Many plant populations have decreased in size or disappeared altogether as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation, intensified land use, and introgression from foreign genotypes.

What is the best way to conserve this material for future use?

In this research area we are studying these questions for a number of indigenous woody species, including Black poplar, wild roses and wild apple.

One example is our study on wild apple in The Netherlands and Flanders. The study has led to the conclusion that the various populations and solitary trees that remain in The Netherlands (occurring around Nijmegen, in the Achterhoek, on the Veluwe and in Drenthe) are indeed indigenous and are not descendents from, or hybrids with cultivated apple varieties. The populations still contain a reasonable amount of genetic diversity (thanks to the fact that they are outbreeding, can become quite old, and have overlapping generations). However, the remaining trees cannot reproduce in the dark, overgrown forests that we maintain today. Therefore, cuttings from these trees have been collected and are being maintained as one (artifical) population, which will generate material (cuttings, seed) for replanting. In this way, genetic diversity of wild apple has been preserved for the future.

Publications in PDF:

• Coart E, X Vekemans, MJM Smulders, I Wagner, J van Huylenbroeck, E van Bockstaele, I Roldán-Ruiz (2003) Genetische variation in the endangered wild apple (Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill.) in Belgium as revealed by AFLP and microsatellite markers. Consequences for conservation. Molecular Ecology 12: 845-857
• Cottrell JE, V Krystufek, HE Tabbener, AD Milner, T Connolly, L Sing, S Fluch, K Burg, F Lefevre, P Achard, S Bordács, K Gebhardt, B Vornam, MJM Smulders, AH Vanden Broeck, J Van Slycken, V Storme, W Boerjan, S Castiglione, T Fossati, N Alba, D Agundez, C Maestro, E Notivol, J Bovenschen, BC van Dam (2005) Postglacial migration of Populus nigra L.: lessons learnt from chloroplast DNA. Forest Ecology and Management 206: 71-90. DOI 10.1016/j.foreco.2004.10.052 and Forest Ecology and Management 219: 293-312
• Koopman WJM, H Diemont (2004) Prospects for the molecular identification of CITES-protected timber species and origins. North-South Policy Brief 2004-3.
• Koopman WJM, Y Li, E Coart, WE van de Weg, B Vosman, I Roldán-Ruiz, MJM Smulders (2006) Linked versus unlinked markers: multilocus microsatellite haplotype sharing as a tool to estimate gene flow and introgression. Molecular Ecology 2006
• Niemelä J, J Young, D Alard, M Askasibar, K Henle, R Johnson, M Kurttila, T-B Larsson, S Matouch, P Nowicki, R Paiva, L Portoghesi, R Smulders, A Stevenson, U Tartes, A Watt (2005) Identifying and managing conflicts between forest conservation and other human activities in Europe. Forest Policy and Economics 7: 877-890
• Storme V, A Vanden Broeck, B Ivens, D Halfmaerten, J Van Slycken, S Castiglione, F Grassi, T Fossati, JE Cottrell, HE Tabbener, F Lefèvre, C Saintagne, S Fluch, V Krystufek, K Burg, S Bordács, K Gebhardt, B Vornam, A Pohl, N Alba, D Agúndez, J Bovenschen, BC van Dam, J van der Schoot, B Vosman, W Boerjan, MJM Smulders (2004) Ex-situ conservation of Black poplar in Europe: genetische diversiteit in nine gene bank collections and their value for nature development. Theoretical and Applied Genetisches 108: 969-981.