Centre for forest conservation genetics

It's easy to support a motherhood statement like "genetic diversity should be conserved." After more than a decade of attention to this topic, most of us realize that genetic variation provides the raw material for future selection in tree improvement programs for new traits (e.g., resistance to new insects or diseases, or changes in fibre quality to meet new industrial demands). We also realize that natural populations require genetic diversity to adapt to new environmental conditions, to allow evolution to proceed. But how do we go about conserving genetic diversity, and how can we rigorously assess whether we are meeting this goal? In 2000, the Forest Genetics Council of British Columbia (FGC) realized that, while gene conservation continued to be a high priority, this objective was not being met in a strategic and rigorous manner. As a result, the Centre for Forest Conservation Genetics (CFCG) was established in the Department of Forest Sciences at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Funding is provided from the Forest Investment Account (FIA). The CFCG has a mandate from the Forest Genetics Council to (1) study population genetic structure of forest trees using existing or new data; (2) assess the current degree of gene conservation both in situ in existing reserves and ex situ collections, and the need for additional protection; and (3) evaluate the current degree of maintenance of genetic diversity in breeding and deployment populations of improved varieties to meet current and future environmental challenges. This website is a portal for forest genetics and climate change research conducted in British Columbia, Canada.