This project includes efforts to maintain, enrich, and characterize Embrapa's forest speciesgermplasm banks. Embrapa has an extensive network of germplasm for forest species, bothexotic and native, which has strategic value for the present and the future. These species wereprioritized for comprising germplasm banks maintained in the field for decades, in many casesexclusive material with strategic importance to society. Although this genetic material plays animportant role in leveraging improvement programs and contributing to the conservation ofgenetic resources, there are significant challenges to conservation and rational use.Investments in maintenance, characterization (morphological as well as genetic), andenrichment should be ongoing and long-term to ensure the viability of conservation andpresent as well as future uses of this material. This project consequently will preserve,characterize, enrich, and document the active germplasm bank for forest species at EmbrapaFlorestas, which includes exotic pines (Pinus spp.), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.), Corymbia spp.,sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), silk oak (Grevillea robusta), black acacia (Acaciamelanoxylon), Acrocarpus fraxinifolius, Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), Chinese fir(Cunninghamia lanceolata), and Mexican white cedar (Cupressus lusitânica). Native speciesinclude Paraná pine (Araucaria angustifolia), Maytenus iliciofolia, yerba mate (Ilexparaguariensis), pochote (Pachira quirata), and rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis).