'Assessing the success of forest and landscape restoration efforts – What do genetic diversity indicators tell us?' highlights the importance of taking genetics into consideration when choosing tree seedlings for restoring degraded landscapes. Presented by Riina Jalonen, this presentation was part of ICRAF and partners'-organized Tree Diversity Day on the side lines of CBD COP12 in Korea, 2014.

1. Assessing the success of forest and landscape
restoration efforts – What do genetic diversity
indicators tell us?
CBD/COP12 - Riina Jalonen and Judy Loo

2. 2
Enormous potential of restoration to improve
resilience – unmet?
• Aichi Target 15: quantitative but also
qualitative
• Political commitments provide great
potential to build in adaptedness in
new forests
• But: little information about the
quality of restored forests and actual
success in restoring diverse and
resilient systems
Photo: FAO

3. 3
Genetic diversity is the foundation for:
Survival of planted trees on the restoration site
• Origin of seed must match (current and future)
site conditions to ensure adaptedness
Good growth, reproduction and resilience over
tree generations
• Seed source forests must be large and
genetically diverse enough to avoid inbreeding
and to contain genetic material for natural
selection
• Good seed collection practices must be
observed to capture the genetic diversity of the
seed sources
Photo: Lee Soong Leong

4. 4
Example: importance of
adaptedness for survival
Juglans nigra (Black walnut)
• Broad distribution in the US
• A provenance trial in
7 locations, 15-25 provenances
planted at each location
• Survival after 22 years was
much higher for local than
for the other provenances
(71% vs. 0% at some sites)
Bresnan et al. 1994
Photo: Rebecca Sherman

5. 5
Example: Effects of poor seed collection practices
accumulate over generations
Acacia mangium
• Introduced to Sabah from Australia in
1967 in two small stands (34 and ca.
300 trees)
• All trees had the same mother tree
• Used to establish more than 15 000
ha of plantations
• A nursery trial showed reduction in
average height by 44% from the first
to the third generation (Sim 1984).
Generation
Height
(cm)
First 32.5
Second 20.7
Third 18.1

6. Assessing success
of restoration
efforts with genetic
diversity Indicators

7. 7
Trends in population condition
Verifiable indicator Verifier
7. Genetic condition of selected
populations (population genetic
structure where appropriate)
7. Genetic parameters
7.1. Effective population size
7.2. Allelic richness
7.3. Outcrossing/inbreeding rate
7.4. Spatial genetic structure
7.5. Hybridization/introgression
Trends in (plantation) performance of selected species
Verifiable indicator Verifier
9. Profit from breeding vs. loss from ill-adapted
plantations
Graudal et al. 2014
9.1. Seed source performance (growth
and survival)
9.2. Realized genetic gain and profit

8. 8
Trends in sustainable use of genetic resources
Verifiable indicator Verifier
16. Number of tree species for which
regulation of use of forest
reproductive material exist
16. Number of tree species for which
regulation of use of forest reproductive
material exist
17. Number and type of improved seed
sources traded/exchanged (status of
genetic improvement)
17. Number and type of improved seed
sources traded/exchanged
18. Guidelines/regulations for matching
seed source and planting site
18.1. Certification scheme in place
18.2. Use of adapted seed sources
19. Guidelines/regulations for composition
and harvest of seed
sources (number of mother trees)
19. Use of diverse seed sources
Graudal et al. 2014

9. 9
Approach – trends in population condition and
performance
• Literature review of genetic studies conducted in restored forests
– How many studies conducted to assess genetic diversity of
tree species in restored forests?
– How many of these studies indicate adequate genetic considerations
in restoration practice?
• CAB Direct (1973-2014)
– Tree OR shrub OR forest
– Restored OR rehabilitated OR reforested OR afforested OR
revegetated OR reintroduced
– Genetic OR gene flow OR provenance.

10. 10
Approach – trends in
Sustainable use
• Review of the Country Reports for
the State of the World’s Forest
Genetic Resources report (2014)
• Eight countries in South, Southeast
and East Asia
– China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar
Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka
Thailand
– Most have set national restoration
targets and/or established
national restoration programmes
Atlas of forest restoration opportunities. Source: WRI • Reports published in 2011-2013.

