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Cheaper and better ways to regenerate beech forests are important research issues. Sowing and<br />
planting are two methods with a big potential to improve as well as naturally regeneration on<br />
poor, acid soils. Examples of questions where the Swedish research tries to find answers are: 1) is it<br />
possible to minimize the costs for pre-commercial thinning and to shorten the rotation period with<br />
retained stem quality? 2) Could the thinning program be more rational, but less intensive without<br />
any major effect on growth and stem quality? Tree-living lichens in close-to-nature managed forests,<br />
biodiversity in beech production forests, innovations and use of the beech wood, and recreation and<br />
health-aspects of hardwood forests are other research fields also in progress (The broadleaf program<br />
2008).<br />
GeNeTIc resources aNd LeGIsLaTIoN<br />
Climatic adaptation is of great importance for practical forestry. If the reforestation material is not<br />
climatically adapted to the plantation site, there will be a consi<strong>de</strong>rable risk of damage, reducing growth<br />
and <strong>de</strong>teriorating timber quality, with resultant economic losses. Climatic adaptation is therefore one<br />
of the key traits for a successful establishment of high quality beech forests.<br />
Today there is a lack of good Swedish indigenous forest reproductive material of many broadleaved<br />
species, among others beech, which is compensated for by importing material mainly from Poland<br />
and Germany. However, our knowledge about north transfer effects on survival, vitality and growth<br />
is very limited, and might be crucial since the northern limit of natural distribution of many “noble<br />
hardwood” species is found in southern Swe<strong>de</strong>n. Thus, it is recommen<strong>de</strong>d primarily to use material<br />
from seed orchards and as a second choice from approved seed stands close to the cultivation<br />
location.<br />
The tree breeding work with beech is very extensive. Earlier activities, in the 1940s and 1950s, had<br />
resulted in two seed orchards. Both orchards contain untested plus-trees from southern Swe<strong>de</strong>n.<br />
The plus-trees are now being tested in two progeny tests established in year 1998. To increase<br />
the knowledge of the transferring effects of different beech material within Europe, two series of<br />
international beech provenance trials (1993/95 and 1996/98) were established throughout Europe.<br />
One trial in each of the series was established in Swe<strong>de</strong>n.<br />
Only reproductive material from seed sources approved by each of the member countries of EU can<br />
be used commercially. In Swe<strong>de</strong>n the application is examined by the Swedish Forest Agency. All<br />
approved seed sources in Swe<strong>de</strong>n are registered in a national list which can be found on the web,<br />
http://www.svo.se/episerver4/templates/SNormalPage.aspx?id=11530. A seed source is approved<br />
when it is expected to produce forest stands with good prerequisites for good <strong>de</strong>velopment and<br />
acceptable yield.<br />
In Swe<strong>de</strong>n, the approved basic material is divi<strong>de</strong>d into seed orchards, seed collection stands and seed<br />
collection areas. The different seed sources are listed separately and maps over the seed collection<br />
areas are provi<strong>de</strong>d. The seed collection stands are selected based on factors stipulated by the OECD.<br />
The seed collection areas consist of several stands of genetically more or less homogenous, mainly<br />
autochthonous forests. Mixing of seeds is only allowed within a region of provenance (Fig. 2). Each<br />
seed orchard and seed collection area is consi<strong>de</strong>red to be a region of provenance.<br />
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