TROPICAL TREES: POTENTIAL FOR DOMESTICATION

Rebuilding Forest Resources

The Edinburgh Centre for Tropical Forests has recently announced a conference on the above subject in honour of IUFRO's Centennial Year. The conference will be held at the Watt Centre of Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K., 24– 28 August 1992.

The purpose of the conference is to draw attention to work on the wide range of tropical trees that are not usually components of major afforestation/agroforestry programmes, but which could diversify production, promote genetic conservation, enhance the development of sustainable land-use and contribute to domestic, regional and international trade.

The conference will focus on:

• the identification of the resources

• the potential and actual progress made to:

  conserve the genetic resources and domesticate the species by selection, breeding and cloning;

  develop appropriate silvicultural and agroforestry systems;

  harness the symbiotic associations between the trees and their microflora.

The conference is aimed at research biologists, development agencies, commercial companies NGO's and students.

For additional information please contact:

Dr. R.R.B. Leakey, The Institute of Terrestrial Ecology.
Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 OQB, Scotland, U.K.