Forest genetic resources of south-eastern europe and their conservation

Abstract

As a result of the climatic and the geo-morphological peculiarities of South-eastern Europe and of the historical development of its vegetation, especially during the Tertiary and Quaternary, at the present this part of the Old Continent possesses the largest number of forest tree species presenting valuable genetic resources. Today this part of Europe includes three phytogeographic regions: European Deciduous Forest Zone, European Steppe-and-Forest-Steppe Zone and Mediterranean Sclerophyllic Forest Zone, which possess significant vegetation diversity. The horizontal zonal differentiation from 35° to 48° northern latitude and the vertical altitudinal range in the big mountain massifs as Rila-Rhodopes, Balkan Mts., Carpathians, Dinar Chain, Olimp, Pind and other mountains determine to a great extent the wide phyto-geographic range of species—from boreal to Mediterranean ones. The natural phytogeographic links of South-eastern Europe with Asia Minor and Caucasus enrich the flora of this region. The composition of the deciduous forests is dominated mainly by representatives of Fagaceae, Aceraceae, Tiliaceae, Betulaceae, Rosaceae, Oleaceae, Salicaceae, Ulmaceae, Juglandaceae, Platanaceae and other families. The conifers are from Pinaceae, Cupressaceae and Taxaceae families, of greater economic importance being the species from genera Pinus, Picea, Abies and Larix. The conservation of the forest genetic resources in this region is performed by the in situ and ex situ methods, predominantly by the first one. © 2002 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.