CZECH UNIVERSITY OF LIFE SCIENCES PRAGUE
Prof. Milan LSTIBŮREK is a quantitative geneticist and head of the Department of Genetics and Physiology of Forest Trees at CZU. He is also serving as Adjunct Professor at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, USA. As a quantitative geneticist, he is the author or co-author of numerous scientific papers developing novel tree improvement strategies. Main activities performed during project implementation: responsible for overall coordination of activities between all partners; quantitative genetic analyses utilizing parametric-based stochastic simulations of BwB breeding strategies; methodological development of the spatial seed orchard layouts; and genetic thinning algorithms.
Jan STEJSKAL, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Genetics and Physiology of Forest Trees at CZU. His expertise is genetic evaluation and utilization of the physiological measurements in tree breeding strategies and programmes. Main activities performed during project implementation: development and validation of a novel genetic evaluation protocol tailored to BwB strategies; development of selection indices to optimize economic evaluation of correlated traits.
Jiří KORECKÝ, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Genetics and Physiology of Forest Trees at CZU. His expertise is molecular-genetic analyses and subsequent utilization of the molecular genetic data in tree breeding strategies and programmes. Main activities performed during project solving: molecular-genetic analyses; pedigree reconstruction; and calculation of effective population size in the Czech Republic Douglas fir breeding programme.
Valérie POUPON is a PhD student at the Department of Genetics and Physiology of Forest Trees at CZU, under the supervision of Prof. Milan Lstibůrek. Main activities performed during project implementation: spatial seed orchard layouts and genetic thinning algorithms; software development; user-interface; statistical analyses; and seed orchard designs.
Kateřina CHALOUPKOVÁ is a PhD student at the Department of Genetics and Physiology of Forest Trees at CZU. Her work is targeted at maximizing panmixia in seed orchards. She co-developed novel algorithms for improving seed orchard designs and genetic thinning. Main activities performed during project implementation: spatial seed orchard layouts and genetic thinning algorithms; software development; user-interface; statistical analyses; and seed orchard designs.
VOJENSKÉ LESY A STATKY ČR, S.P.
Pavel ČEŠKA, Ph.D. is a forest engineer and a head of Forestry Department at VLS. He is especially experienced in silviculture and gene resources management. He has been working at VLS since 1997. Main activities performed during project implementation: coordination of activities connected with VLS; plus-tree selection, seed and graft collections; management of grafting and forest nursery activities.
NORWEGIAN INSTITUTE OF BIOECONOMY RESEARCH
Dr. Arne STEFFENREM is a quantitative geneticist, forester and tree breeder, responsible for the strategic development of tree breeding programmes in Norway. Arne is combining multidisciplinary research within phenotyping, genotyping, statistics, wood science, forest management with the operational implementation in tree breeding and has several publications within these fields. Main activities performed during project implementation: principal investigator at NIBIO; quantitative genetic analyses utilizing parametric-based stochastic simulations of BwB breeding strategies; methodological development; and statistical analyses.
Dario I. OJEDA, PhD is an evolutionary biologist and it is interested on the processes that generate and maintain diversity at multiple levels. Dario uses genomics, phylogenetic, and genetic approaches to understand the evolution of forest species. His current research is focused on understanding the distribution of genetic diversity of forest species (not only trees), the evolutionary mechanisms that shaped their current distribution, and the application of genomic tools in their conservation and in tree breeding programmes. Main activities performed during project implementation: responsible for pedigree reconstruction and analysis of genomic data.
Dr. Thomas SOLVIN is a quantitative geneticist and works as a researcher at the Department of Forest Genetics and Biodiversity at NIBIO. He mainly works with climatic adaptation and breeding of forest trees and the development of decision support tools. Main activities performed during project implementation: statistical analysis of phenotypic and genotypic data; estimation of breeding values; and implementation in breeding.
STIFTELSEN DET NORSKE SKOGFROVERK
Frode HJORTH, M.Sc. is Chief Executive Officer at the Norwegian Forest Seed Centre. Main activities performed during project implementation: breeding value predictions; implementation of economic weights and selection regimes across Norway.
Marte Friberg MYRE, M.Sc. is a seed orchard manager at the Norwegian Forest Seed Centre and she is responsible for the seed orchard programme for spruce. She has been working at the Norwegian Forest Seed Centre since 2012. She has focused on administrative and practical tasks within seed orchard management and seed extraction. Main activities performed during project implementation: implementation of new tools for management of seed orchards; seed orchard design.
Gwidon TYCZYNSKI, B.Sc. has been working at the Norwegian Forest Seed Centre since 2012. He is responsible for the breeding of Scots pine in Norway, including the establishment of seed orchards and clone archives based on the “breeding without breeding” method, and selection of new “plus-trees”. Main activities performed during project implementation: responsible for the breeding programme of Scots pine; implementation of new tools into breeding.