Scots Pine Provenances Research Articles

Analysis of differences of growth and phenology of provenances of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) in provenance experiment at Žepče

This paper analyses the growth and phenology of fourteen European provenances of Scots pine at the international experimental plot at Zepce. The experiment with the provenances was developed during the spring of 2012 with two (2+0) year old plants. In total 1400 Scots pine saplings were planted in an experimental random block layout, fourteen provenances in four replications (4 x 25 plants). The experiment was concerned with provenances from ten European countries: Austria (Traisen, Rein, Sistrans), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bugojno), Scotland (Shieldaig), Ukraine (Ivano-Frankivsk), Slovakia (Hanusovce), Romania (Sacueini), Norway (Narvik), Germany (Trippstadt), Poland (Raciane – Nida) and Italy (Ca del Lupo, Fenestrelle, Piani – Valda). The morphological results relate to the differences in survival, height, diameter on the root neck and the ratio of these measurements to the height of the saplings of different provenances of Scots pine. Phenological details relate to the phenology of the buds and complete formation of pine needles. All of the details researched have yielded notably different findings. The results of the research can play a significant role in reforestation as well as the preservation of the genetic wealth of Scots pine.

Differential physiological and genetic responses of five European Scots pine provenances to induced water stress

Pinus sylvestris L. (Scots pine) is the conifer with widest natural distribution area. Portugal constitutes its westernmost limit of distribution. Most of the Portuguese populations were planted but two autochthonous populations were recently ascribed to ‘Serra do Gerês’ (NW Portugal), and seem to be well adapted to the temperate climate. However, the ongoing climate changes may compromise their survival. With this study we intend to evaluate the anatomic-physiological and genetic responses of Scots pine from five European provenances (‘Gerês’, ‘Puebla de Lillo’, ‘Montes Universales’, Germany and Sweden) to three water availability regimes, in order to determine which one(s) present higher resistance to drought. Individuals from ‘Gerês’ presented the highest stability in photosynthetic reactions as well as the better photochemical and metabolic behaviours under drought (T3). Hence, the relative expression ratio of three water stress-responsive genes during drought was lower and gradual in ‘Gerês’, compared to all other provenances, followed by Germany. The results achieved in ‘Gerês’ and Germany provenances are very interesting since they reflected that the native populations of ‘Gerês’ along with the Portuguese Scots pine planted populations with a probable German provenance, have ability and high adaptive potential to respond to situations of water deficit. Moreover, the present genetic and physiological data demonstrated the urgent demand for the conservation of Portuguese Scots pine genetic resources as well as its use in plantation/afforestation of areas where the warming and drought has been affecting the survival of this species.

Impact of summer drought on isoprenoid emissions and carbon sink of three Scots pine provenances.

Impact of summer drought on isoprenoid emissions and carbon sink of three Scots pine provenances.

Long-term growth performance and productivity of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) populations

The phenotypic differentiation of 16 provenances of Scots pine originating from a wide variety of habitats that range from lowland to southern highland locations in Poland was assessed during 47 years of their growth and development in the Carpathian Mountains. The traits, including height, diameter at breast height, stem straightness, and crown width, were used to evaluate the differentiation of the provenances in their juvenile period and at maturity and were examined for patterns of local adaptation. The populations from northern Poland were characterized by the best growth and productivity, whereas provenances from central Poland had the best stem quality. There were some changes in growth between provenances observed during the experiment, but the stand volume (m<sup>3</sup>/ha) in juvenile trees was closely correlated with that in mature trees (<em>r</em> = 0.979). There was a positive relationship between the productivity and the environmental conditions of the geographical origin of provenances with increasing values for the trees’ productivity from south to north. Additionally, the elevation above sea level of the original populations was inversely correlated with the growth achieved by the progeny. In general, most populations from the species distribution range in Poland tested in the severe climate conditions of the Carpathian Mountains showed good growth performance under that environment, characterized by low temperatures and short growing periods. Provenances from climatic zones outside mountain regions demonstrated great growth and productivity, which proved to be the most important for competitively outperforming the local populations. Our study demonstrates good adaptive potential of the tested provenances, as selection will favor fast-growing genotypes under the predicted environmental change scenario.

Growth and Survival Variation among Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) Provenances.

