Seeds and life
This year, we are collaborating with ForestPlan, the contractor for the Ministry of Environment and Energy project, which involves collecting seeds from forest tree and shrub species in Evros. The objectives of the project are the study and documentation of the recommended handling practices of propagation material of native species in the Regional Unit of Evros. For this purpose, seed collection from natural populations of forest species that are not already propagated in forest nurseries is required, as well as laboratory germination tests to evaluate the feasibility of seed collection for each species.
The contracting authority of the project is the Directorate of Forests, Department of Forest Nurseries, Forest Genetic Resources and Reforestations of the Hellenic Ministry of Environment and Energy, while the scientific coordination has been undertaken by the Democritus University of Thrace, Laboratory of Forest Botany. Within the framework of the project, protocols for seed collection, storage and management have been developed, along with the establishment of a database and the mapping of seed source trees. Following seed collection, germination tests will be carried out, and a scientific manual will be prepared for use by all interested stakeholders.
Why is this project useful?
The extensive loss of native forests due to repeated fires has brought to the fore the important problem of the lack of suitable reproductive material for the restoration of burned areas through reforestation, where and when necessary. For this reason, the selection of suitable native species for use in reforestation, the identification of native populations, and the handling of reproductive material must be carried out in advance so that identified material is available in seed banks and nurseries before it is used in reforestation. The use of native propagating material is a basic rule for successful large-scale reforestation and, at the same time, a prerequisite for preserving the biological diversity of natural ecosystems that have been damaged by forest fires.
The role of SPBT in this project
The team of foresters at SPBT together with the volunteers from the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) has undertaken the task of collecting seeds from the forest and extracting them, when necessary, as well as supplementing the mapping of suitable trees in accordance with the protocols of the scientific team of the Ministry of Environment and Energy and the Democritus University of Thrace. This work gives us great joy when we discover old oak, ash, maple, linden, and alder trees, especially in the extensive burned area, where they seem like oases! The extraction of seeds connects us to the cycle of life in nature and rejuvenates us, while the success of producing seedlings from our seeds keeps us in a state of creative anticipation.
EN 
EL