Climate-Smart Forestry and Its Strong Correlation with Forest Genetic Resources: Current State and Future Actions

Climate-smart forestry (CSF) is a comprehensive approach that aims to sustainably enhance wood productivity (production), improve forest resilience and adaptation, sequester carbon (mitigation), and support broader development goals. This strategy is profoundly linked with Forest Genetic Resources (FGR), which are crucial for the adaptive capacity and long-term sustainability of forest ecosystems in the face of the escalating climatic changes. Climate change presents significant risks, including increased air temperatures, altered precipitation regimes, and a rise in extreme weather events, leading to tree mortality, shifts in vegetation distribution, and a potential loss of critical forest functions and services, such as carbon sequestration capacity. While forests have inherent resilience, the rapidity and magnitude of projected changes may exceed their natural adaptive capacity, potentially resulting in local extinction and degradation of ecosystems. This review explores various facets of the interplay between CSF and FGR, emphasizing their role in sustainable forest management. Key areas of focus include: (1) Genetic Diversity, (2) Genotype Selection and Breeding, (3) Modern Breeding Techniques, (4) Molecular Breeding, (5) Genomic Prediction (GP), (6) Breeding Programs, (7) Silvicultural Practices, (8) Adaptation Mechanisms, (9) Phenotypic Plasticity, (10) Migration, particularly Assisted Gene Flow (AGF) and (11) Reproductive Material Management. Ultimately, the study highlights the crucial role of FGR in the resilience of forest ecosystems and proposes future actions for their integration into CSF strategies, including in situ and ex situ conservation, assisted migration, advanced research and development, community involvement, and supportive policy frameworks, all vital for the long-term sustainability and vitality of forest ecosystems in a changing climate.