Introduction

Abstract

Biodiversity, as this assemblage of life-forms is referred to, has now been acknowledged as the foundation for sustainable livelihood and food security. Forests are one of the most valuable ecosystems in the world, containing more than 60 % of the world's biodiversity. Forest trees are recognized as a raw-material base for industrial and domestic wood products, which perpetually provide renewable energy, fiber, and timber. Besides other valuable products, several trees are recognized for their medicinal and pharmaceutical importance. The economic benefits of planted forests have led to their widespread adoption throughout the world. To maintain and sustain forest vegetation, conventional approaches have been exploited for propagation and improvement, but tree-breeding efforts are restricted to the most valuable and fast-growing species. However, such methods are limited by several inherent bottlenecks because trees are generally slowgrowing, long-lived, sexually self-incompatible, and highly heterozygous plants. Tissue culture and other biotechnological approaches offer tremendous scope towards the desired objectives. This chapter deals with a brief introduction about global and national status of forests and applications and limitations of plant tissue culture for trees with a special reference to a semiarid tree, Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Del.