RETAIN Annual Meeting
Increasing invasions of harmful exotic pests and pathogens, resulting from trade globalization and free market policies, coupled with rapid climate change, is a reality already facing Europe and, possibly, one of the greatest challenges to sustainable forestry and the continued function of forest ecosystems. For this reason, this research project on pandemic alder decline aims to gain knowledge on several aggressive invasive exotic pathogens, and to find practical solutions for the sustainability of natural resources.
RETAIN may lead to the generation of scientific knowledge for environmentally friendly and sustainable disease management methods. Therefore, considering that tools to control alder decline are not yet available, any results that shed light on practical solutions based on identifying more disease-resistant alder genotypes and understanding the defense mechanisms operating in the resistant plants will be a breakthrough for bank restoration and slope stabilization programs, guiding both public and private forest sector through the decision-making processes and necessary policies.