Tree height, basal diameter, and survival were examined in thirteen-year-old provenance test established by 30 seed sources of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) at two exotic sites of the species in Southern part of Turkey. Variations within provenance and among provenances and relations among the traits were estimated to compare Scots pine provenance and two other native species. Averages of tree height and basal diameter were 350 cm and 52.7 mm in Aydogmus site and 385 cm and 51.2 mm in Kemer site, respectively. There were large differences within and among provenances for the characters. Sites were similar (p > 0.05) for the characters, while there were significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) among provenances within site according to results of variance analysis (ANOVA). Scots pine provenances were higher and had more thickness than that of black pine (Pinus nigra Arnold) and Taurus cedar (Cedrus libani A. Rich.) which were natural species of the region. There were positive and significant (p < 0.05) correlations between height and basal diameter in the species. Average survivals were 56% and 35% of the provenances in the sites. They were 71% and 11% in black pine and 53% in Taurus cedar for the sites respectively.

Morphological and physiological responses to drought stress of European provenances of Scots pine

Increased frequency and intensity of drought episodes as a consequence of current and predicted climatic changes require an understanding of the intra-specific variability in structural and physiological characteristics of forest trees. Adaptive plasticity and genotypic variability are considered two of the main processes by which trees can either be selected or can acclimate to changing conditions. We tested for the relative importance of genotypic variability, phenotypic plasticity and their interaction by comparing the growth and physiological performance of 15 provenances of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), under two contrasting irrigation regimes. Selected provenances representing the distribution range of the species in Anatolia, Turkey, were contrasted with seed sources spanning the range from Spain to the UK, in Europe. We found a strong latitudinal differentiation among the 15 provenances for survival after drought, largely the result of the higher mortality of some western and central European provenances. Differentiation in diameter and height growth was also clear with the worst provenance coming from Western Europe (UK). Among the Turkish provenances, the more extreme southern high-elevation populations showed greater survival and lower growth rates overall. Differences in growth and survival were related to differences in photosynthetic pigment and nutrient contents and in the photosynthetic efficiency of photosystem II. Plasticity was strongest for growth characters and pigment contents.

Assessment of climatic limits of needle cast–affected area under climate change in Central Siberia

The relationships between climate (January and July temperatures, annual precipitation, and a relative moisture index) and the number of foci and intensity of the needle cast disease caused by fungi from the genus Lophodermium Chevall. in the Scots pine nurseries and provenance trials in Krasnoyarsk krai have been studied using multivariate statistics methods. It is found that peaks in the disease occurrence are related to the warm and humid weather conditions. Bioclimatic models of the needle cast ranges have been built using the climate variables; the spatial dynamics of the disease occurrence have been projected under various scenarios of climate warming over the 21st century. Model experiments have shown that the needle cast disease would shift northwards into the new regions in Krasnoyarsk krai, where the phytopathogen has not yet been registered in the nurseries. The largest forest areas exposed to needle cast disease are predicted to be at a high risk of outbreaks by 2020 under moderate climate warming. With a significant warming trend by 2080, potential risk areas will be reduced, because the pine expansion into the permafrost zone should be limited by slow thawing of its active layer.

36-ЛЕТНИЙ ОПЫТ ИЗУЧЕНИЯ ГЕОГРАФИЧЕСКИХ КУЛЬТУР СОСНЫ ОБЫКНОВЕННОЙ В ПСКОВСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ

36-ЛЕТНИЙ ОПЫТ ИЗУЧЕНИЯ ГЕОГРАФИЧЕСКИХ КУЛЬТУР СОСНЫ ОБЫКНОВЕННОЙ В ПСКОВСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ

Impact of summer drought on isoprenoid emissions and carbon sink of three Scots pine provenances.

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) provenances cover broad ecological amplitudes. In a greenhouse study, we investigated the impact of drought stress and rewetting on gas exchange for three provenances (Italy: Emilia Romagna; Spain: Alto Ebro; Germany: East-German lowlands) of 2-year old Scots pine seedlings. CO2, water vapour and isoprenoid exchange of stressed and control trees were quantified with a four-chamber dynamic-enclosure system in the controlled environment of a climate chamber. The three provenances showed distinct isoprenoid emission patterns and were classified into a non-Δ3-carene, with either high α-/β-pinene or β-myrcene fraction, and a Δ3-carene dominated type. Isoprenoid emission rates, net-photosynthesis and transpiration were reduced during summer drought stress and significantly recovered after rewetting. A seasonal increase of isoprenoid emission rates towards autumn was observed for all control groups. Compared with the German provenance, the Spanish and Italian provenances revealed higher isoprenoid emission rates and more plastic responses to drought stress and seasonal development, which points to a local adaptation to climate. As a result of drought, net carbon uptake and transpiration of trees was reduced, but recovered after rewetting. We conclude from our study that Scots pine isoprenoid emission is more variable than expected and sensitive to drought periods, likely impacting regional air chemistry. Thus, a provenance-specific emission assessment accounting for reduced emission during prolonged (summer) drought is recommend for setting up biogenic volatile organic compound emission inventories used in air quality models.

