Trees, landscapes, restoration, Tree Diversity Day 2014, CBD, biodiversity, forests, plantations, seeds, diversity, seedlings, policy, indigenous people

1. Assessing the success of forest and landscape
restoration efforts – What do genetic diversity
indicators tell us? Riina Jalonen and Judy Loo

2. 2
Enormous potential of restoration
to improve resilience – unmet?
• Aichi Target 15: quantitative
but also qualitative
• Political commitments provide
great potential for build in
adaptedness in new forests
• But: little information about the
quality of restored forests and
actual success in restoring
diverse and resilient systems

3. 3
Genetic diversity is the foundation for:
Survival of planted trees on the restoration site
• Origin of seed must match (current and
future) site conditions to ensure adaptedness
Good growth, reproduction and resilience over
tree generations
• Seed source forests must be large and
genetically diverse enough to avoid inbreeding
and to contain genetic material for natural
selection
• Good seed collection practices must be
observed to capture the genetic diversity of the
seed sources
Photo: Lee Soong Leong

4. 4
Example: importance of
adaptedness for survival
Juglans nigra (Black walnut)
• Broad distribution in the US
• A provenance trial in 7 locations,
15-25 provenances planted at
each location
• Survival after 22 years was
much higher for local than
for the other provenances
(71% vs. 0% at some sites)
Bresnan et al. 1994
Photo: Rebecca Sherman

5. 5
Example: Effects of poor seed collection practices
accumulate over generations
Acacia mangium
• Introduced to Sabah from Australia in
1967 in two small stands (34 and ca.
300 trees)
• All trees had the same mother tree
• Used to establish more than 15 000
ha of plantations
• A nursery trial showed reduction in
average height by 44% from the first
to the third generation (Sim 1984)
Generation
Height
(cm)
First 32.5
Second 20.7
Third 18.1

6. Assessing success
of restoration
efforts with genetic
diversity Indicators

7. 7
Trends in population condition
Verifiable indicator Verifier
7. Genetic condition of selected
populations (population genetic
structure where appropriate)
7. Genetic parameters
7.1. Effective population size
7.2. Allelic richness
7.3. Outcrossing/inbreeding rate
7.4. Spatial genetic structure
7.5. Hybridization/introgression
Trends in (plantation) performance of selected species
Verifiable indicator Verifier
9. Profit from breeding vs. loss
from ill-adapted plantations
Graudal et al. 2014
9.1. Seed source performance
(growth and survival)
9.2. Realized genetic gain and
profit

8. 8
Trends in sustainable use of genetic resources
Verifiable indicator Verifier
16. Number of tree species for which
regulation of use of forest
reproductive material exist
16. Number of tree species for which
regulation of use of forest reproductive
material exist
17. Number and type of improved
seed sources traded/exchanged
(status of genetic improvement)
17. Number and type of improved
seed sources traded/exchanged
18. Guidelines/regulations for
matching seed source and planting
site
18.1. Certification scheme in place
18.2. Use of adapted seed sources
19. Guidelines/regulations for
composition and harvest of seed
sources (number of mother trees)
19. Use of diverse seed sources
Graudal et al. 2014

9. 9
Approach – Trends in population condition and
performance
• Literature review of genetic studies conducted in restored
forests
– How many studies conducted to assess success in restoring
genetic diversity of tree species in forest restoration?
– How many of these studies indicate adequate genetic
considerations in restoration practice?
• CAB Direct (1973-2014)
– Tree OR shrub OR forest
– Restored OR rehabilitated OR reforested OR afforested OR
revegetated OR reintroduced
– Genetic OR gene flow OR provenance

10. 10
Approach – Trends in
Sustainable use
• Review of the Country Reports for
the State of the World’s Forest
Genetic Resources report (2014)
• 8 countries in South, Southeast and
East Asia
– China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar
Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka
Thailand
– Most have set national restoration
targets and/or established
national restoration programmes
• Reports published in 2011-2013

11. Results

12. 12
Trends in population condition and performance of
selected species in restored forests
• 23 studies
(2003-2014)
• 22 tree species
• 14 families
• 12 countries
4
3
2
1
0
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Number of studies

