This report reviews the status and trends in the development of indicators of forest genetic diversity in all current criteria and indicator processes. It is evident that the issue of genetic diversity is not well addressed in any process, except perhaps in the Pan-European Process. Many current indicators of genetic diversity are not effective or lack practicality, and their relevance to sustainable forest management is tenuous.
Some useful developmental work is taking place in the Pan-European, Montreal and India-Bhopal Processes, but the other Processes are finding genetic diversity indicators very difficult to implement. Further development and testing of different surrogate attributes is an urgent necessity, but the impetus for this appears to be waning. Many countries that are participating in criteria and indicator processes are having difficulty with assessing this component of sustainable forest management.
The direct quantitative assessment of genetic diversity using biochemical techniques, while being a powerful tool for research purposes, has several conceptual and practical difficulties that are obstacles to its use for operational indicators. A great deal more research is required before these techniques could be put into routine use. It is likely that the best use of biochemical techniques is for the development and validation of effective surrogate indicators of genetic diversity.
From the survey of trends in genetic diversity indicators, it is apparent that qualitative indicators that require genetic diversity to be addressed are most appropriate at this stage at the national level. The issue seems best addressed on the ground, at sub-national or forest management unit level, in forest management plans or specific strategies for the conservation and management of genetic diversity. Such management plans or strategies need to cover all types of forest, including trees grown in agroforestry systems.