Diverging Drought Resistance of Scots Pine Provenances Revealed by Infrared Thermography.

With recent climate changes, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forests have been affected by die-off events. Assisted migration of adapted provenances mitigates drought impacts and promotes forest regeneration. Although suitable provenances are difficult to identify by traditional ecophysiological techniques, which are time consuming and invasive, plant water status can be easily assessed by infrared thermography. Thus, we examined the stress responses of 2-year-old potted Scots pine seedlings from six provenances (Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain) based on two thermal indices (crop water stress index and stomatal conductance index). Both indices were derived from infrared images during a 6-week drought/control treatment in a greenhouse in the summer of 2013. The pines were monitored during the stress and subsequent recovery period. After controlling for fluctuating environmental conditions, soil moisture or treatment-specific water supply was the most important driver of drought stress. The stress magnitude and response to soil water deficit depended on provenance. Under moderate drought conditions, pines from western and eastern Mediterranean provenances (Bulgaria, France, and Spain) expressed lower stress levels than those from both continental provenances (Germany and Poland). Moreover, pines from continental provenances were less resilient (showed less recovery after the stress period) than Mediterranean pines. Under extreme drought, all provenances were equally stressed with almost no significant differences in their thermal indices. Provenance-specific differences in drought resistance, which are associated with factors such as summer precipitation at the origin of Scots pine seedlings, may offer promising tracks of adaptation to future drought risks.

Above-Ground Dimensions and Acclimation Explain Variation in Drought Mortality of Scots Pine Seedlings from Various Provenances.

Seedling establishment is a critical part of the life cycle, thus seedling survival might be even more important for forest persistence under recent and future climate change. Scots pine forests have been disproportionally more affected by climate change triggered forest-dieback. Nevertheless, some Scots pine provenances might prove resilient to future drought events because of the species’ large distributional range, genetic diversity, and adaptation potential. However, there is a lack of knowledge on provenance-specific survival under severe drought events and on how acclimation alters survival rates in Scots pine seedlings. We therefore conducted two drought-induced mortality experiments with potted Scots pine seedlings in a greenhouse. In the first experiment, 760 three-year-old seedlings from 12 different provenances of the south-western distribution range were subjected to the same treatment followed by the mortality experiment in 2014. In the second experiment, we addressed the question of whether acclimation to re-occurring drought stress events and to elevated temperature might decrease mortality rates. Thus, 139 four-year-old seedlings from France, Germany, and Poland were subjected to different temperature regimes (2012–2014) and drought treatments (2013–2014) before the mortality experiment in 2015. Provenances clearly differed in their hazard of drought-induced mortality, which was only partly related to the climate of their origin. Drought acclimation decreased the hazard of drought-induced mortality. Above-ground dry weight and height were the main determinants for the hazard of mortality, i.e., heavier and taller seedlings were more prone to mortality. Consequently, Scots pine seedlings exhibit a considerable provenance-specific acclimation potential against drought mortality and the selection of suitable provenances might thus facilitate seedling establishment and the persistence of Scots pine forest.

Фитопатологическая оценка успешности географических культур сосны обыкновенной в Серебряноборском опытном лесничестве

Фитопатологическая оценка успешности географических культур сосны обыкновенной в Серебряноборском опытном лесничестве

Результат выращивания климатипов сосны в географических культурах северо-восточного Подмосковья

