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Introduction
Tropical
forests provide a wide range of products and services in the Asia, the Pacific
and Oceania (APO) region.
The forests are
important both for the region’s wood-based industries and also for over a
billion rural people. There is a constant need to increase agricultural
production for the increasing population and currently wood energy is a basic
source of fuel for more than 2 billion people in the region. In addition to
fuelwood and traditional medicines, forests provide a significant amount of
foods that supplement what is obtained from agriculture, thus increasing food
security. Forests also have an important role in poverty alleviation through the
income generating opportunities that various wood and non-wood forest products (NTFPs)
offer to local communities.
Timber and
non-timber products are not only important for local communities but also for
national economies. Forests also conserve soil and water resources, help to
mitigate climate change and maintain cultural and religious heritage.
The importance
of tropical forests has been widely recognized but their area is still
diminishing and the remaining forests are being degraded. The annual
deforestation rate was 3.1 million hectares in tropical Asia alone and 0.8
million hectares in tropical Oceania between 1990 and 1995 according to the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). However, there are
increasing global and national efforts underway to promote sustainable forest
management for multiple benefits and this is likely to improve the situation.
These efforts need to be supported and enhanced, especially at the operational
level.
Deforestation
and subsequent fragmentation are major threats to forest genetic resources (FGR).
Many forest species in the APO region have been exposed to over-exploitation or
the forests have been converted for agricultural to such an extent that the
species' future existence is in jeopardy. Thus there is an urgent need to
conserve and manage FGR to halt genetic erosion and to prevent the irreversible
losses by extinction. The task involves improving policies and actions to ensure
the existence and evolution of the genetic resources as an integral part of
sustainable forest management. Only this way, tropical forests can provide the
products and services in the future and contribute to sustainable development in
the APO region and elsewhere.
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Objectives
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The
conservation and use of FGR is one of the eight priority domains of IPGRI. The
overall objective of IPGRI’s global FGR project is to support strategic and
coordinated research on the conservation, sustainable use and management of
intraspecific diversity of forest species for present and future generations.
In relation to this, specific measures are taken to allow continued adaptation
of plant populations under changing environment and to prevent genetic erosion
and species extinction.
The global
project also aims to strengthen national activities to improve conservation
and sustainable use of FGR in different continents. It is structured around
the following specific themes:
·
Decision
strategies on priorities for conservation and sustainable use of FGR
·
Locating and
assessing diversity in tropical forests
·
Developing
genetic conservation activities on
bamboo and rattan
·
In situ
conservation of tropical forests
·
Effective
conservation and sustainable use of tropical forest tree seeds
·
International cooperation and partnership on FGR
·
Supporting
regional activities on FGR
·
Developing a
global information system
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Activities
The work
carried out in the APO region has so far focused on locating and assessing
diversity in tropical forests, conserving bamboo and rattan genetic resources
and in situ and ex situ conservation of genetic diversity. All
activities are implemented in close collaboration with national partners, such
as forest research institutions, government agencies and NGOs. Several national
partners in the APO region have also been involved in the project on
recalcitrant and intermediate tropical forest tree seeds, jointly implemented
with Danida Forest Seed Centre, Denmark.
Development of APFORGEN programme
The Asia
Pacific Forest Genetic Resources Programme (APFORGEN) is a regional initiative
to support national FGR programmes and link national and regional institutions
working on FGR conservation and management. Its aim is to enhance technical and
scientific cooperation, training and information exchange among countries. The
programme secretariat is jointly managed by IPGRI and Asia Pacific Association
of Forest Research Institutions (APAFRI). For more information about APFORGEN,
please contact the programme secretariat (secretariat@apforgen.org) or see the
website of the APFORGEN programme (www.apforgen.org).
Threatened tree species in Vietnam
IPGRI's
partners at Research Centre for Forest Tree Improvement of the Forest Science
Institute of Vietnam have focused on threatened and valuable forest tree
species, such as Pterocarpus macrocarpus, Xylia xylocarpa, Dalbergia oliveri
and Chukrasia tabularis. Timber of the four species is often used for
furniture, decoration and construction as well as supporting poles for growing
pepper and other vegetables.
Currently the species can only be found in some national parks and conservation
areas. Their natural regeneration potential seems to be high, except in P.
macrocarpus, but the intensive use of all species still makes them
endangered. Representative populations of the species have been selected for
conservation and further investigations. Ongoing research is focusing on
assessing genetic diversity among different populations of Pterocarpus
macrocarpus and Xylia xylocarpa by isozyme studies.
Developing conservation strategies for rare dipterocarps
Dipterocarps
are economically very valuable tree species for many countries in the Southeast
Asian region. In addition, dipterocarp forests host a huge array of
biodiversity. However, developed conservation strategies for dipterocarp species
are lacking in many countries. In 2001 the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
and IPGRI initiated a study on Shorea lumutensis, a rare and endemic
species in Peninsular Malaysia, to explore the genetic diversity and develop
conservation strategies for the species.
Genetic diversity of framework species in northern
Thailand
The Forest
Restoration Research Unit (FORRU) of the Chiang Mai University has been applying
and developing the so-called framework species method for the rehabilitation of
degraded forests in northern Thailand. FORRU and IPGRI are collaborating in
assessing the genetic variation and gene flow of some important framework
species, such as Prunus cerasoides and Quercus semiserrata.
Conservation of forest genetic resources in India
The Ashoka
Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) in Bangalore has been
coordinating and implementing research on in situ conservation of FGR
together with scientists from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore
and the University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA. The research efforts have
concentrated on assessing and locating genetic diversity in various tree, bamboo
and rattan species, and more recently the approach has been at ecosystem-level.
Data from various sources have been compiled into a geographical information
system (GIS) and different thematic maps have been produced for the Western
Ghats region in southern India.
Future efforts aim at developing an ecosystem-based model for conservation of
genetic resources in the region. Conservation needs of important forest species
will be identified by elements structured hierarchically from ecosystems and
landscapes up to specific regions. The sites should represent a wide range of
different habitats and be rich in terms of genetic and species diversity. Only
this way, the clusters of spotted sites can harbour most of the genetic and
biological diversity in the Western Ghats region.
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Publications
IPGRI publishes a newsletter (FGR Research Highlights), which provides an update
on the institute's research on conservation and use of FGR worldwide. Other
publications are produced irregularly. All publications are available on request
and listed at the Global FGR Home Page (see below).
Global forest genetic resources activities
More information on IPGRI's FGR activities can be found from the
Global FGR Home Page
IPGRI Contact in the APO region
Hong L.T. (Bamboo, Rattan and FGR Specialist)
Email:
l.hong@cgiar.org
Markku Larjavaara (Associate Scientist, Forest Genetic Resources)
Email :
m.Larjavaara@cgiar.org
Mailing address
International
Plant Genetic Resources Institute
Regional Office for Asia, the Pacific and Oceania
PO Box 236, UPM Post Office, Serdang
43400 Selangor D.E., Malaysia
Tel.
+603-89423891, Fax +603-89487655 top
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Forest genetic resources in Asia, the Pacific and Oceania region
Introduction