Establishment of a European
information system on forest genetic resources
Activity 2.1: EUFORGEN survey
A survey was carried out in September-early October 2007 among the EUFGIS national focal points to obtain detailed information on the gene conservation of forest trees and related documentation efforts at national level. The survey revealed that the size of the typical gene conservation units is 1-10 hectares, while some units can be up to hundreds of hectares in those countries with large forest areas. The gene conservation units are often located within protected forest areas, but the survey confirmed that many countries also use seed production stands for gene conservation purposes. Furthermore, forest areas managed for multiple uses, following the principles of sustainable forest management, harbour a considerable number of the gene conservation units in several European countries.
The survey also assessed how countries have used earlier species-specific EUFORGEN descriptors for inventories of in situ conservation stands in their documentation work. The results of the survey were presented during the workshop organized in Denmark in October 2007. (Activity leader: Bioversity International)
Activity 2.2a: Expert group meetings
An expert group was established in collaboration with the EUFORGEN Networks to develop the pan-European minimum requirements and data standards for the dynamic gene conservation units of forest trees. Experts from relevant international organization (FAO, GBIF and IUCN) were also invited to participate in the Expert Group but only FAO expressed its interest to join.
Expert Group members
| Forest Management Network | Thröstur Eysteinsson | Iceland Forest Service, Iceland |
| Conifers Network | Leena Yrjänä | Finnish Forest Research Institute, Finland |
| Paraskevi Alizoti | Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece | |
| Scattered Broadleaves Network | Lorenzo Vietto | Istituto di Sperimentazione per la Pioppicoltura, Italy |
| Peter Rotach | Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland | |
| Stand-forming Broadleaves Network | Sándor Bordács | Central Agricultural Office, Hungary |
| Tor Myking | Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute, Norway | |
| FAO | Oudara Souvannawong | FAO Forestry Department |
Three Expert Group meetings have been organized (Activity leader: Bioversity International)
Activity 2.2b: Development of the minimum requirements and data standards
The Expert Group started its work in Birkerød, Denmark in October 2007. Most of the experts also participated in the workshop, which was organized prior to the first meeting. After the meeting, the Expert Group continued working by email and produced the first draft versions of the pan-European minimum requirements and the data standards in March 2008.
During the second meeting held in Avignon, France in April 2008, the Expert Group reviewed in detail the first drafts of the pan-European minimum requirements and the data standards, and continued its work by email after the meeting.
In October 2008, the Expert Group finalized the minimum requirements and the data standards in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The documents were then used for database development and further discussed with the national focal points during the sub-regional training workshops. (Activity leader: INRA, France)
Activity 2.3: Development of a documentation manual for national FGR inventories
The project is preparing a documentation manual which will be targeted to the national focal points and other professionals who are responsible for FGR inventories and documentation. The manual will be based on the experiences and findings of the project as well as the pan-European minimum requirements and the data standards. (Activity leader: INRA, France)
Activity 2.4: Case studies
In early 2010, once the national focal points have uploaded the compiled data, two case studies will be carried out using the information system. The case studies will focus on improving practical selection methods of gene conservation units at pan-European level and demonstrating the use of the information system for further development of gene conservation strategies for European forest trees. (Activity leader: INRA, France)