Forest genetic resource conservation of noble hardwoods in Spain

Abstract

The main problems with the conservation of Noble Hardwood species are the following: selective cutting of the best trees, utilization of fruit-variety seeds in forest plantations, genetic introgression of cultivated varieties in wild populations. Priorities for establishing a conservation strategy are: the demarcation of provenance regions, the establishment of recomendations for the use of reproduction material, together with a fostering of planting efforts. The advantages and disadvantages of the in situ and ex situ conservation methods are listed for the species under consideration. Ex situ conservation is recommended for areas with populations whose variability has been reduced or in areas where the improvement of reproduction material is of interest.