I INTERNATIONAL COURSE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL BASIS OF AFFORESTATION AS A TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT

AIMS:

 The main objective of the International Course about SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL BASIS OF AFFORESTATION AS A TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT is to offer professionals that develop management, teaching and research activities in the forest area a basic training that prepare them to carry out technical and scientific activities concerning the identification, production, assessment and rational use of the reproductive material for afforestation use. Such activities must be considered within a scenario of sustainable forest management and satisfaction of the demands of the society.

 This aim will be supported in the acquisition of knowledge about planning and the development of resource management (reproductive material). The course will consider different afforestation issues: stand selection and control of use material (genetic approach), nursery production and seedling quality indices (morpho-physiological approach), biotic and abiotic factors that determine afforestation success, planting techniques and post-planting seedling performance.

 This course is enshrined in the Spanish cooperation strategy. Thus, it strengthens the institutional capabilities in environmental management and the participation processes to reduce the impact of climate change and the ecological vulnerability of the society. In this way, an environmental sustainable human development is favoured. Likewise, it promotes the conservation and sustainable use of ecosystem services to improve society life conditions.

 Contents

 The use of afforestation as a tool for sustainable forest management involves the assessment and practice of forest systems management. Forest systems must be understood as renewable natural resources, intimately related to Sylviculture. Under afforestation we study both the production of materials for commercial and industrial exploitation (eg. timber and paper) and the conservation of the ecological quality of the environment (environmental, esthetical and recreational values).

This is a participatory theoretical-practical course. Thus, the programme is clearly divided in four modules: 1) seminars given by prestigious professors and researchers about novel aspects and known afforestation concepts; 2) lab practices on physiological attributes of seedling production; 3) two field visits: visit to a forest seedling production and reproductive material conservation nursery and visit to an afforested site; and 4) students’ expositions on a practical experience of their own country in one of the issues discussed in the course.

 Directorship:

Dra. Marta Pardos Mínguez                       Dr. Jaime Puértolas Simón

E-mail: pardos@inia.es                                puertsimon@yahoo.es

Teléfono:  +34 91 3473990                          +34 96 5903400

 Secretariat:

Adoración González y Antonia Zuñiga

e-mail: secifp@inia.es

Tel.: +34 91 3476879

Fax: +34 91 3476767

 Location of course:

Centro de Investigación Forestal CIFOR-INIA

Carretera de la Coruña Km 7,5
28040 MADRID
ESPAÑA

 Number of students: 20

 Tentative dates: from October 17^th to 28^th (2 weeks).

 Duration of courses:

Total number of theory work and tutorship: 48 hours

Total number of practical work and field visits: 12 hours

 Addresses:

University graduates that develop their work in a University, Research Station or Technology Developmental Station in South America, Asia or Africa in the afforestation field as sustainable forest management tool.

Porgramme and timetables

This is a tentative programme and timetable for the course. The course has been organized in different modules. Lessons will be given in english

 0. Course launch  (2 hours. Includes short visit around CIFOR): Marta Pardos (INIA) and Jaime Puértolas

 1. Afforestation activities within a sustainable forest management

1.1 Afforestation in Spain: a historical prospect

1.2 Afforestation and climate change

1.3 Afforestation and biodiversity

1.4 Afforestation and desertification

1.5 Afforestation and rural development

 2. Planning of afforestation activities

 3. Reproductive material

3.1 Material sources (Genetic quality): provenance regions, seed orchards, seed sources, clonal banks.

3.2 Macropropagation:  sexual multiplication (seed tests, dormancy and quiescence, seed ageing, germination tests) and asexual multiplication (cuttings, grafts, bulbs, layers, rhizomes)

3.3 Micropropagation: bud induction, somatic embriogenesis, clonal propagation

3.4 Spanish regulations

 4. Forest seedling production

4.1 Nursery practices: irrigation, nutrition, containers, ….

4.2 Seedling morphology and field performance

4.3 Seedling physiology and field performance

4.4 Seedling quality control

4.5 Lab practices: physiological measurements for seedling quality assessment

 5. Biotic and abiotic factors that determine afforestation success

5.1 Extreme temperatures: freezing temperatures/high temperatures

5.2 Drought/flooding

5.3 Mineral salts

5.4 Light

5.5 CO₂ increase

5.6 Pests and insects

 6. Afforestation

6.1 Afforestation objectives: species and methods selection

6.2 Soil preparation

6.3 Post-planting treatments

6.4 Sylviculture in afforested areas

 7. Examples of afforestation in Spain

7.1 Forest plantations: fast-growing species and biomass production for energy use.

7.2 Woodlands restoration

7.3 Revegetation of semi-arid and arid areas

7.4 Broadleaves plantations underneath Pinus species

 8. Research and technological development of afforestation activities

8.1 Experimental design and data analysis

8.2 Transfer of knowledge

 9. Practical cases

 Seven afternoons will be devoted to the students’ expositions on a practical experience of their own country in one of the issues discussed in the course.

 10. Field visits

10.1 Morning visit to CNMG “El Serranillo”, Guadalajara: nursery, seed treatments

10.2 All day visit to an afforested site in Valladolid, Junta de Castilla y León.

Foreign students applying for the AECID fellowships.

Those applicants, that would like to apply for a fellowship of the General Fellowship Program of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID) (subprogram II.B) should apply on-line at the web site: www.aecid.es/becas from December 28th 2010, until February 1^st.2011, following the instructions given by AECID. Please, fulfil the INIA´s application form, simultaneously:

INIA´s application form (spanish). To fulfil it on-line.

INIA´s application form (english). To download, fulfil and send it by e-mail to secifp@inia.es