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Abstract
Forest sustainability promotes the forest resource to be adequate in benefitting mankind. It depends on effective silvicultural operations to check the sustainable anthropogenic activities that lead to forest loss. As effective as silvicultural operations is in sustaining forest, it will amount to nothing if it is not coupled with appropriate breeding techniques, which in turn environment dependent. No matter viable or plus a tree is, without favourable environment, the qualities will be mutated. Breeding, the tree improvement is an intentional manipulation of genetic make-up of tree species to produce desired traits for man's benefits. Breeding brings about early fruiting and maturity, species stoutness, pest and disease resistance, bole straightness, high wood quality among others. Common breeding methods for tree improvement are; Plus tree selection, Progeny testing, Controlled crossing and Clonal testing. If both the silviculture and breeding can form a synergy in a favourable environment (biotic and abiotic) in tree improvement programme, the forest sustainability will be rapidly enhanced for the trees will rich maturity quickly with no infestation of pest and disease to reduce their quality both morphologically and anatomically. It is observed that the genetic make-up of any plant species is governed by the environment in which it is established, thus, Genotype = Phenotype x Environment. Environment modifies plant species either negatively or positive in relation to its original traits making environment an important pivot on which plant species richness and sustainability rest.