| Project name |
Harnessing forest genetic resources for increasing options in the face |
| Acronym | OptFORESTS |
| Project coordinator | INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT (INRAE) |
| Project partner | Czech University of Life Science, Prague – Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences |
| Investigator | Ing. Jan Stejskal, Ph.D. |
| Total budget | 8 191 329 EUR |
| EU financial contribution | 8 008 387 EUR |
| Budget of FLD | 233 625 EUR |
| Implementation period | 1. 11. 2022 – 31. 10. 2027 |
| Name of programme | Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON) |
| More information: | Project website |
Forests are key elements of the European bioeconomy. To enhance provision of their ecosystem services, harnessing Forest Genetic Resources is essential.
OptFORESTS will support the conservation and sustainable use of Forest Genetic Resources, will evaluate adaptive and biomass traits in existing common gardens and newly-established next-generation ones, conserve and utilise unique tree lineages for ecosystem restoration and management, model future adaptation of trees at different life stages and conduct low-input breeding.
This will be complemented by studying the effects ofsilviculture and landscape heterogeneity on genetic diversity and developing new silvicultural options for genetically mixed forests, which will be implemented via training software (marteloscopes) and long-term demonstration plots.
To enable optimal supply of diversified Forest Genetic Resources, OptFORESTS will assess the European nursery sector, forecast future Forest Genetic Resourcesneeds, develop plant production technology and promote cooperation between nurseries. ¨
To ensure the uptake of New Breeding Strategies, they will be co-designed with local and EU-level stakeholders and a cost-benefit and gap analysis of key socio-economic, governance and policy issues will be developed.
Finally, the OptFORESTS tailored communication strategy will be instrumental in achieving long-term impacts supporting international and EU policy under the European Green Deal.