnert, M., Fady, B., Gömöry, D., A’Hara, S., Wolter, F., Ducci, F., Koskela, J., Bozzano, M., Maaten, T. and Kowalczyk, J. (2015). Use and transfer of forest reproductive material in Europe in the context of climate change NB A summary of this report for forest managers: Use and transfer of forest reproductive material in England in the context of climate change

de Vries, S.M.G., Alan, M., Bozzano, M., Burianek, V., Collin, E., Cottrell, J., Ivankovic, M., Kelleher, C.T., Koskela, J., Rotach, P., Vietto, L. and Yrjänä, L. (2015) Pan-European strategy for genetic conservation of forest trees and establishment of a core network of dynamic conservation units

Fady, B., Cottrell, J., Ackzell, L., Ali, R., Muys, B., Prada, A. & Santiago G-M. (2015) Forests and global change: what can genetics contribute to the major forest management and policy challenges of the twenty-first century? Regional Environmental Change, August 2015

Jason Hubert & Joan Cottrell 2014. Establishing and Managing a Gene Conservation Unit. FC Practice Note 21