Reflected in the extraordinary range of animal and plant life that occurs in an area, this biodiversity can further be distinguished into different levels of diversity.

The first level, called "ecosystem diversity", refers to the variety of habitats within a single area. "Species diversity", meanwhile, reflects the number and abundance of species within those various habitats. Finally, "genetic diversity" refers to the extraordinary range of genetic differences among individuals of the same species.

Ecosystem and species diversity are necessarily reduced significantly in plantation forest stands. While biodiversity in these stands is much greater than in agricultural fields, some reduction in species diversity is nonetheless a requirement of efficient wood production. What is more significant, however, is the biodiversity over the entire landscape. In this respect well managed plantations offer a number of ecological benefits. Productive plantations produce a lot of wood on much less land than extensive forestry practices. This allows less productive land, even within forest tenures to be set aside for biodiversity needs. It also means that a relatively small proportion of the overall land base in a region is dedicated to intensive wood production. Together these factors have actually increased the area which can be conserved in several countries (see section of Plantation Forestry).

Ultimately, it is "genetic diversity" which allows species to evolve and adapt to changing environments.

It's important to note that substantial genetic diversity exists in plantations, which is an important factor in the success of planting programs using somatic embryogenesis.

The Role Of Genetic Diversity.
Tree improvement programs and the deployment of genetically improved stock deals with genetic diversity. Moreover, this genetic diversity only becomes evident at the stand or plantation level. Given that stands and plantations are managed for short rotation fibre production, and that the reforestation after harvesting involves the use of genetically improved stock, two questions arise regarding the role of genetic diversity.

First, how much genetic diversity does one need at a plantation? Secondly, how much genetic diversity is deployed on the landscape in order to avoid the creation of an agricultural situation?

How Much Genetic Diversity Does A Plantation Need?
This depends on the amount of genetic diversity present in the tree improvement program. As discussed under "Tree Breeding" the Tree Improvement process does a good job of capturing genetic diversity for use in reforestation.

What Happens When Somatic embryogenesis 

A process of initiation and development of somatic embryos in vitro from somatic cells and tissues.

Is Used?
Without question, increased genetic uniformity is a concern with the use of somatic embryogenesis, since the technology is capable of copying single individuals in high numbers.

The most important consideration in using somatic embryogenesis is the deployment of a number of different lines in the plantation. Furthermore, the variety of lines used are genetically different than each other. This would be analogous to using multiple varieties. While this is seldom done in agriculture it is the norm in intensively managed plantations of hardwoods, precisely to maintain genetic diversity. In sum the use of CellFor technology enables a well defined level of genetic diversity to be used.

It should also be noted that somatic embryogenesis is only used as a means of planting stands which are grown for relatively short periods for production purposes. As stands are replanted over time the make up of the varieties (or lines) used is changed. Indeed, the use of genetically diverse seeds in reforestation is crucial to creating a healthy balance between gain and diversity. Ultimately, the goal is for the forest landscape to be planted with a range of genetic material.

How We Maintain Genetic Diversity.
It has been shown that managing the number of lines per cross and the proportional contribution of every Line 

When used in the context of plant propagation, the term refers to a collection of plants produced asexually either from a single plant or part of a plant. They have the exact same genetic make-up.

within a cross can allow for a substantial amount of genetic diversity. What's more, it's possible to maintain an appreciable level of genetic diversity without any sacrifice in genetic gain.

By then restricting the size of the planting blocks, and relying on a mosaic-like distribution, we're able to further mitigate any drawbacks associated with reduction in genetic diversity.