Introduction

In the last 25 years, various genetically modified forest trees (GMTs) with modified or novel characteristics have been produced. Economic and ecological benefits like reduction of product costs and less pressure on native forests are expected but also risks like unintended spread of GMTs and pleiotropic effects of transferred genes are speculated by the opponents. This book summarizes a 4-years lasting COST Action on the biosafety of GMTs and focuses on the following four key aspects: (a) biological characterization of GMTs aiming to evaluate existing knowledge including the experience from expert scientists in the field of forest GMTs, (b) evaluation of the environmental impacts of the GMTs already developed, (c) assessments of the efficiency of existing transgene containment strategies, and (d) conduction of socio-economic and cost/benefit analyses in relation to the use of GMTs in plantations. This book combines multidisciplinary knowledge generated with transgenic lines of forest trees (such as, Populus spp., Pinus spp., Eucalyptus spp., Betula spp., Castanea spp., Picea spp., etc.) as well as extensive expertises in correlated topics. Moreover, considering the increase of public awareness on the use of GM forest plantations and environmental protection, the final part of the book focuses on communication about GMTs through science based information management of the http://www.cost-action-fp0905.eu dynamic website. This book aims to present useful information for the scientific community that is interested or engaged in socio-economic implications and biosafety issues of GMTs, but also to provide scientifically based support for decision processes of policy-makers and regulators.