Book excerpt: Forest management must be sustainable not only in ecological, economic and social, but also genetic terms. Many forest managers are advocating and developing management strategies that give priority to conserving genetic diversity within production systems, or that recognise the importance of genetic considerations in achieving sustainable management. Forest Conservation Genetics draws together much previously uncollected information relevant to managing and conserving forests. The content emphasises the importance of conserving genetic diversity in achieving sustainable management. Each chapter is written by a leading expert and has been peer reviewed. Readers without a background in genetics will find the logical sequence of topics allows easy understanding of the principles involved and how those principles may impact on day-to-day forest planning and management decisions. The book is primarily aimed at undergraduate students of biology, ecology, forestry, and graduate students of forest genetics, resource management policy and/or conservation biology. It will prove useful for those teaching courses in these fields and as such help to increase the awareness of genetic factors in conservation and sustainable management, in both temperate and tropical regions.