A clear understanding of phylogeographic and population structure of most Caucasian tree temperate species is still limited and needed to be upgraded.  In addition, better knowledge of the influence of historical and present drivers on forest biodiversity and ecosystem function is mandatory to ensure their appropriate conservation practices and effective management in the face of climate warming and increasing demand for wood products.  Therefore, in the frame of our project, we will examine phylogeography and the population structure of one of the most widespread and ecologically essential tree species – oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) in Georgia (South Caucasus) based on cpDNA sequence variation. This will allow us, to fill an existent gap in the limited knowledge of the genetic structure of forest taxa in the Caucasus. In particular, comparative phylogeographic studies on F. orientalis in Georgia will help us in better understanding the evolutionary history of Caucasian temperate tree species and will provide more extensive consideration of the effect of the past geological and climatic changes on the distribution of ancient lineages in the Caucasus. Furthermore, the establishment of genetic diversity patterns of population structure of oriental beech in Georgia to upgrade our knowledge in biodiversity wealth of the whole Caucasus ecoregion and its role as a glacial refugium. As it is known, the accurate delimitation of glacial refugia is a high priority for conservation, because these are key areas for the persistence and evolution of biodiversity. Moreover, this information is particularly relevant for conservation, as long-term isolation together with expected genetic distinctiveness and local adaptation can support the delineation of maternal lineages and conservation units, and thus provide fundamental guidelines to forest ecosystem conservation and management.