Monitoring the state of forest genetic resources

Forest genetics, developed in the Federal State Budgetary Institution FBI «RCFH» since 2008, when the first laboratory of DNA analysis was created in the central office of the institution. Currently, there are seven such laboratories operating in Russia. They are also established in the forest protection centers of the Altai, Krasnoyarsk and Khabarovsk territories, the Arkhangelsk, Voronezh and Leningrad regions.

The development of the network of DNA laboratories was provided for by the "Road Map" adopted by the Government of the Russian Federation for the implementation of the Integrated Program for the Development of Biotechnologies in the Russian Federation "BIO-2020", according to which the Department for monitoring the state of forest genetic resources develops promising areas for the development of biotechnologies in the forest sector in the following areas.protection centers of the Altai, Krasnoyarsk and Khabarovsk Territories, the Arkhangelsk, Voronezh and Leningrad regions. The department for monitoring the state of forest genetic resources develops perspective directions for the development of biotechnologies in the forest sector.

The use of biotechnologies in the field of conservation and reproduction of forest resources will ensure:
1) monitoring of the phytosanitary condition of forest and tree nurseries;
2) control of the legality of the wood origin;
3) genetic certification and certification of lots of forest seeds;
4) improving the principles and approaches of forest-seed zoning.

The use of biotechnologies for the management of forests will allow to streamline the implementation of measures to:
1) assessment and conservation of the genetic diversity of forest stands using genetic analysis methods;
2) planning and conducting forest management activities based on the results of monitoring the state of forest genetic resources by DNA analysis methods.

Every year, the departments of monitoring the state of forest genetic resources conduct 30 thousand DNA analyses of the main forest-forming species and phytopathogens.

The obtained results are entered into the database of population-genetic data of forest plants and phytopathogens of the Russian Federation. The work is carried out in four main areas.