FORESTT International Conference 2027: call for abstracts open for forest genetics symposia
The FORESTT International Conference, to be held in Metz, France, on 5–7 October 2027, will feature several symposia of interest to the forest genetics community. The call for abstracts is now open.
How much can forest tree populations adapt to rapid environmental change, and how can genetic diversity be put to work in forest management? These questions will be at the centre of several symposia at the FORESTT International Conference, FORESTs and global environmental changes: social-ecological systems in Transition, taking place from 5 to 7 October 2027 at the Robert Schuman Congress Centre in Metz, France.
The conference is organised by the French research programme on forest resilience (PEPR FORESTT), which is coordinated by INRAE, under the auspices of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO). It is expected to bring together around 1,000 researchers, early-career scientists, and forest sector professionals. The programme includes plenary sessions, poster sessions, and 32 thematic symposia.
Three symposia focus specifically on forest genetics:
- Conservation and sustainable management of forest genetic resources for biodiversity, climate resilience and society. Organised in the framework of the Horizon Europe OptFORESTS project, this symposium will discuss how genetic diversity can strengthen forest resilience. Topics include diverse forest reproductive material and provenance mixtures, common gardens and modelling, the nursery sector, and policy and governance frameworks. Led by Santiago C. González-Martínez (INRAE), with Anna-Maria Farsakoglou (EFI & EUFORGEN), Laura Secco (University of Padova), and Jill Hamilton (Pennsylvania State University).
- Evolutionary potential of forest populations under climate change. This symposium will explore local adaptation, rapid evolutionary responses, and how evolutionary insights can inform conservation, assisted migration, and management. Led by Thibaut Capblancq (Université Grenoble Alpes), with Benjamin Brachi and Myriam Heuertz (INRAE), Philippe Cubry (IRD), and Desanka Lazic (Thünen Institute).
- Demo-genetic feedbacks in forest communities across trophic levels. This symposium will look at how genetic diversity within forest species interacts with population dynamics, pests, pathogens, and symbionts, and what this means for ecosystem resilience. Led by Ivan Scotti (INRAE), with Magda Bou Dagher Kharrat (EFI).
Genetic aspects also feature in other sessions, including symposia on forest diversification for resilience and on pine wilt disease.
The programme also includes keynote talks, among them evolutionary genomicist Richard Buggs (Queen Mary University of London and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) and IUFRO President Daniela Kleinschmit. In parallel with the conference, IUFRO will hold its 66th Board meeting.
Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit an abstract. For the full programme, visit the conference website.
