Conservation of Germplasm in Forest Trees

Abstract

Forest trees meet human needs and contribute to natural ecosystems in unique and diverse ways. As a source of fuel and fiber, they are important commodities. As dominant members of many natural ecosystems, they play keystone ecological roles in plant and animal communities. As habitat for other organisms, forests are a reservoir of great natural diversity. In themselves, trees contribute taxonomic diversity through a wealth of species, from rare to widespread and through great genetic diversity within species. Forests.purify water and cleanse the atmosphere. And, to increasingly crowded urban denizens, forests provide valued opportunities for solitude and recreation. Understandably, there are as many kinds of demands for conservation of diversity in forests as there are diverse values of forest resources. Although some forest-conservation issues seem to apply specifically to the species, community, or ecosystem levels, genetic concerns in fact pervade all levels. The actual approach to forest-tree conservation and the methods used jointly depend on available genetic-conservation techniques and on the ultimate goal for perpetuating the germplasm.

Citation

Millar, Constance I. 1993. Conservation of Germplasm in Forest Trees. In: Clonal Forestry II. Conservation and Application. Ed. by M.R. Ahuja and W.J. Libby. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg: p. 42-65