The provenance of forest reproductive material matters: examples with Norway spruce, Silver fir, Common beech and Sessile oak in the Western Carpathians
2012
Longauer, Roman (National Forestry Centre, Zvolen (Slovak Republic). Forestry Research Institute) | Gömöry, Dušan (Technical University, Zvolen (Slovak Republic). Faculty of Forestry) | Pacalaj, Marian | Strmeň, Slavomír
Common garden experiments proved significant differences among provenances of local Norway spruce, common beech, silver fir and sessile oak provenances even within the geographically limited area of Western Carpathians. At the age of 45 years, mean stem volume differed by 21-44 % and growing stock 39-96 % among the provenances of Norway spruce. Comparative tests with silver fir and sessile oak revealed the difference of 64-88 % in the mean stem volumes, and even more than 100 % in their growing stock. In order to analyze adaptability of forest tree species, effects of ecological distances between source populations and provenance plots (planting sites) on the growth and survival of provenances were assessed. Eleven autochthonous provenances of Norway spruce were studied at the series of 5 parallel provenance plots situated along an altitudinal gradient from 480 to 1,310 m. Changed altitude, temperatures, precipitation and vegetation period influenced their growth and survival significantly. Our findings indicate adaptation of Norway spruce to a common optimum located in a somewhat lower altitude than the origin of tested provenances. Altitudinal shift, mean temperature of July and number of days warmer than 10°C proved to be the most important underlying variables. Effects of changed site conditions on the growth and survival of beech, silver fir and sessile oak were tested in single-plot provenance trials. Despite of a simple experimental design, ecological distances between source populations and planting sites were significant for all species. From among the underlying variables, altitudinal shift had the strongest effect on the growth and survival of silver fir and sessile oak. Provenances of silver fir performed better when they were planted in a lower altitude while oak provenances in a higher altitude from their source populations.
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