MOLECULAR AND PHYSIOLOGICAL GENETICS OF DROUGHT TOLERANCE IN FOREST SPECIES

Molecular research which deals with trees and other plants is described and the role of this research in the understanding of complex physiological and biochemical processes in trees and in their management in response to drought stress is suggested. A brief description of drought tolerance mechanisms in forest species and their heritability at the morphological and physiological level is presented. Recent research concerning the understanding of plant responses to drought stress at molecular, biochemical and physiological levels is also included, as well as conceptual models of drought responses for cells and trees. These models are used to develop strategies for the use of molecular techniques to identify drought-tolerant tree families and to understand gene expression in responses to drought. Before the genome can be manipulated through genetic engineering for drought tolerance, a better understanding of how gene responses to drought are integrated vertically through cellular, organ, tree and population levels is needed. Recent advances in molecular biology provide technologies that can help researchers understand gene expression and physiological responses in trees at all levels. These can be integrated into tree improvement, resulting in improved forest species, which are an essential component of forest management against drought.