The research of geographical plantations is a tool to study the geographical variation of the inherited&#x0D; features of forest species. The present article demonstrates growth results of the geographical&#x0D; plantations of pine on the north-eastern territory of the Moscow Region. The lots were established&#x0D; under the supervision of Prof. S.S. Lisin and are represented by two patches located in Sverdlovskoye&#x0D; Forest District of Schelkovo Experimental Forest Enterprise of Moscow State Forest University.&#x0D; Another scheduled inventory was carried out in the both stands upon reaching of the age of 50 years.&#x0D; This age indicates that the geographical plantations are at their final stage of stem formation. The generation&#x0D; evaluation index was used to give unbiased assessment of the provenances’ growth. The indices&#x0D; were calculated on the basis of average height, diameter and volume per hectare at the age of 30&#x0D; and 50 years. The ranks of the provenances vary within the process of growth. The ecotypes ranked to&#x0D; be the best at the age of 50 years (stem formation stage) were not ranked the same good at the age of&#x0D; 30 years (pole-wood stage). The provenances from the Volgograd and Sumy regions showed the&#x0D; highest age stability among the best types. This proves the ongoing variation of the Scots Pine provenances.&#x0D; However, it is necessary to point out that such variation in terms of growth takes place&#x0D; within more and more limited ranges. On the whole, the provenances from the Volgograd, Saratov&#x0D; and Tambov regions of Russia along with those from the Ukraine and Latvia are considered to be the&#x0D; most suitable for the conditions of the north-east of the Moscow Region. The growth intensity of the&#x0D; Scots Pine provenances decreases if moving to the north and east. The climatic type from the European&#x0D; North, Ural, Siberia and the Far East are considered to be the least suitable.

Visible and near infrared hyperspectral imaging reveals significant differences in needle reflectance among Scots pine provenances

Abstract Genetic diversity is an important indicator of forest sustainability requiring particular attention and new methods to obtain fast and cheap estimates of genetic diversity. We assessed the differences in visible (VIS) and near infrared (NIR) spectral reflectance properties of detached shoots of several distant Scots pine provenances aiming to identify the most informative spectral wavebands and the seasonal time for the genetic diversity scoring. Shoots of five trees per provenance were sampled at two week intervals during the active growth and fall. The samples were scanned using a hyperspectral camera, equipped with a highly sensitive spectrometer capable of covering the spectral range of 400-1000 nm with a sampling interval of 0.6 nm. The ANOVAs revealed significant provenance effects on the spectral reflectance at variable spectral intervals depending on the sampling occasion. During the active growth, PCA identified the most informative wavebands over whole spectral range investigated. During the shoot/needle hardiness development, NIR was the most informative. Provenance ranking in spectral reflectance returned geographically interpretable pattern. We conclude that there are significant provenance attributable and interpretable differences in spectral reflectance of Scots pine needles providing a good opportunity for detecting this spectral variation with the hyperspectral imaging technique.

Biometric characters of seeds and wings as markers of geographical differentiation between European scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) provenances

Biometric characters of seeds and wings served to describe interprovenance differentiation of Scots pine in Europe. Grouping analysis was applied, Mahalanobis distances were calculated as well as Hotellings T&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; statistics were applied. The similarity of East European and Finnish provenances was conspicuous. The provenance from Scotland proved to be similar to provenances originating from the region of Scandinavia. On the other hand, two southern provenances 54(Rychtal, Poland) and 55(Luboml, Ukraine), were also found similar to provenances originating from the region of Scandinavia (western Norway). The obtained pattern of reciprocal relations may indicate pathways of Scots pine migration in the postglacial period or may be a result of adaptation to certain similar environmental conditions. No relations were detected between size of seeds and geographic origin of provenances.

Impact of climate and drought events on the growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) provenances

We explored the growth response of Scots pine to temperature, precipitation, and drought focusing on eleven provenances from the IUFRO 1982 international provenance trial. At two macroclimatically different sites in Germany we measured chronologies of tree-ring widths and annual height increment. We estimated general climate/growth relationships and examined the growth response, based on tolerance indices of resistance, recovery, resilience and relative resilience, to the most severe drought event per site. Using multivariate benchmarking of provenance archetypes, we established a ranking of the individual provenances in terms of general performance. In addition to considerable differences in overall growth between provenances, growth metrics differed between sites which were mostly attributable to climate. Basal area increment depended mainly on water availability from May to July, whereas annual height growth was influenced by moisture deficit during May of the current year.The reaction to drought events was shown to depend on the timing and duration of the drought event. Differences between provenances in resistance were modest, but more pronounced for recovery and especially for resilience and relative resilience. The results indicate a better adaptation to drought of the provenance from Bosnia Herzegovina and of local German provenances compared to other provenances. We summarized the findings by aligning the eleven provenances between two multivariately defined archetypes, one of which represented best general performance defined by good overall growth, low climate sensitivity and high resilience to drought. This approach confirmed the superior performance of the local German populations. Provenances from France and Poland were ranked above average whereas northern provenances and that from Bosnia Herzegovina were found to be least suitable at the sites under investigation. Our results clearly demonstrate the importance of considering provenance in the discussion about future adaptedness and adaptability of tree species under climate change scenarios.

