Evaluation of Beech Genetic Resources for Sustainable Forestry
Joint Working Groups and Management Committee Meeting
6th (WG3) 7th – 8th (WGs + MC) October 2009

Within the framework of COST E52 program the research group of Prof. Csaba Mátyás is organizing a 3-day meeting in Sopron, Hungary. The topic of the discussion will be the expected reaction of beech on predicted climate change.

This problem is to be solved on the whole European distribution area of beech forests. On this meeting on base of foregoing collective researches new European strategy is to be elaborated for reforestation of beech stands and for use of reproductive material of European beech. The participants from 20 different countries will visit the Hungarian field of the Beech Provenance Trials Network in Zala County and a beech stand damaged by drought in Őrség (W Hungary).

Preliminary Program

Tuesday, October 6, 2009
 
09:00-15:30 Arrival of participants of MC + WGs Meeting at Schwechat Airport, Vienna, Austria and transfer to Hotel Szieszta, Sopron, Hungary
08:15 - 8.30 Official opening and introduction to WG3 meeting “Recommendations for Movement and Use of Forest Reproductive Material of Fagus sylvatica in Europe" (Sven de Vries)
08.30 - 12:30 Presentations on the tangible results from WG1 and WG2 (Ricardo Alia, Gregor Bozic, Manfred Forstreuter, Dusan Gömöry, Gerhard Huber, Mirko Liesebach, Csaba Mátyás, Patrick Mertens, Ervin Rasctovics, Matthew Robson a.o.)

13:00 - 13:30 Lunch

14:00 - 16:30 Group Discussions on possible recommendations, their presentation at the final meeting, Madrid, and publication(s) (Sven de Vries)
16:00-  17:00 Registration of arriving participants (parallel)
17:00-  17:10 Opening of the Joint WGs Meeting (Georg von Wuehlisch)
17:10-  18:30 Introduction to the conditions in Hungary; beech - a threatened species?
   Führer, E. (FRI): Ecological and silvicultural status of beech in Hungary– an introduction (short)
   Gálos, B.(WHU): Drought trends for the 21st century (short)
   Berki, I., Rasztovits, E., Lakatos, F., Csoka, Gy.(WHU – FRI): Vitality and persistence of beech in a changing environment
   Mátyás, Cs. (WHU): The xeric limit concept – what are the lessons from the SE European beech trials (series 1998 )
   Mészáros, I.(U. Debrecen): Do the physiological traits have a direct predictive power? Results of the Bucsuta trial (short)

20:00 Welcome dinner Sopron

Wednesday, October 7, 2009
 
08:00 - 10:00 Working Group 1 meeting attended by all participants (Manfred Forstreuter)
 Wienold, J.: Elemental line scanning with laser ablation - ICP-MS of increment cores of Fagus  sylvatica from provenance trials (10 min)
 Trap, J.: Litters quality and soil functioning in beech stands(10 min.)
10:00 - 10:30 Coffee Break
10:30 - 12:30 Working Group 2 meeting attended by all participants (Hans Muhs)

12:30 - 14:00 Lunch break

14:00 - 15:00  Presentation of the results of the WG3-meeting (Sven de Vries)
15:00 - 16:00  Planning of the Final Meeting at Madrid May 2010 (Ricardo Alia)
- Keynote Speakers to be invited, - presentations from the COST Action, - Excursions to (declining) Spanish beech forests and beech provenance trials
16:00 - 16:30 Coffee Break
16:30 – 17:00 Planning of the Final Meeting continued (Ricardo Alia)
Huber, G.: Testing of Bavarian beech provenances under warmer climate conditions in Bulgaria
17:00 - 18:00 MC8 Meeting: Progress reports (COST office, WGs, STSM), budget planning, outputs, publications, coming up meetings, proceedings)

20:00 - 22:00 Dinner Sopron

Thursday, October 8, 2009
 
08:00 - 18:00 Field excursion:
Bucsuta: visit of trial (20 min walking over a hill), presentation of site and climatic conditions, interesting plots such as local provenance, interaction effects, unexpected good and bad performances incl. phenology
Distr. material: trial description and result tables
Meal from the bag on the spot
Hegyhátszentmárton: Climate damages of beech in the local forest company, presentation of the damaged stands
Refreshments on the spot
Cultural/ethnographic highlight: visit of a traditional village (Öriszentpéter)

20:00 - 22:00 Social Dinner on the way back, in Szombathely, in a local restaurant (gipsy music)
Return to Sopron

Friday, October 9, 2009
 
6:00 - 12:00 Transfer to the Schwechat Airport, Vienna