This document discusses genetic diversity in Mediterranean forests and strategies for adaptive conservation. It notes that genetic diversity is important for species adaptation and outlines how climate change may impact forest tree populations through direct, indirect, and human-induced effects. This includes the potential for extinction, adaptation challenges from reduced population sizes, and migration issues. The document advocates for adaptive conservation approaches like in situ dynamic forest management and ex situ preservation, as well as landscape connectivity and protected networks, to maintain genetic systems and allow forest tree evolution and adaptation to climate change.

1. Mediterranean forest genetic diversity
and adaptive conservation strategies
Aristotelis C. Papageorgiou
Forest Genetics Laboratory
Democritus University of Thrace
Orestiada, Greece

2. Genetic component of biodiversity
 ...is a total of meaningless mathematic
expressions…
 Perlman & Adelson 1997
 …should not be given priority, since its
measurement is complicated and expensive…
 Dobson 1995
 Misunderstandings:
 “Laboratory analysis is the first step of any gene
conservation method”
 “The object of conservation programmes are the
genes we see in the laboratories”
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3. Importance of genetic diversity
 Main condition for adaptation under new
environments
 Maintenance of populations and species
 Stability of communities and ecosystems
 Constant production of goods and services
 Biological information base
 Is transferred over generations and rearranged
through mating system
 Influenced by population size
 Changes and promotes adaptation
 Is imported and exported
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4. The genetic system of a forest
Genetic diversity is maintained when the genetic system is working!
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5. Forest genetic diversity in the
Mediterranean is high
Petit et al. 2003
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6. Glacial refugia
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7. Possible impacts of climate
change on tree populations
 Direct impacts
 Tree populations will need to adapt in a rapidly
changing environment
 Indirect impacts
 Forest fires
 Outbreaks of insects and disease
 Human induced impacts
 Deforestation
 Mismanagement
 Land use change
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8. Genetic consequences
 Extinction of species and populations
 Loss of rare species
 Loss of valuable populations
 Loss of connectivity – fragmentation
 Adaptation of populations
 Reduced population size and density
 Genetic drift & inbreeding
 Change of allele frequencies
 Increase of specialization – possible reduction of gene diversity &
adaptability
 Migration to the north or to higher altitudes
 Founder effect & bottlenecks
 “nowhere to go” – increased probability of extinction
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9. Changes of geographical range
Quercus petraea
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10. Adaptive conservation &
management
 Adaptation is the only option
 Migration will not work
 Increase adaptability of current
populations of forest trees in the Med
 Target: not genetic diversity itself, but the
mechanism producing & maintaining
diversity
 Genetic system
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11. Strategies
 In situ: dynamic, allow evolution on site
 Forest management
 Secure pollen & seed movement
 Promote natural regeneration
 Expand management in non productive forests
 Landscape connectivity
 Restoration
 Local seed or best adapted seed
 Protected areas – networks
 Main forest species & their ecotypes
 Climate refugia & primary forests
 Estimated new refugial areas
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12. New approach in forest
management
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13. Adaptive conservation &
management
 Ex situ: to preserve current genetic
structures for future needs
 Frequent collection of reproductive material
from selected forests
 Restore in gene banks
 Keep in plantations in different locations
 Seed orchards for restoration purposes
 Adaptive breeding
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14. Some often discussed options
 Evacuation and transfer to the north (?)
 Will probably not work
 For small number of populations only
 Founder effect
 Breeding targeting adaptive genotypes (?)
 Will probably not work
 Takes time
 Application will be restricted
 Could reduce diversity in populations
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15. What is needed?
 Collaboration with various partners
 New forest management approach
 Effective forest protection framework
 International synergy
 Awareness about the importance of the
forest for society and economy
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16. Mediterranean forests
 Have accumulated adaptation potential
through
 Different climatic fluctuations in the past
 Spatially diverse environments
 Human pressure
 Best strategy: protect and manage them
to maintain adaptation mechanisms
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17. Thank you
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