구주소나무 적응성검정 시험 -22개 산지 36년생 결과-

스웨덴으로부터 구주소나무 22개 산지 종자를 도입하여 우수산지 선발을 목적으로 36년간 경기도 수원 지방에서 시험한 결과, 식재 후 33년 생장에서 가장 우수한 생장을 보인 산지는 F3001산지로 <TEX>$0.160m^3$</TEX>, 불량산지는 W2027 산지가 <TEX>$0.072m^3$</TEX>로 2.2배의 산지간의 생장차이를 보여 통계적인 유의성을 인정할 수가 있었다. 수령 및 산지간의 생장의 순위는 식재 후 14년생에 접어들면서 우수했던 산지들이 수령 33년생에서도 지속적으로 우수하였으며, 불량했던 산지들도 동일한 경향이었다. 비교수종으로 식재한 강원 평창산지 소나무 생장과 비교할 때, 식재 후 구주소나무 14년생 22개 산지 평균재적생장은 국내소나무와 유사한 생장을 보였으나, 식재 후, 28년생과 33년생 단목 재적생장에서 국내소나무가 구주소나무에 비하여 205%와 333% 우수한 생장을 보였다. 외래수종을 도입하여 새로운 환경에서 순응하는 과정에서 유전적인 요인 및 환경경사 등이 복합적으로 표현되는 생존율에서 비교수종으로 사용한 국내 소나무의 식재 후 당년 조림활착율, 식재 후 3년, 28년, 33년의 생존율은 90%, 85%, 50%, 22%인데 반하여 구주소나무 22개산지 평균생존율은 89%, 70%, 42%, 18%로 국내 소나무의 생존율보다는 떨어지나 유사한 생존율을 보였다. 그러나 구주소나무의 생존율의 상태는 산지별로 반복간의 생존율에서 심한 차이를 보여 전수 고사한 반복이 나타나는 등 정상적인 밀도를 유지하지 못하고 비정상적인 생장으로 쇠퇴하고 있었다. 결론적으로 구주소나무는 원산지보다 온화한 남쪽지방인 우리나라 기후풍토에서 생육하면서 심각한 생리적인 스트레스에 의하여 정상적인 생장을 하지 못하고 허약해진 개체목들은 2차적으로 솔잎혹파리(Thecodiplosis japonensis Uchida et Inouye), 거품벌레(Aphrophora flavipes Uhler), 푸사리움 가지마름병(Fusarium circinatum) 등의 병충해의 집중적인 침범으로 고사하여 외래수종 도입 실패의 대표적인 지연된 실패로 판단하여 시험을 종료하였다. This study was conducted to select superior provenances of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) well adapted to Korean environment for timber production. In 1976, twenty-two provenances of Scots pine were introduced from Sweden and the seeds were sown in seed beds in March. After one year, the seedlings were transplanted to nursery beds. The resulting 1-1 seedlings of 22 provenances were planted at Whaseong in 1978. Randomized complete block design with 3 replications were used for test plantation. Each provenance was planted with 20-tree row plot in each block and at a spacing of <TEX>$1.8{\times}1.8m$</TEX>. The growth performance of each provenance was monitored up to 33-years after planting. There were significant differences among provenances in volume growth. F3001 provenance showed the best volume growth of 33-years after planting (<TEX>$0.160m^3$</TEX>), which was 2.2 times greater than that of the lowest provenance W2027 (<TEX>$0.072m^3$</TEX>). The ranking of provenances was stabilized after 14 years. Comparing to reference tree species, Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora), all Scots pine provenances showed poor growth performance. In other words, volume growth of Japanese red pine at age 28 and 33 were 2.1 and 3.3 times greater than that of Scots pine, respectively. Moreover, survival rate of Scots pine was lower than that of Japanese red pine. Based on these results, it was suggested that Scots pine was not suitable to Korean environments. The cause of maladaptation of Scots pine and the implications of introduction breeding were discussed.

