Conservation and sustainable utilization of forest tree diversity in climate change

The promotion of climate change adaptation and the protection of the environment are central challenges of the CE region. With its manifold ecosystem services, CE forests are not only valuable reserves of biodiversity and pristine landscapes for recreation, but also provide renewable resources, bioenergy and offer employment in rural areas. In climate change, many forests are highly endangered, because the high velocity of change makes a natural adjustment of ecosystems impossible. Planting alternative tree species and utilizing the tree species’ intrinsic adaptive capacity are considered to be the most promising adaptation strategy. In CE approximately 900 million seedlings of the major tree species are being planted annually and would offer a unique opportunity to promote CC adaptation. However, the utilization of forest seeds and seedlings is mainly regulated on the national level without considering CC and certain CE countries even prohibit transnational seed transfer. Thus, present policy and regeneration practise prevent CC adaptation resulting in lower stability and productivity of future forests. Because all countries in CE are too restricted in size to handle the expected shift of climate and the necessary transfer of seed material, transnational cooperation is urgently required. Main objective of SUSTREE is the promotion of CC adaptation of forest ecosystems by fostering and enabling transnational adaptive management of forest genetic resources. Based on only nationally available knowledge of the tree species distribution and adaptive capacity, SUSTREE results in harmonized maps and guidelines for transnational seed transfer in CC and a common access to the national registers of forest reproductive material. Pilot applications in state forest enterprises will document the usability of the introduced tools for forest and natural resource managers as well as for policy makers and public bodies responsible for restoration and forest reforestation schemes.R 3.1 Status of integrated environmental management capacities of the public sector and related entities for the protection and sustainable use of natural heritage and resources achieved through transnational cooperation.Main results:
- Maps of transnational seed transfer zones under changing climate conditions -available as Web-GIS and within a seed transfer handbook- based on the species’ climatic requirements and its adaptive potential for six main tree species in CE.
- A well documented and translated platform that enables access to the National Registers (see CD 1999/105/EG) of the CE countries for the exchange of information on forest reproductive material as a prerequisite for the transnational utilisation of seed material.
- Two pilot applications of the seed delineations for participating large forest enterprises that include the evaluation of the companies’ available seed stands/orchards and suggestions for the utilisation of these seed sources for a range of climate scenarios.
- The application of the seed delineations for various types of forest conservation systems (National parks, Natura 2000, Forest Reserves, etc.) for a calculation of the vulnerability of tree genetic resources therein.
User groups:
Maps and transnational data access allows forest & natural resource managers to select the best seed material for regeneration from available sources in CE. Public bodies, responsible for restoration and reforestation subsidies, may connect the granting of subsidies to correct seed sources to foster climate adapted forests. Management of endangered genetic resources will use maps to initiate conservation at less vulnerable sites.