Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) can contribute to mitigate and support societies in the adaptation to climate change impacts. Restored landscapes will only be able to fulfil societal benefits if these systems have built-in capacity to adapt to changing environments. To do so, restoration activities must consider the importance of Forest Genetic Resources (FGR) to establish ecosystems consisting of viable and genetically diverse populations that are resilient in the present and future environmental conditions.

Genetic diversity will ensure adaptive potential to resist pest and disease outbreaks and cope with climate change, including increased droughts and extreme weather events. Failure to take genetic diversity and quality into account in restoration has serious consequences, as it will undermine growth and survival of trees, as well as future productivity of tree crops and the ability of restored sites to support biodiversity. The aim of these webinars is to help build the capacity of stakeholders to understand the importance of FGR in scaling up the delivery of seed and other reproductive material.

The webinar, jointly organized with Bioversity International, will provide knowledge and guidance on:

• the latest tools in understanding species distribution, understanding threat analysis and defining seed zones for seed transfer;
• what information is necessary to make informed decisions on site matching of planting material to local conditions;
• how best to manage uncertainty in the context of limited prior information; and
• key challenges faced by participants with species selection and seed source site identification.

For more information please contact: [email protected]