Large-scale genetic structure and drought-induced effects on European Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings

Seedlings of ten provenances of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) from the southwestern to the central part of the species distribution range were investigated in a greenhouse experiment under dry conditions compared to a well-watered control. We conducted an isozyme study and recorded phenology as well as growth traits during the first year of growth. Genetic variability and genetic diversity increased from the westernmost provenances to those central to the distribution. Provenances from the Apennines and Spain revealed the strongest genetic differentiation compared to all others, whereas populations from Germany, Poland and Bulgaria were found to belong to the same gene pool. Seedling development and bud set were faster in northern populations. Shoot length was highest for Polish and German provenances within both regimes, populations from France and Spain had the longest roots. Reduced soil moisture slowed later development stages and delayed bud set for all provenances by about 5 days. Shoot growth decreased considerably under the dry regime for all provenances. German provenances were the most sensitive to drought, whereas Spanish provenances showed adaptation to drought conditions indicated by the lowest reduction in shoot growth relative to optimum conditions. The results of this pilot study show that under more pronounced drought conditions with repeated drought events, the so far established superiority of northeastern provenances compared to southwestern ones could diminish in the future.

Influence of tree provenance on biogenic VOC emissions of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) stumps

Resin-storing plant species such as conifer trees can release substantial amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere under stress circumstances that cause resin flow. Wounding can be induced by animals, pathogens, wind or direct mechanical damage e.g. during harvesting. In atmospheric modelling of biogenic VOCs, actively growing vegetation has been mostly considered as the source of emissions. Root systems and stumps of resin-storing conifer trees could constitute a significant store of resin after tree cutting. Therefore, we assessed the VOC emission rates from the cut surface of Scots pine stumps and estimated the average emission rates for an area with a density of 2000 stumps per ha. The experiment was conducted with trees of one Estonian and three Finnish Scots pine provenances covering a 1200 km gradient at a common garden established in central Finland in 1991.VOC emissions were dominated by monoterpenes and less than 0.1% of the total emission was sesquiterpenes. α-Pinene (7–92% of the total emissions) and 3-carene (0–76% of the total emissions) were the dominant monoterpenes. Proportions of α-pinene and camphene were significantly lower and proportions of 3-carene, sabinene, γ-terpinene and terpinolene higher in the southernmost Saaremaa provenance compared to the other provenances. Total terpene emission rates (standardised to +20 °C) from stumps varied from 27 to 1582 mg h−1 m−2 when measured within 2–3 h after tree cutting. Emission rates decreased rapidly to between 2 and 79 mg h−1 m−2 at 50 days after cutting. The estimated daily terpene emission rates on a hectare basis from freshly cut stumps at a cut tree density of 2000 per ha varied depending on provenance. Estimated emission ranges were 100–710 g ha−1 d−1 and 137–970 g ha−1 d−1 in 40 and in 60 year-old forest stands, respectively. Our result suggests that emission directly from stump surfaces could be a significant source of monoterpene emissions for a few weeks after logging in a Scots pine stand, but provenance properties strongly affect resin flow from root to stump surface.

The influence of seed origin on stand variables of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) provenance trial in Ahunapalu

Seemnete päritolupiirkonna mõju hariliku männi (Pinus sylvestris L.) puistu takseerandmetele Ahunapalu geograafilises katsekultuuris The aim of the present study is to analyse the influence of seed origin on the growth performance in Scots pine provenance trial at the age of 33 and 43 years. The provenance trial plantation with 18 provenances of Scots pine were established in Estonia, Järvselja Training and Experimental Forest District (58°19'47, 21"N. Lat. and 27°16'2, 79"E. Long) under the supervision of E. Pihelgas in 1965, using seeds from different regions of the former Soviet Union. The northernmost seeds were received from Arhangelsk province, Russia, (63° N. Lat.) and the southernmost seeds from Borjomi Forest Enterprise, Georgia, situated 800 m above sea level (42° N. Lat.). The westernmost seeds were from Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine (23-24° E. Long.). Seeds of Estonian pine seedlings originated from the forest districts of Järvselja, Sõmeru, Vihula, Sagadi and Koorküla. Data used for above-mentioned study was collected during the years 1998 and 2008. Statistical analysis was conducted using the software package R. The statistical analysis of the data obtained from provenance trials showed that under Estonian circumstances density, height and breast height diameter were stand variable which were depending on seed origin the most. The average survival percentage of progenies from southern provenances (with the northern latitude less than 52°) was lower than that in case of the progenies of the northern seed origin; a strong linear relationship was found between the stand breast height diameter and the northern latitude of seed provenance. The average breast height diameter of the stands from southern origin was larger than that of the stands from northern origin, whereas the plots of northern seed provenances had bigger survival percentage (density) than that of plots grown from southern seeds. Thus, the plots of northern seed origin had poorer conditions for diameter growth. The stands of northern seed provenance had slightly lower average height than that in the stands of southern seed origin.