Tropical Trees and Landscapes

Major ongoing research and development projects

Tree seed supply with the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), 2008-2024 (http://www.worldagroforestry.org/tree-diversity). Contact Lars Graudal

PATSPO - Provision of Adequate Tree Seed Portfolios to enhance Productivity and Resilience of Forest Landscape Restoration in Ethiopia 2017-2025 (with ICRAF). Supported by NICFI. Contact Lars Graudal or Søren Moestrup

Enhancing tree seed and seedling supply to provide diverse and climate adapted species and varieties within the framework of TREPA Transforming Eastern Province through Adaptation (TREPA) GCF Rwanda, IUCN (ICRAF partner), 2022-2027. Contact Lars Graudal or Albin Lobo

The Global Biodiversity Standard  (Darwin, BGCI lead, ICRAF/World Agroforestry Partner) with Global Useful Native Species, 2022-2024. Contact Lars Graudal or Fabio Pedercini

The right tree in the right place for the right purpose: supplying high-quality tree planting material of native tree species for landscape restoration in Sub Saharan Africa (RTRP-Seed) IKI Regional Seed Supply Bonn Challenge (ICRAF lead) 2022-2029, project phase 2023-2029. Contact Lars Graudal

GCF Readiness Support for Burkina Faso Climate Appropriate Portfolios of Tree Diversity (CAPTD)for productive and resilient landscapes and livelihoods in AFOLU across Burkina Faso, (ICRAF lead) 2023-2026. Contact Lars Graudal

Technical Assistance in Forestry and Rural Development - PROGREEN Rwanda – World Bank, 2023. Contact Lars Graudal or Fabio Pedercini

Some completed research and development projects

Tree genetic resources to bridge production gaps and promote resilience, part of CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry, Landscapes, Livelihoods and Governance (FTA) 2017-2021 (CGIAR and collaborative donors) and the New FTA Partnership. Contact Lars Graudal.

Harapan Rainforest - Restoration of Harapan Rainforest at Jambi, Sumatra in Indonesia, 2012-2018. Supported by Danida. Contact Søren Moestrup.

Decentralized Tree Seed Supply in S.E. Sulawesi - Knowledge dissemination of decentralized tree seed supply - the development of a model and testing in practice, 2014-15. Supported by GBHF. Contact Søren Moestrup

Flores II - Sustainable and Integrated Management of Mbeliling Forest, Flores, Indonesia. Phase II, 2011-2015. In collaboration with DOF. Supported by Danida. Contact Søren Moestrup.

Allanblackia stuhlmannii - a new oil plant species in East Africa, Supported by GBHF 2016-2017. Contact Lars Schmidt.

Trees with polyploidy: better adaptation to extreme growing conditions? Supported by GBHF 2016-2017 in collaboration with ISRA Senegal (Adja Diallo supported by ISF). Contact Anders Ræbild.

Rethinking the Breeding of Tropical Perennial Crops in Agroforestry Systems: the case of Arabica Coffee (BREEDCAFS). Supported by EU H2020. Contact Anders Ræbild.

The vegetation map for Africa, see the website http://www.vegetationmap4africa.org/. Supported by the Rockefeller Foundation and other donors. Contact Jens-Peter Barnekow Lillesø or Lars Graudal.

Climate smart cocoa systems for Ghana, CLIMCOCOA (FFU), 2016-2020 with ICRAF and University of Ghana. Supported by Danida (FFU). Contact Anders Ræbild.

Domestication of Jatropha curcas for oil production on smallholder farms in the Sudano-Sahelian region with focus on Mali, 2009-2015. Supported by Danida; two PhD studies still in progress. Contact Jon K. Hansen or Lene R. Nielsen.

TEAKNET, The International Teak Information Network, see http://teaknet.org/, and the Global Teak Study, http://www.iufro.org/publications/series/world-series/article/2017/06/21/world-series-vol-36-the-global-teak-study-analysis-evaluation-and-future-potential-of-teak-reso/. Supported by FAO and IUFRO. Contact Lars Graudal.

Forest Landscape Restoration.
see http://www.iufro.org/science/special/spdc/. Supported by IUFRO. Contact Palle Madsen, Jens-Peter Barnekow Lillesø or Lars Graudal.

IGN present some of our results of the research on species, seeds and planting in the form of computer-based tools.

As a supplement to our ordinary publication series, we have chosen to develop and present some of our work in a more interactive way, where users have the opportunity to 'browse' the material and identify issues of their particular interest.  

• Vegetation and climate change in Africa: Vegetation map for Africa
  A high resolution digital vegetation map for land use planning, natural resource management and conservation of biodiversity in Eastern Africa (VECEA).
• The Resources for Tree Planting Platform
  The Resources for Tree Planting Platform explains how to go about sourcing good quality tree planting material for growers carrying out land restoration, agroforestry, plantation establishment and other tree planting activities.
• Global Tree Knowledge Platform The Global Tree Knowledge Platform is all about the trees in ‘treed’ landscapes. Its purpose is to support the better use of tree species – to promote the right tree in the right place for the right purpose, e.g. with access to interactive tools on ‘What to plant where’ in different tropical countries – to bring greater benefits to humans and the environment.
• The Agroforestry Species Switchboard The Agroforestry Species Switchboard is a “one-stop-shop” to retrieve data about any particular plant species across a wide range of information sources, documents the presence of 290,235 plant taxa (current names and synonyms) at genus, species and infraspecific levels
• Potential Natural Vegetation of South-Western and Central Kenya 
  A tool for the selection of indigenous tree species. 
• Gmelina arborea trials
  The website is a compilation of published articles, results and assessments from 27 of these trials.

We collaborate with both the private and public sector especially in Africa and Asia.

In the tropics, we provide advice on implementation of sustainable strategies for use and conservation of genetic resources of trees based on larger partnership programmes aiming at capacity building in developing countries in line with Danida and UN development policies, including implementation of REDD+ in practice (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation).

A long-lasting partnership with Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF), has engaged the section in a large pan-tropical network of international and national institutions in development and research, public and private, working to achieve the UN SDGs and the targets of the three international conventions on climate change, biodiversity conservation and desertification.

We communicate and publicise for practitioners: results of our development research through:

• Development Briefs - Policy
• Development Briefs - Technical
• Seed Leaflets
• Technical and training guidelines
• Knowledge Platforms and Databases

The research and development programme is implemented in close co-operation with the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and a large number of partner institutions in several developing countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Ghana, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Nepal, India, Cambodia and Indonesia).

Currently major partners are in Ethiopia, Kenya (ICRAF, KARI, KEFRI, Univ. of Nairobi), Tanzania (TTSA, TaFORI, Sokoine University), Uganda (Makerere University, NARO, NaFORRI), Burkina Faso (CNSF, INERA, Univ. of Ouagadougou), Mali (IER), Ghana (FORIG, STCP) and Indonesia (Burung Indonesia, Bogor Agricultural University). 

All activities are defined in a value chain approach and includes in addition to smallholders and NGOs, also attempts to include small as well as larger agro-industrial industries (e.g. Mali Biocarburant, AAK and Unilever).

Of particular relevance for the study of tropical trees, we have a share in several series of international species and provenance trials in the tropics (e.g. Teak, Gmelina, Acacia, Prosopis, Neem, Pinus kesiya, many West African indigenous fruit trees, and Jatropha curcas).

We are increasingly involved in the establishment of databases of species information, like th:

• Vegetation Map for Africa, 
• Agroforestry Species Switchboard  
• Global Tree Knowledge Platform