COST Action E 52 - vTI - Bund.de

GeNeTIc resources, coNservaTIoN aNd The use oF ForesT
reProducTIve maTerIaL
Most of the beech plantations in The Netherlands are planted, an unknown amount with imported
plant material and from unknown sources. However, inventories showed that there is still some
beech forest from putative autochthonous origin. This autochthonous material is scarce, often
located on private estates or nature reserves and therefore less easily accessible and the price of
seeds and plants is therefore relatively high. As a result of an often negative selection in the forests
owned by community (the best performing trees were harvested first) in the past it appears that the
quality of trees from these rare sources did not meet the requirements in terms of forestry standards
mentioned in the former EU Directive on Forest Reproductive Material (no. 66/404/EEC) (de Vries
1998a, b). However, the new Directive on Forest Reproductive Material (no. 1999/105/EEC) is now
implemented in Dutch National Law, in the Seed and Plant Act 2005. This new Directive enables
EU countries to introduce a new category “Source Identified Basic Material” (SI) in their National
Catalogues of basic material. This opened new ways and possibilities for autochthonous seed sources
of beech to be included in the system of certification of Forest Reproductive Material and to be used
in restoration projects of original ecosystems and forests. In this category of SI to date three areas of
beech forest with a total of 440 ha have been selected with the aim of gene conservation and use of
this valuable original genetic material.
The Dutch List of Recommended Varieties and Provenances of Trees is issued every other five years;
the latest was issued in June 200 covering the period from 200 to 2012. Intermediate updates are
provided in the case basic material is renewed, removed or changed (Kranenborg, Jager, de Vries
2010). In the category “Selected basic material” a total of 21 stands of beech have been selected by
the Board for Plant Varieties (Raad voor plantenrassen) (Anonymous 200 ). The majority of these
are roadside plantations. The Dutch List of Recommended Varieties and Provenances of Trees
also contains a number of provenances from Germany and Belgium recommended for use in The
Netherlands.
A National Policy Document of the Government of the Netherlands was introduced during the
COP meeting on Biodiversity in The Hague in April 2002: “Sources of Existence: Conservation and
the sustainable use of genetic diversity” (Anonymous 2002). It covers genetic resources of all kinds
including agricultural and horticultural crops, animal genetic resources and forest genetic resources.
The content of this document enables relevant parties to implement the conservation of forest genetic
resources in different ways. To date for beech only the designation of nature reserves has taken place
and no other initiatives in relation to, for instance, gene banks have been undertaken.
In relation to the EU funded project “European Information System on Forest Genetic Resources
(EUFGIS)” so far one Gene Conservation Unit (GCU) has been designated for The Netherlands.
reFereNces
Anonymous. 2002. Bronnen van ons bestaan. Behoud en duurzaam gebruik van Genetische
diversiteit. [Sources of Existence. Conservation and the sustainable use of genetic diversity.]
Ministerie LNV. Den Haag, maart 2002. 69 p.
Anonymus. 200 . Achtste Rassenlijst van Bomen. [8th List of Recommended Varieties and
Provenances of Trees.] Raad voor plantenrassen, Ede. 530 pp.
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