PROPOSAL:	EVK2-1999-00006	ACRONYM	CASCADE
AREA:	FP5 - EESD, 5/ unknown KeyAction	Call number / date:	-
PROJECT TYPE:	Shared Cost	EU CONTRIBUTION:	1,690,000
STARTING DATE:	2000-01-01	DURATION:	42 months

Coordinator: Dr. F. Villani, National Research Council of Italy, Istituto per L'Agroselvicoltura, Via Guglielmo Marconi 2, Villa Paolina, IT -05010, Porano, Italy, Email: F.Villani@ias.tr.cnr.it

Project Description:
The CASCADE project seeks to provide the information needed to safeguard European chestnut, an important tree for landscape and rural diversification which has suffered from domestication, fungal attack and silvicultural practices - challenging its genetic variation - and whose genetic resources are at risk from expected climatic change for future generations. Three main problems will be addressed: (1) to assess the capacity of chestnut stands (both natural and domesticated) to cope with future climate changes, biological (pathogens) and anthropic (silvicultural practices) threats; (2) to devise optimum long-term strategies for the conservation of evolutionary and the economic potential of chestnut stands in rural areas; (3) to provide operational, effective criteria, methods, guidelines and recommendations for optimal management of extant and future chestnut cultivation. The objectives of CASCADE are consistent to some of the aims of EU policies (e.g. EC Agenda 2000, European Council Resolution 1999/C56/01, Regulation EC No 1467/94) in the fields of biodiversity conservation, sustainable forestry, environmental protection, rural development. Scientific objective and approach CASCADE aims to characterise the variability of chestnut stands (wild and domesticated) from across Europe, with respect to its genetical, ecological, pathological, economical and silvicultural aspects. An inventory covering the distribution range and domestication of chestnut genetic resources will be prepared by integrating molecular, physiological and pathological data, with historical and climatic information. DNA- and protein-based variation will be used for estimation of genetic diversity of stands across the present distribution area. Genetically depauperated populations will be highlighted as well as stands threatened by pathogen attack. Mechanisms of maintenance of genetic variation (e.g., gene flow via pollen dispersal) will be elucidated. The genetic basis of variation for adaptive traits (drought resistance, phenology and growth, resistance to pathogens) will be investigated on seedlings reared in greenhouses and in field trials. Assessment and comparison of the adaptive potential of different stands to contrasting environmental conditions will help to identify the genetic "reservoirs" of adaptability to the climate change. Conservation and sustainability indexes will be developed taking into account the relations between species' autoecology, management types and economic values from cultivation. A cost-benefit analysis of specimen programmes for the conservation of chestnut genetic resources (market and non-market benefits and costs, and survey) will be carried out. Expected Impacts The comprehensive inventory of chestnut resources will be useful for the establishment of conservation priorities to delineate endangered and 'functional gene resource' populations. The estimation of pollen dispersal in orchards will help to define technical guidelines for sustainable local silvicultural practices (e.g. min/max number and nature of the pollinators). The identification of genetically valuable material (e.g. high-performing and/or highly resistant individuals useful for the genetic improvement of the species) will be obtained as a spin-off of the adaptive traits analysis. Genetic information needed to inform future management policy will be provided as well as socio-economic evaluation of the costs and benefits of different conservation approaches. Criteria for the future sustainable management of chestnut genetic resources will be established and made known to conservation bodies, ministries and farmers so to safeguard its future. CASCADE will also provide a model for similar studies on other multipurpose tree species.

Project URL: http://soi.cnr.it/~chestnut/main.html

Consortium:
Co-ordinator: Contact Person: VILLANI, Fiorella (Dr) Department: Istituto Per L'Agroselvicoltura Organisation: National Research Council of Italy Via Guglielmo Marconi 2, Villa Paolina 05010 Porano ITALY Tel: +39-076-3374674 Fax: +39-076-3374330 F.Villani@ias.tr.cnr.it Participants Contact Person: ROMANE, Francois (Dr.) Department: UPR A9056 - CENTRE D'ECOLOGIE FONCTIONNELLE ET EVOLUTIVE 'LOUIS EMBERGER' - CEFE Organisation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Route de Mende 1919 BP 5051 34293 MONTPELLIER FRANCE Contact Person: FERNANDEZ LOPEZ, Josefa (Dr) Department: CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIÓN FORESTAL DE LAURIZAN CONSEJERÍA AGRICULTURA, GANADERÍA Y MONTES Organisation: Xunta Galicia Carretera de Marin, Km 4 PO Box 127 36080 Pontevedra SPAIN Contact Person: DIAMANDIS, Stephanos (Dr) Department: FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF THESSALONIKI Organisation: National Agricultural Research Foundation 57006 VASSILIKA THESSALONIKIS GREECE Contact Person: ERIKSSON, Gösta (Professor) Department: DEPARTMENT OF FOREST GENETICS AND PLANT PHYSIOLOGY - FACULTY OF FORESTRY Organisation: The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Baeckloesavaegen 2A Box 7027 S-75007 Uppsala SWEDEN Contact Person: ARAVANOPOULOS, Philippos (Professor) Department: LABORATORY OF FOREST GENETICS AND PLANT BREEDING FACULTY OF FORESTRY AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Organisation: Aristoteleio Panepistimio Thessalonikis University Campus 54006 Thessaloniki GREECE Contact Person: BOUNOUS, Giancarlo (Professor) Department: DIPARTIMENTO COLTURE ARBOREE Organisation: Universitŕ degli Studi di Torino Via Leonardo da Vinci, 44 I-10095 Grugliasco (TO) ITALY Contact Person: VANNINI, Andrea (Professor) Department: DIPARTIMENTO DI PROTEZIONE DELLE PIANTE Organisation: Universitŕ degli Studi della Tuscia Via S. Camillo de Lellis 01100 VITERBO ITALY Contact Person: RUSSELL, Karen (Dr) Department: DEPARTMENT OF PLANT BREEDING AND GENETICS Organisation: Horticulture Research International ME19 6BJ WEST MALLING UNITED KINGDOM Contact Person: GARROD, Guy (Professor) Department: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS AND FOOD MARKETING Organisation: University of Newcastle Upon Tyne Agriculture Building NE1 7RU NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE UNITED KINGDOM Contact Person: ROBIN, Cecil (Dr) Department: UNITÉ DE RECHERCHES EN SANTÉ VÉGÉTALE CENTRE DE RECHERCHE DE BORDEAUX - AQUITAINE Organisation: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique Avenue Edouard Bourleaux 71 33883 VILLENAVE D'ORNON FRANCE

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