B4EST - Adaptive BREEDING for productive, sustainable and resilient FORESTs under climate change (DBA.AD002.179)

Thematic area

Biology, agriculture and food sciences

Project area

Structure responsible for the research project

Institute of plant genetics (IBBR)

Project manager

GIOVANNIGIUSEPPE VENDRAMIN
Phone number: 0555225725
Email: giovannigiuseppe.vendramin@cnr.it

Abstract

The goal of B4EST is to increase forest survival, health, resilience and productivity under climate change and natural disturbances, while maintaining genetic diversity and key ecological functions, and fostering a competitive EU bio-based economy. B4EST will provide forest tree breeders, managers and policy makers with: 1) better scientific knowledge on adaptation profiles and sustainable productivity, and added value of raw materials in important tree species, 2) new and flexible adaptive tree breeding strategies and tools, 3) tree genotypes of highly adaptive and economical value, 4) decision-support tools for the choice and use of Forest Reproductive Material (FRM) while balancing production, resilience and genetic diversity, 5) integrative performance models to guide FRM deployment at stand and landscape level, and 6) policy recommendations to adapt the EU forest production systems to new challenges. B4EST will capitalise on the resources developed by past and current European projects to produce - together with tree breeders, forest managers and the industry - operational solutions to better adapt forests to climate change and reinforce the competitiveness of the EU forest-ba

Goals

The strategic goal of B4EST is to increase forest survival, health, resilience and productivity under climate change and natural disturbances, while maintaining genetic diversity and key ecological functions and fostering a competitive EU bio-based economy. B4EST will provide forest tree breeders, forest owners, managers and policy makers with: 1) better scientific knowledge of adaptation profiles to increase sustainable forest productivity, and added value of raw materials for economically important tree species, 2) new and flexible adaptive tree breeding strategies and tools, 3) tree genotypes of high adaptive and economic value, 4) decision-support tools for the choice and use of Forest Reproductive Material (FRM) for balancing production, resilience and genetic diversity, 5) robust management and transfer recommendations for FRM deployment at stand and landscape levels, 6) policy recommendations to adapt European forest production systems to the challenges posed by climate change and natural disturbances, and to meet societal demands set to sustainable and multifunctional utilization of forest resources.

Start date of activity

01/05/2018

Keywords

Forest adaptation to climate change, Forest resilience, Plant genetics

Last update: 06/07/2025