This Americas Program award will support a joint research between Dr. Richard S. Dodd, of the University of California, Berkeley, Forest Products Laboratory and Dr. Claudio Donoso, of the Universidad Austral de Chile. This research will study the population genetic variability and systematics of three Chilean conifers. The researchers will collect population samples of the three different genera and use isozyme comparisons for the assessment of genetic diversity in and among natural populations. They will also document patterns of variations for morphological traits and use terpenoid profiles in providing a framework for future genetic studies of these organisms. As a result of the world-wide growing demand for timber, the integrity of forest ecosystems is seriously threatened. This study will generate preliminary data that would provide the background for preparing a comprehensive taxonomic assessment of the genera and provide information useful for conservation and sustainable management of these timber resources. The complementary expertise of the investigators in both the techniques to be utilized and the biology and natural distribution of the plants is an assurance that the project will achieve its goals.
