Furthermore, when DNA samples of tree populations are exchanged for range-wide genetic diversity assessments, the results bring no direct monetary benefits though they contribute to conservation and management. At issue, then, is how to quantify this value. High transaction

costs may therefore severely affect R&D work in the forestry sector, where budgets mostly selleck inhibitor rely on limited public and private funding. Delays in establishing fully functional and transparent national ABS regulatory systems could also create an incentive to circumvent the law by claiming that R&D material is being transferred solely for production purposes. Over the past two centuries, forest genetic resources have been increasingly transferred by humans for production and R&D purposes. The historical transfer pattern of most boreal and temperate tree species, and of fast growing tropical and subtropical ones, is rather similar: germplasm was first transferred for reforestation and plantation establishment, before systematic R&D started later, during the 20th century. The early transfers of some tropical hardwoods also followed this pattern, but in recent decades ATM/ATR activation germplasm of several tropical hardwoods has been first transferred for R&D and then deployed for establishing plantations. The transfer patterns of tree species used for agroforestry are more mixed and are less

well documented. Overall, advances in R&D work in the forestry sector in different parts of the world have shifted germplasm demand toward species and provenances expected to perform well

at specific sites for particular functions, many bringing significant productivity benefits. Provenance trials have been the backbone of R&D work on forest genetic resources. However, their contributions to the development of the forestry sector are not always well acknowledged and they are often considered too expensive to establish and maintain. A change in attitude by budgetary authorities, in which provenance trials are treated as a valuable asset and are maintained accordingly, is required. New research approaches, such as short-term common garden tests, provide results earlier and can therefore complement provenance trials. However, provenance research is still needed in some form for all planted tree species (FAO, 2014). Recent advances in forest genomics have increased our understanding of the genetic basis of adaptive and other traits, but it is unlikely that molecular marker-assisted approaches will quickly replace traditional tree breeding. Furthermore, provenance trials and progeny tests are complementary with genomic research, as it is necessary to link genomic and phenotypic data. During the period 2005–2010, the global area of planted forests increased by 4.2 million hectares per year and reached 7% of total global forest area (FAO, 2010).