Protection and Storage of Forest Gene Reserves Unit

Realization of the The program of preservation of forest gene resources and forest tree breeding for the years 1991-2010 as well as the Progeny testing program for the approved seed stands, plus trees, seed orchards and seedlings seed orchards in the range of:

    1)    Planning, organization and control of the seed harvest from standing trees, stands and single objects, in order to store in the Kostrzyca FGB.

·          Monitoring of seed crop in agreement with the State Forests units.

·          Selection of trees and stands for the needs of seed harvest in order to create the gene resources.

·          Appointing and controlling the harvest in agreement with the State Forests units, administering the area of harvest.

2)    Receiving and treatment of seed material to the long-term (gene resources) and short-term (progeny testing program) storage.

Collecting and treatment of the seed material

The technological treatment of seed material, preparing it to the storage, includes:

§       receiving and basic cleaning of seed material (cones and fruits),

§       extraction of seeds from cones (coniferous species) or from the fruits (broad-leaved species),

§       dewinging of seeds,

§       drying out and packing of seeds,

§       separation of seeds,

–   separation of massive impurities – sieve-pneumatic  separators, exploiting the differences
of mass and size between seeds and impurities;

–   separation of fine-grained impurities, damaged and not fully grown seeds – sieve-pneumatic and pneumatic separators;

–   separation of full and empty seeds
– pneumatic separators, and for the Larch the vacuum method PREVAC.

Realization of the Protection and restitution of English Yew in Poland program.

The oldest tree in Poland – nature monument, English Yew. Approximate age 1300 years.

1)       Updating and  coordination of the English Yew (Taxus baccata L.)  inventory in Poland,

 2)     Preparing the materials and conducting the trainings essential for the accurate realization
of tasks connected with the Program.

Creation of the clone archive of the English Yew.

         I. Maintenance and keeping of the FGB Arboretum.

1)      The Arboretum of the FGB stores the living natural specimen of the most valuable representatives of protected species. The Arboretum consists of three parts with total number of plants reaching up to 4 500.

2)      Botanical zone – single specimen of decorative and exotic trees and shrubs.

3)      Experimental zone – plants typical for the Sudeten mountains, from the natural regeneration areas.

4)      Conservative zone – clone archive of  various species and origins of forest trees.

II.  Economic tasks requested by the State Forests units and by other organizational units.

1)      Receiving the seed material and its preparation to the short-term storage (deposits of the State Forests units).

2)      Preparation of the seed material to the pre-harvest tests, which is a background of the decision whether or not to harvest. .

3)      Seeds preparation to sowing and stratification.

All the above tasks are accomplished on the State Forests units demand.