Le peuplier noir en France: Pourquoi conserver ses ressources génétiques et comment les valoriser?

Abstract

Black poplars, which are seen as emblematic on the banks of rivers and streams, are attracting new interest because of their many ecological assets. The genetic resources of black poplar have been the subject matter of a national conservation programme since 1991, under the supervision of the Ministry for Agriculture and Fisheries. The crucial point of this programme is to evaluate the genetic diversity of the species and possibly identify a geographic pattern in connection with the watershed involved. On the basis of that diversity, in situ conservation sites located within habitats that are already protected will be identified. Finally, the programme is also expected to create new varieties of black poplar, three of which were already certified in February 2009. These varieties, called Loire plaine, Garonne and Rhin will be alternatives to the ornamental variety Populus nigra var. italica, and are intended for new uses of this species: landscaping and river bank revegetation by plant engineering or afforestation.