Trees continue to maintain a unique significance in the social, ecological and economic systems of the world, not least because of their very nature of being large, long-lived perennials covering 30% of the earth's land area. It is therefore important to understand forest genetics to provide insight into the evolution, conservation management and sustainability of both natural and managed forests. Providing a comprehensive introduction to the principles of genetics and their importance in forest trees, this text integrates the varied subdisciplines of genetics and their applications in gene conservation, tree improvement and biotechnology. Topics discussed include genetic variation in natural forest trees, the application of genetics in tree improvement and breeding programs and genomic sciences and molecular technologies. Forest Genetics will be a valuable resource for students, scientists and professionals in the plant sciences, especially forest geneticsts, tree breeders, forest managers and other natural resource specialists.
