Forest tree breeding has been ongoing for more than 70 years across Europe. It has successfully generated improved varieties for the major economical forest tree species. They are part of the present European forestry landscape and largely contribute to intensive wood production and other forest activities. In this book, we describe the state-of-art of breeding for the main forest tree species. We provide a comprehensive, unique and up-to-date overview of the major scientific results and breeding achievements gathered from the many programmes scattered across Europe. The book is divided into 10 chapters, each as a monograph corresponding to a species or group of species Abies spp., (Larix spp., Picea abies, Picea sitchensis, Pinus sylvestris, Pseudotsuga menziesii, and Mediterranean pines; Acer pseudoplatanus, Fraxinus excelsior, and Prunus avium). Each of them is written by a group of experts and focuses on the distribution and economical importance of the species; motivation for breeding and breeding objectives; intraspecific genetic variability, breeding populations and breeding strategy; forest reproductive material deployment including mass-propagation and, prospects and perspectives for joint research and breeding. The book is a unique and up-dated source of information for students, researchers and professionals interested in the genetics and domestication of forest tree species.

Forest tree improvement has mainly been implemented to enhance the productivity of artificial forests. However, given the drastically changing global environment, improvement of various traits related to environmental adaptability is more essential than ever. This book focuses on genetic information, including trait heritability and the physiological mechanisms thereof, which facilitate tree improvement. Nineteen papers are included, reporting genetic approaches to improving various species, including conifers, broad-leaf trees, and bamboo. All of the papers in this book provide cutting-edge genetic information on tree genetics and suggest research directions for future tree improvement.

It has become apparent, during discussions with students and colleagues in forest genetics, that a universal concern is the achievement of diverse goals of forestry from fiber production in industrial as well as farm forests to conserving forest ecosystems. Although we generally have several breeding methods available and several species to breed, we seek to satisfy multiple-use goals on diverse sites by management techniques that at best can only partially control edaphic environmental variation. The dominant approach, which was agriculturally motivated, has involved inten sive effort with complicated breeding plans on single species for uniform adaptability and single-product plantations. However, this is obviously neither the only, nor necessarily the best, solution for the genetic management of tree species, and thus our intent in this volume is to develop ways to achieve multiple objectives in tree breeding. We include an array of breeding plans from simple iterated designs to sets of multiple populations capable of using gene actions for different traits in different environments for uncertain futures. The presentation is organized around the development of breeding from single-to multiple-option plans, from single to multiple traits, from single to mUltiple environ ments, and from single to multiple populations. However, it is not a complete "How To" book, and includes neither exercises nor instructions on data handling. It also does not include discussion of all modes of reproduction and inheritance encountered in plants.

Introduction to Forest Genetics examines some of the basic genetic concepts typically used in forestry and tree improvement studies, including Mendelian and population genetics. It also describes techniques that are generally useful in tree improvement work, including individual tree selection and breeding, provenance testing, species and racial hybridization, and introduction of exotics. Organized into 19 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of forest genetics and problems associated with forest genetics. It then discusses concepts from basic genetics, including chromosome structure and function; DNA and RNA; nongenetic inheritance; and genotype versus phenotype. Other chapters focus on inbreeding: complete elimination of homozygous recessive trees; mutation and migration; and controlled pollination and vegetative propagation. The book also covers the establishment and measurement of test plantations; general principles and methods of selective breeding; choice of breeding method and type of seed orchard; heritability and genetic gain; geographic variation in Scotch pine and American trees; species and racial hybridization; chromosome studies; and polyploidy and haploidy breeding. This book is a valuable resource for foresters, professional tree breeders, and those with or without previous training in genetics or forestry.

This book, which contains 20 chapters, integrates the varied subdisciplines of genetics and their applications in gene conservation, tree improvement and biotechnology. Topics covered include: genetic variation in natural forests, the application of genetics in tree improvement and breeding programmes, and genomic sequences and molecular technologies. This book will be a valuable resource for students, scientists and professionals in the plant sciences, especially forest geneticists, tree breeders, forest managers and other natural resource specialists.