The Faculty of Forest Sciences and Nature Conservation is part of GENFOMEC (Conservation of forest genetic diversity for the sustainable management of OECM areas), an international project funded by the Ibero-American Program of Science and Technology for Development (CYTED) that brings together researchers and institutions from more than twenty countries to address one of the region's most urgent environmental challenges: the loss of forest biodiversity in the face of advancing climate change.
The project is linked to the Latin American and Caribbean Network for the Conservation, Management and Sustainable Use of Forest Genetic Resources (LACFORGEN), a platform for scientific and technical cooperation that integrates universities, public institutions and organizations from the region with the purpose of promoting the conservation, sustainable use and improvement of forest genetic resources in Latin American forests. GENFOMEC runs between 2024 and 2027 and articulates research efforts in countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Spain, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic and Uruguay, among others.
A commitment to in situ genetic conservation
The central axis of GENFOMEC is the incorporation of genetic criteria into the long-term conservation of forest ecosystems, with an emphasis on a type of area that until recently received no formal recognition: other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs). This designation, promoted by the Convention on Biological Diversity, recognizes territories that, without being traditional protected areas, contribute effectively and sustainably to biodiversity conservation.
OECMs represent an innovative approach because they highlight the role played by indigenous communities, local communities, private landowners and public institutions in protecting ecosystems and forest genetic resources. Through GENFOMEC, these areas are identified, systematized and mapped, and their selection is validated in a participatory manner with communities and government authorities, integrating the exchange of knowledge as a fundamental part of the process.
Among the project's objectives are the development of methods and tools to assess genetic diversity in these areas, the strengthening of forest genetic improvement programs, the promotion of ecological restoration, and the training of specialized human capital through courses, academic exchanges and knowledge transfer among participating countries.
Participating in these efforts are Professor Carlos Magni, academic and director of the Seed and Forest Tree Production Center (CESAF), and forest engineer and CESAF researcher Nicole Toro.
"For Chile, being part of this initiative represents a particularly relevant opportunity. Today the challenge of conservation is not only to increase the area under protection, but also to recognize territories outside protected areas where different forms of management can generate positive and sustained results for biodiversity. In this context, Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) constitute a tool of great interest for advancing toward the fulfillment of the 30x30 Target," details Professor Carlos Magni, academic and director of CESAF.
"This international dimension constitutes one of its main strengths, since it allows sharing experiences, methodologies and scientific capacities to address challenges that are common to all of Latin America and the Caribbean, such as biodiversity loss, forest fragmentation and the effects of climate change on forest genetic resources," highlights researcher Nicole Toro, for her part.
Conferences, science and the Latin American community
"The problems affecting forests and their genetic diversity transcend national borders, but the experiences developed in each country can provide solutions for other territories. Collaboration allows comparing realities, developing common tools, building capacities and, subsequently, adapting that knowledge to the ecological, social and cultural conditions of each country," says Professor Carlos Magni.
One of GENFOMEC's most notable outputs has been the development of the LACFORGEN International Conference Cycle, a space that brings together specialists from different countries to share advances in forest genetics, genomic selection, biotechnology, ecological restoration, conservation of native species and adaptation to climate change. These activities have strengthened ties among Latin American institutions and contributed to the consolidation of an active scientific community around forest genetic resources.
This process will also have a particularly significant milestone for Chile: in November 2027, Frutillar will host the closing meeting of the GENFOMEC project. This event will make it possible to bring together and project the learnings built during the network's years of operation and to discuss next steps to strengthen the conservation of forest genetic resources and the development of OECMs in Latin America and the Caribbean.
"That the closing takes place in Chile also represents an opportunity to make national experiences visible, strengthen collaboration between science, institutions and communities, and position the conservation of genetic diversity as a fundamental dimension in future decisions on conservation, restoration and sustainable management of our forest ecosystems," concludes researcher Nicole Toro.
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