All the activity of this topic is great – but it raises a couple of questions I’m interested in 1) Is there a current listing anywhere (FAO?, IUFRO Div 2? Dendrome?) of forest geneticists and their areas of emphasis – I think this could be very valuable for future networking – especially in time of climate change, invasive insects and pathogens, etc. Not everyone can get to conferences and workshops, but most forest geneticists (and those pathologists & entomologists working with disease/insect resistance in forest trees) have email and can connect/interact to share expertise and successes . SEE BELOW for the 1998 World Directory listing; and for the more current (but still out of date?) listing on Dendrome – perhaps the Dendrome one could serve this purpose if everyone updates it (add current scientists; and perhaps a category for retired and deceased?) 2) I would be VERY interested in hearing about any successful operational/applied disease or insect resistance programs for forest trees (the area that I work in) – both for non-native pathogens and insects as well as for native ones; both for plantation forestry as well as for restoration purposes (such as one of the programs I am involved with for developing white pine blister rust resistance in whitebark pine (a species proposed for listing in the U.S. under the Endangered Species Act)). Please email me any information at rsniezko@fs.fed.us<mailto:rsniezko@fs.fed.us> – rather than sending to all of Division 2. I am particularly interested in programs that have gotten to the stage of reforestation or restoration with resistant seedlings (or rooted cuttings, etc). An email contact of one or more people associated with such programs would be appreciated. I’ve been involved in organizing several international workshops of disease and insect resistance and am considering organizing another one in the near future - scientists that would be interested in such a workshop can also send me their contact information (see information on the 2011 workshop (and its proceedings) and the 2015 workshop below) for information on two recent meetings. A few references on resistance work and programs is below – but in general it is out of date, not world-wide, and shows relatively few programs that have advanced to the reforestation/restoration stage using resistant materials. Some of this is obviously due to the long-term commitments needed to develop an applied program, but compiling information on other programs that have progressed to this stage, or are currently aiming for it (rather than just in the ‘research’ phase) would be usefu Thank you in advance. -Richard Some notable resources below (but perhaps a listing of other key ones can be sent to me): Yanchuk & Allard 2009 discuss tree improvement programs for forest health in the presence of climate change (Yanchuk & Allard 2009, Unasylva 231/232 Vol. 60: 50-56<http://www.fao.org/docrep/011/i0670e/i0670e11.htm>) FAO Document: Selection and breeding for insect and disease resistance http://www.fao.org/forestry/26445/en/ http://ucanr.edu/sites/tree_resistance_2011conference/ https://colloque.inra.fr/tree-parasite-interactions2015 Title: World directory of forest geneticists and tree breeders (http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/28857) Author: Ledig, F. Thomas<http://www.fs.fed.us/research/people/tomledig100>; Neale, David B. compilers; Date: 1998 Source: Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-170. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 189 p Publication Series: General Technical Report (GTR) Description: A formal task of the Forest Genetic Resources Study Group/North American Forestry Commission/Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Working Party 2.04.09 / Division 2- Physiology and Genetics / International Union of Forest ResearchOrganizations, this international directory lists more than 1,800 forest geneticists and tree breeders from 86 countries. Each listing includes the entrant's title, mailing address, phone and fax numbers, and email address, when available. Indices organize entrants by country, by alphabetical order, by taxa of interest, and by research subjects. The Dendrome project maintains a comprehensive colleague database for researchers in and related to the field of forest genetics. This directory stores information on individuals research interests and species specialities. Members of TreeGenes receive regular updates and new features on the site. In addition, members are associated with publications, species records, and data sets they are associated with. Users of TreeGenes are encouraged to contribute to the content and assist in improving the resource for the community! https://dendrome.ucdavis.edu/treegenes/directory/ This database currently represents 2131 colleagues from 94 countries and 866 organizations [Forest Service Shield] Richard A. Sniezko, PhD Center Geneticist Forest Service Dorena Genetic Resource Center p: 541-767-5716 c: 541-954-6793 f: 541-767-5709 rsniezko@fs.fed.us<mailto:rsniezko@fs.fed.us> 34963 Shoreview Drive Cottage Grove, OR 97424 www.fs.fed.us<http://www.fs.fed.us/> [http://wwwstatic.fs.usda.gov/images/email/usda-logo.png]<http://usda.gov… Logo]<https://twitter.com/forestservice>[Facebook Logo]<http://facebook.com/USDA> Caring for the land and serving people From: div2 [mailto:div2-bounces@lists.iufro.org] On Behalf Of Ashish Pandey Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2016 7:59 AM To: IUFRO Division 2 List &lt;div2(a)lists.iufro.org&gt; Subject: Re: [IUFRO Div 2] On developing a basic online course for tropical forest genetics Dear Sheila, I'm also interested in participating this initiative. My specialization in plant tissue culture and ecology of high altitude plants. I have done my Ph. D in propagation of quercus species of central Himalaya India.Under which I have developed in vitro propagation protocoles for three important Quercus species viz. Quercus leucotrichophora, Q. serrata and Q. semecarpifolia. On Wed, Jul 6, 2016 at 2:46 PM, Marijke Steenackers <marijke.steenackers@inbo.be<mailto:marijke.steenackers@inbo.be>> wrote: Dear Sheila, it will be a great challenge to organize this course! My contribution could be in the field of selection and breeding of fast growing species , and I have longtime experience in forest pathology and disease resistance through field- and laboratory tests. Kind regards, Marijke Steenackers 2016-06-16 19:50 GMT+02:00 Sheila Ward <mahoganyforthefuture@gmail.com<mailto:mahoganyforthefuture@gmail.com>>: Dear IUFRO Physiology and Genetics Division 2: I am thinking about preparing a basic forest genetics course for the forest engineering program at the Technical Institute of the Zona Maya in Chetumal, Quintana Roo. It could be part of larger effort to establish an online course available to any interested person, perhaps available in multiple languages (English, Spanish, French). The course materials might be used for a local course, or for review. This sort of material is best given in a face-to-face class, but I think it would help a local instructor to have such materials available. I believe is a big need for this sort of course for many tropical areas. I am wondering if anyone would be interested helping to construct this course? Credit would be given to all participants. Thanks, -- Aseesh Pandey Ph. D (Botany) Mob: +919458940052 This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. 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