The role of biotechnology in forest genetic resource conservation

Abstract

In today’s world, in which the increasing demand of agricultural products and the changing needs of raw materials and environmental pressures are threatening all natural ecosystems, particularly the forest ecosystems, is specially important the knowledge and conservation of forest resources. Biotechnology offers new tools for complementing classical Forest Tree Improvement methodologies in order to manage Forest Genetic Resources (FGR). The impressive achievements of the techniques of Molecular Biology and Plant Tissue Culture in the last two decades are in the background of the development of fields such as DNA markers, tree genomics, genetic transformation, criopreservation and plant regeneration (expression of cellular totipotency). Particularly suitable for application to genetic resources are DNA markers, so that the nature, extent and distribution of natural variability of plant species can be assessed at the genome level, and therefore aiding in decisions about what and how to conserve. Criopreservation and plant regeneration are useful to conserve and micropropagate specific plant material for ex situ conservation and developing high-value clonal forestry. Different applications of these tools to forest trees are reviewed. The research work of Spanish groups dealing with Iberian species is placed in this context.