The transferability of western white pine to and within British Columbia based on early survival, environmental damage, and juvenile height
1999
Meagher, M.D. | Hunt, R.S.
Survival, environmental damage, and juvenile height of 27 provenances of western white pine (Pinus monticola) in three plantation series were analyzed after 5 to 13 yr on site to assist in evaluating seed-transfer practices. Survival averaged 79.2% on nine sites in the "root-rot" series and 84.1% on six sites in the "provenance-test" series. Trends of survival on seed-source parameters differed between series, generally increasing with both elevation and latitude in the root-rot series, while generally decreasing with latitude in the provenance-test series. Analysis by seed zone (coast or interior) and plantation region (coast, southern interior, or northern interior) showed that coastal sources on interior sites caused much of these anomalies. Substantial environmental damage was found only on sites near to or beyond the species' northern limit. Differences in the trend of damage with source parameters were found between the test series: interior sources were damaged less than coastal sources on two root-rot sites, whereas interior sources were damaged more heavily than coastal sources on the provenance-test site exhibiting substantial damage. Damage increased with increasing provenance latitude and elevation in the root-rot series, while it dropped with increasing elevation in the "provenance-test" series. In general, taller seedlings in taller provenances were damaged. Coastal seed should not be used on interior sites, but transfer of seed from the BC interior to the BC coast seems safe. We recommend that the present limits for latitudinal transfer be doubled, except where late-spring-frost risk is high, and that elevational transfer of seeds for the interior zone be reduced by about half.
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