Ponderosa Pine Provenance Test for Windbreaks in Eastern South Dakota

Abstract

Abstract Ponderosa pine has been planted extensively in the northern Great Plains. Many of the plantings, however, have performed poorly or failed because of poor early survival and slow growth. A regional provenance test of 73 ponderosa pine sources was established in 1968 as one means of improving the performance of this species throughout the Great Plains. Results after 15 years indicated that three sources located in north central Nebraska and south central South Dakota were taller than all other sources. The three sources exhibited a height growth 30% above the plantation mean and an average survival 20% higher than that of the plantation as a whole. These sources have also been among the tallest and best survivors in similar tests throughout the Great Plains. Juvenile-mature correlations were strong for 5-year and 15-year height growth. The identification of a relatively small area from which to collect genetically improved ponderosa pine should greatly facilitate the incorporation of these seedlings into tree-planting efforts in the northern Plains. North. J. Appl. For. 2:105-107, Dec. 1985.