11. Results

12. 12
Trends in population condition and performance of
selected species in restored forests
• 23 studies
(2003-2014)
• 22 tree species
• 14 families
• 12 countries
4
3
2
1
0
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Number of studies

13. 13
7. Genetic condition of populations
7.1. Effective population size
• Seed was collected from few, often related, trees in 6 of 7 studies
- Broadhurst et al. 2006, Burgarella et al. 2007, Cruz Neto et al. 2014, Kettle et al. 2008, Krishnan et al. 2013, Navascues
& Emerson 2007, Ritchie & Krauss 2012
7.2. Allelic richness
• Significantly lower in restored than natural populations in
8 of 13 studies
- Broadhurst 2011, 2013 ; Burgarella et al. 2007, Huang et al. 2013, Li et al. 2005, Liu et al. 2008, Navascues & Emerson
2007, Pakkad et al. 2008, Oliveira et al. 2006, Ritchie & Krauss 2012, Ruan et al. 2013, Salas-Leiva et al. 2009, Zhang
et al. 2006
• Geneflow from surrounding natural populations increased allelic
richness in planted populations in 4 of 5 studies
- Broadhurst 2013, Cruz Neto et al. 2014, Navascues & Emerson 2007, Pakkad et al. 2008, Ritchie & Krauss
2012

14. 14
7.5 Spatial genetic structure
• Planted trees were genetically distant
from nearby natural populations in 8
studies of 13
Broadhurst 2011, 2013 ; Burgarella et al. 2007, Cespedes et al.
2003, Huang et al. 2013, Krishnan et al. 2013, Li et al. 2005, Liu
et al. 2008, Navascues & Emerson 2007, Pakkad et al. 2008,
Sanchez et al. 2008, Sinclair et al. 2006, Ritchie & Krauss 2012,
Zhang et al. 2006
9.1. Seed source performance (growth
and survival)
• Lower germination, survival and/or
height growth in restored vs. natural
populations in 3 of 4 studies
Broadhurst et al. 2006, Li et al. 2012, Sanchez et al. 2008, Ritchie
& Krauss 2012

15. 15
Trends in sustainable use
of genetic resources –
8 Asian countries
17. Number and type of improved
seed sources traded/exchanged
• Seed from identified, selected or
tested sources available for 270
species
• Seed supply is insufficient to meet
the demand for quantity and/or
quality, according to 7 of 8 countries
• Lack of seed from identified sources
for native, endangered, and
agroforestry species
• Awareness of seed quality is low.
Photo: Soumitra Dhali

16. 16
18.2. Use of adapted seed sources
– Seed zones based on environmental
variation in 7 countries
– Respective seed sources for main
species identified
– Detailed seed zones for key species
based on progeny trials in 3
countries
– Problems:
• In 43% of cases, only one
identified or selected seed source
per species in a country
• Seed production areas insufficient
to meet the demand in each zones
• Enforcement
Photo: KMA Bandara

17. 17
19. Use of diverse seed sources
• Mandatory guidelines for tree seed collection for restoration in two countries
• Problems:
- Lack of quality seed for native sp.
- Narrow genetic base of trees, especially
on farm
- Requirements for seed source areas may
be inadequate
- Reliance on clonal material for
restoration
- Uncontrolled import of low quality seed
- disincentive

18. Conclusions

19. 19
Conclusions
• Data reviewed may not give a comprehensive or fully objective picture
• Limited availability of data itself is a cause of concern
• Results from available data suggest that it is common in forest restoration to
 Pay insufficient attention to geographical origin of seed
 Use seed sources that are too small to produce quality seed
 Collect seed from too few trees to capture genetic diversity
 These are reflected as poor germination, height growth and/or survival of seedlings in
restored forests

20. 20
Conclusions
• Asian countries have made good progress in enhancing seed supply from
identified and tested sources
• But
– These sources are still insufficient to meet the demand,
especially for native, endangered and on-farm species
– Even government-led restoration programmes may use
unidentified seed or rely on clones
– Relying on one seed source per species not likely to ensure
diversity and resilience
– Seed source classification has focused on level of selection and
geographical origin – but are the source populations also large
and genetically viable?
Resilience? Carbon sequestration? Effective use of resources?

21. Recommendations

22. 22
Recommendations
• Policymakers: Create demand for good
quality seed of native tree species through
political commitment, regulatory frameworks
and resource allocation
• Experts: Adjust existing seed collection
guidelines to restoration context and
changing climate
• Education and extension:
Provide training and support to restoration
practitioners about seed collection and
propagation techniques for native tree
species
• Everyone: Advocate for a more holistic view
in evaluating restoration success: quantity
AND quality
Preparing seed for direct seeding.
Photo: Luciana Akemi Deluci

23. Thematic Study commissioned
by FAO:
23
Genetic considerations in
ecosystem restoration using
native tree species (Bozzano
et al. 2014)
Freely available from:
http://bit.ly/1nAigbj

24. 24
Asia Pacific Forest Genetic Resources Programme
(APFORGEN)
• New Working Group to review
current tree seed programmes
and identify approaches for
strengthening them
www.apforgen.org
• Similar networks in other
regions –
EUFORGEN
LAFORGEN
SAFORGEN

25. Thank you
r.jalonen@cgiar.org
www.bioversityinternational.org