“FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES INFORMATION” QUESTIONNAIRE

The first issue of F.G.R.I. contained a questionnaire which solicited the views of potential readers on the overall usefulness of an international newsletter on forest genetic resources and the subject matter such a newsletter should contain. A report on the questionnaire returns was made in F.G.R.I. 2. Although the initial response of 15% of the readership could be considered good by many standards, the questionnaire was circulated a second time to obtain the views of a greater number of readers.

The overall response to the two questionnaires was excellent. Of approximately 1 750 readers, 575 (or 33%) replied. Seventy-two were so enthusiastic that they returned both questionnaires, and the second had to be dutifully disregarded.

There was overwhelming agreement that a newsletter of this type would fulfil a useful function, although a few readers felt that similar information is available in Silvae Genetica and various regional newsletters. As mentioned in F.G.R.I. 1, the overlap with Silvae Genetica is at most minimal, since the latter is primarily an outlet for scientific papers on original research, whereas F.G.R.I. is concerned largely with summarized information and news items, particularly on seed collecting expeditions. Occasional overlap with a few regional newsletters will undoubtedly occur, but emphasis in F.G.R.I. would be on news of international, rather than regional or local, importance.

Following is a breakdown of the subject matter preference indicated in the questionnaire returns. The figures confirm the preliminary conclusions made in F.G.R.I. 1:

1. Greatest priority should be given to information on exploration, collection and evaluation of forest genetic resources;

2. High priority should also be attached to summaries on forest genetic resources of individual species;

3. Information on conservation, utilization, records and news items should receive intermediate priority;

4. Reports from related fields in agricultural plant genetic resources are of little interest to readers of F.G.R.I.

The questionnaire item requesting readers to indicate which forest tree species they consider to be most important from their own and a global viewpoint did not lend itself to meaningful analysis. Numerous species were mentioned, from commercially important to little known ones, from wide-ranging to local ones and those from temperate to tropical climates. It is believed that the best guidance on the species to be covered by F.G.R.I. is obtained in the list of “Forest genetic resources priorities (by region, species and operation)” drawn up by the FAO Panel on Forest Gene Resources and reproduced as Table 6 of F.G.R.I. 4, although coverage need not be limited to these species.

Readers are reminded that they have voted decidedly in favour of FAO publishing an international newsletter on the lines of F.G.R.I. If F.G.R.I. is to continue to serve a useful function, the collaboration of all readers will be required. Share your information with colleagues in other countries - contribute to F.G.R.I. !

REPLIES TO “FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES INFORMATION” QUESTIONNAIRE

¹ Because of a printing error in the English and Spanish versions of the first questionnaire, a number of correspondents did not answer questions 4a and 4b separately.