[IUFRO Div 7] IUFRO Stockholm - technical session on forest genetics tools to improve forest resilience to climate change and forest health

Dear all, Division 1 (Silviculture), Division 2 (Physiology and Genetics), and Division 7 (Forest Health) co-organized a technical session at the IUFRO Congress in Stockholm, 2024. The goal of the session is to showcase complementary research conducted within these divisions that can be brought together to address significant problems for future forests: “Forest genetics tools to improve forest resilience to climate change and forest health” - T1.12 Trees are under increasing threat from pathogens and pests that can potentially cause a reduction in growth and wood quality, increasing levels of tree mortality, and functional extinction of tree species and disruption of associated ecosystems. The effects of climate change are likely to increase the impacts of these biotic agents and lead to drastic changes in the dynamics of forest ecosystems. Genetics is a basic building block for organisms and species to evolve and help mitigate impacts of damaging biotic and abiotic agents and can be especially valuable in long-lived tree species. The use of forest genetic knowledge and tree breeding is a valuable tool in helping to ensure the forests of the future are healthy and resilient. The presentations in this proposed technical session will examine successful breeding programs for both commercial tree species and keystone tree species valued for a myriad of ecosystem services. Much of the current afforestation, reforestation, or restoration efforts use local seed sources, but under climate change, the adaptability of these populations may no longer be optimal; therefore, assisted migration is a tool widely being debated to replace or supplement local populations and help establish forests that will have the best chance of being healthy and resilient into the future. Success will require broad inter-disciplinary inputs from forest genetics, tree breeding, silviculture and forest health specialists at all stages of development and implementation. The technical session will address what is needed for success in both breeding and assisted migration, providing examples of successful applied programs and efforts that are underway. The current understanding of the genetics of the host-pathogen interaction will also be included. Understanding the interactions between hosts and pathogens may provide enhanced ways of increasing resistance to pathogens, such as targets for genetic engineering techniques. The topics addressed are broad but are all focussed on preventing forest trees from damage caused by pathogens. We will particularly encourage the participation of early career scientists and graduate students and invite posters to be presented. The session includes talks and posters and the deadline for submission is 2 June 2023: https://iufro2024.com/call-for-congress-abstract. We hope you will consider contributing to this session! Best regards, Caterina Villari, Rosario Garcia Gill, Tod Ramsfield, Santiago Gonzalez-Martinez, and Jens Peter Skovsgaard ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Caterina Villari (she/her) Associate Professor Co-Director - Southern Pine Health Research Cooperative 706-389-5031 Office 706-542-0119 Lab cvillari(a)uga.edu Villari Forest Pathology Lab<https://warnell.uga.edu/about/centers-labs/villari-forest-pathology-… southernpinehealth.org<https://southernpinehealth.org/> D.B. Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 E Green Street Athens, GA 30602 Integrated Plant Sciences: ips.uga.edu<https://ips.uga.edu/>