13. 13
7. Genetic condition of populations
7.1. Effective population size
- Seed was collected from few , often related, trees in 6 of 7
studies
- Broadhurst et al. 2006, Burgarella et al. 2007, Cruz Neto et al. 2014, Kettle et al. 2008, Krishnan et al. 2013,
Navascues & Emerson 2007, Ritchie & Krauss 2012
7.2. Allelic richness
- Significantly lower in restored than natural populations in
8 of 13 studies
- Broadhurst 2011, 2013 ; Burgarella et al. 2007, Huang et al. 2013, Li et al. 2005, Liu et al. 2008, Navascues
& Emerson 2007, Pakkad et al. 2008, Oliveira et al. 2006, Ritchie & Krauss 2012, Ruan et al. 2013, Salas-
Leiva et al. 2009, Zhang et al. 2006
- Geneflow from surrounding natural populations increased
allelic richness in planted populations in 4 of 5 studies
- Broadhurst 2013, Cruz Neto et al. 2014, Navascues & Emerson 2007, Pakkad et al. 2008, Ritchie &
Krauss 2012

14. 14
7.5 Spatial genetic structure
• Planted trees were genetically
distant from nearby natural
populations in 8 studies of 13
• Broadhurst 2011, 2013 ; Burgarella et al. 2007,
Cespedes et al. 2003, Huang et al. 2013, Krishnan et al.
2013, Li et al. 2005, Liu et al. 2008, Navascues &
Emerson 2007, Pakkad et al. 2008, Sanchez et al. 2008,
Sinclair et al. 2006, Ritchie & Krauss 2012, Zhang et al.
2006
9.1. Seed source performance
(growth and survival)
• Lower germination, survival and/or
height growth in
restored vs. natural populations in
3 of 4 studies
• Broadhurst et al. 2006, Li et al. 2012, Sanchez et al.
2008, Ritchie & Krauss 2012

15. 15
Trends in sustainable use
of genetic resources –
Eight Asian countries
17. Number and type of improved seed
sources traded/exchanged
• Seed from identified, selected or
tested sources available for 270
species
• Seed supply is insufficient to meet
the demand for quantity and/or
quality, according to 7 of 8 countries
• Lack of seed from identified sources
for native, endangered, and
agroforestry species
• Awareness of seed quality is low
Photo: Soumitra Dhali

16. 16
18.2. Use of adapted seed sources
– Seed zones based on environmental
variation in 7 countries
– Respective seed sources for main
species identified
– Detailed seed zones for key species
based on progeny trials in 3
countries
– Problems:
• In 43% of cases, only one
identified or selected seed source
per species in a country
• Seed production areas insufficient
to meet the demand in each
zones
• Enforcement
Photo: KMA Bandara

17. • Mandatory guidelines for tree seed collection for restoration in two countries
17
19. Use of diverse seed sources
• Problems:
- Lack of quality seed for native sp.
- Narrow genetic base of trees,
especially on farm
- Inadequate requirements for seed
source areas?
- Reliance on clonal material for
restoration
- Uncontrolled import of low quality
seed - disincentive

18. Conclusions

19. 19
Conclusions
The results suggest that it is common
in forest restoration to
– Pay insufficient attention to
geographical origin of seed
– Use seed sources are too small to
produce quality seed
– Fail to capture the genetic
diversity of the source
populations during seed collection
Consequences:
– Poor germination
– Poor height growth
– Poor survival

20. 20
Conclusions
• Asian countries have made good progress in enhancing seed supply
from identified and tested sources
• But
– These sources are still insufficient to meet the demand,
especially for native, endangered and on-farm species
– Even govt led restoration programmes may use unidentified seed or
rely on clones
– Relying on one seed source per species not likely to ensure diversity
and resilience
– Seed source classification has focused on level of selection and
geographical origin – but are the source populations also large and
genetically viable?
Resilience? Carbon sequestration? Effective use of resources?

21. Recommendations

22. 22
“it is extremely difficult to get people
collect seed from more than just
one tree”
- Restoration researcher and practitioner with 20+ years of experience

23. 23
Recommendations
• Policy makers: Create demand for good
quality seed of native tree species
through political commitment,
regulatory frameworks and resource
allocation
• Experts: Adjust existing seed collection
guidelines to restoration context and
changing climate
• Education and extension : Provide
training and support to restoration
practitioners about seed collection and
propagation techniques for native tree
species
• Everyone: Advocate for a more holistic
view in evaluating restoration success :
quantity AND quality
Preparing seed for direct seeding.
Photo: Luciana Akemi Deluci

24. 24
Bozzano et al. 2014

25. 25
Asia Pacific Forest Genetic Resources Programme
(APFORGEN)
• New Working Group to review
current tree seed programmes
and identify approaches for
strengthening them
• www.apforgen.org
• Similar networks in other
regions – EUFORGEN,
LAFORGEN,
SAFORGEN

26. Thank you
r.jalonen@cgiar.org
www.bioversityinternational.org