Native forest species; Quercus; climate resilience; heat and drought stress; physiological screening; forest reproductive material
TOPIC 1 – Climate-Resilient Forest Systems
Our research team is seeking to join a transnational consortium under Topic 1 – Climate-Resilient Forest Systems.
We are particularly interested in the conservation, selection and use of native forest species and locally adapted genotypes for climate-resilient forest restoration. Our current research focuses especially on native oak species, including Quercus pubescens, Q. robur and Q. petraea.
Our expertise includes controlled heat and drought stress experiments, physiological screening, chlorophyll fluorescence measurements, plant water status assessment, identification of stress-tolerant genotypes, and in vitro propagation of selected forest plant material.
We can contribute plant material from local populations, physiological assessment of climate-related stress responses, screening of contrasting genotypes, propagation of selected material, and validation under controlled and field conditions.
We are interested in joining consortia addressing climate-resilient forest genetic resources, locally adapted genotypes and provenances, forest reproductive material, forest restoration, and the adaptation of native tree species to future climatic conditions.
We particularly welcome cooperation with partners working in forest genetics and genomics, tree breeding, provenance trials, forest ecology, modelling, and large-scale field validation.
The Institute of Genetics, Physiology and Plant Protection of Moldova State University is a research institution with expertise in plant physiology, biochemistry, biotechnology and plant adaptation to abiotic stress.
The Plant Biochemistry Laboratory conducts research on physiological and biochemical mechanisms of plant stress tolerance, screening and selection of promising genotypes, plant tissue culture and in vitro propagation.
Current forest-related research focuses particularly on native oak species and includes evaluation of heat and drought tolerance, chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic recovery after stress, selection of resilient genotypes, and development of propagation approaches for valuable forest material.
The team can contribute laboratory infrastructure, experimental expertise, local plant material and regional knowledge relevant to forest adaptation and restoration under the increasingly warm and drought-prone conditions of Eastern Europe.