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XVI IUFRO World Congress, Oslo, Norway
from PNGAF MAG ISSUE # 9 B-5B4D3 Dr John Davidson Accompaniment "RAINBOW EUCALYPT MAN" Part 7 of 8 parts
by rbmccarthy
Unfortunately, no further work could be undertaken and no seed was collected from these trees because this trial and several other experimental plantings at Kunjingini were destroyed by fire shortly after our visit.
Also burnt at Kunjingini was a fertilizer trial of E. tereticornis planted in September 1973 (left) that was about three years old in this photograph.
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XVI IUFRO World Congress, Oslo, Norway
The XVI (16th) IUFRO World Congress was held in Norway 20 June to 2 July 1976. The theme was “Forestry in a World of Limited Resources”. At this Congress, which I attended, it was pointed out that informal “Action Group on Tropical Eucalypts” that was being led by me within the IUFRO Working Party S.2.03-01 Breeding Tropical and Subtropical Species, though successful with over 200 members worldwide, did not have any formal standing in the IUFRO hierarchy. As a result, I was nominated for Chairman of a new Working Party on Breeding Eucalypts (S.2.03-10), which I accepted. Also, there would be a new Working Party on Eucalypt Provenances (S.2.02-09). I immediately set about finding co-chairmen in Africa, South America and Australia. I produced a Newsletter called “Breeding Eucalypts” that reached out to an eventual membership of over 250 scientists worldwide. I served as Chairman of the Working Party for 10 years, the usual maximum stint for such a voluntary post, before handing over to a successor.137
137 IUFRO now uses the terminology of Divisions and Units. The modern-day equivalent of the Working Party I led is 2.08.03 –Improvement and culture of eucalypts - This Unit in Division 2 concerns all eucalypt species of commercial use around the world. Key research areas are: (1) a better understanding of the genetics of the genus; (2) appropriate breeding and genetic conservation strategies and effective silvicultural practices. The aim is to ensure a sustainable exploitation of this forest plantation resource in both the short- and longterm.
Above: Delegates to the IUFRO World Congress in Norway at the welcome get together. Below: The opening session.
