Marginal/peripheral populations of forest tree species and their conservation status: report for southeastern Europe

Abstract

The Southeastern Europe, which is usually known as Balkan Peninsula, harbours a vast number of plant species among which a great number of relict and endemic ones. This region was one of the main areas in Europe where plant species found shelter in refugia and survived during the last glaciation. These refugia were the source areas for the postglacial colonization of many forest tree species. Human impact has been reported in the region since antiquity resulting in fragmentation of forests and deforestation. Marginal/peripheral (MaP) populations could be identified for most of the forest tree species occurring in the region. However, detailed information about MaP populations is restricted to few cases. Most of the MaP populations identified by FP1202 experts are not located in protected areas. Thus, approximately 27 % of the MaP populations are included in Natura 2000 sites, and only one out of the four reported populations is included in a genetic conservation unit. Many MaP populations (40%) are registered as seed stands and only 14% are included in EUFGIS database. Conservation of forest genetic resources, including MaP populations, is a component of sustainable management of forests in many countries of the region.