Narrow genetic base in forest restoration with holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) in Sicily

In order to empirically assess the effect of actual seed sampling strategy on genetic diversity of holm oak (Quercus ilex) forestations in Sicily, we have analysed the genetic composition of two seedling lots (nursery stock and plantation) and their known natural seed origin stand by means of six nuclear microsatellite loci. Significant reduction in genetic diversity and significant difference in genetic composition of the seedling lots compared to the seed origin stand were detected. The female and the total effective number of parents were quantified by means of maternity assignment of seedlings and temporal changes in allele frequencies. Extremely low effective maternity numbers were estimated (Nf _e ≈ 2–4) and estimates accounting for both seed and pollen donors gave also low values (N _e ≈ 35–50). These values can be explained by an inappropriate forestry seed harvest strategy limited to a small number of spatially close trees.     

马尾松二代无性系种子园遗传多样性和交配系统分析

运用12对SSR引物,对马尾松二代无性系种子园内61个亲本及其中8个无性系单株的320个子代进行研究。结果显示:子代群体包含亲本群体的所有等位基因,子代与亲本具有同样高的遗传多样性,子代群体的F为0.045,纯合子过剩的现象不明显;树冠北面子代遗传多样性并未因其雌、雄球花量较树冠南面减少而有明显的降低;雌雄均衡和偏雌型植株子代遗传多样性基本一致,以偏雌型植株子代略大,二者F趋于0,子代基本符合哈温平衡。种子园异交率较高,多位点异交率为1.098,子代亲本的近交现象不显著(tm-ts=-0.033);树冠南面多位点与单位点异交率均高于树冠北面;偏雌与雌雄均衡型植株的多位点异交率基本相当,雌雄均衡型植株并未因其雌、雄球花量比例较偏雌型植株减小而呈现异交率明显降低的现象,2种类型植株的近交指数均接近于0。整体而言,马尾松二代种子园子代仍具有丰富的遗传多样性,无性系间基因交流相对充分,子代亲本近交现象不明显。     

Genetic Diversity and Mating System Analysis of Pinus massoniana in Second-Generation Clonal Seed Orchard

A total 61 clone parents and 320 open-pollination progenies from 8 clone individuals were identified by 12 polymorphic SSR loci.The result showed that the level of genetic diversity in progeny population was the same as in maternal population, progeny population had all alleles detected in maternal population,and there were not obvious surplus phenomenon of homozygotes in progeny population (F= 0.046).The south crown had more strobili than the north crown,however the genetic diversity of the north crown strobili was not substantially reduced.The progeny of neutral trees had the same level of genetic diversity as in the progeny of partial female trees,with the fixation index tended to be zero,which was accorded with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.The multilocus outcrossing rate in the seed orchard was 1.097,and there was no significant inbreeding between parents(t_m-t_s= - 0.031).The multilocus outcrossing rate and singlelocus outcrossing rate in the south crown were higher than that in the north crown.The multilocus outcrossing rate of partial female trees was the same as in neutral trees,and the neutral tree had no obvious declining outcrossing rate with reduced proportion of female and male strobilus compared with partial female tree, with the fixation index tended to be zero.The progeny of the second generation clonal seed orchard still had rich genetic diversity,gene exchange among clones was relatively sufficient,and biparental inbreeding was not significant.     

Enhancing Tree Seedling Supply to Smallholders in Leyte Province, Philippines: An Evaluation of the Production System of Government Nursery Sector and Support to Smallholder Tree Farmers

A decentralized seedling production is regarded as the most effective means of providing smallholders with planting materials. However, the sustainability of smallholder nursery operation is constrained by several factors, including the limited availability of germplasm, lack of technical skills and low seedling demand low viability of seedling market. The government nursery sector could complement the weaknesses of the smallholder nursery group but government nurseries are not operating effectively to enhance the availability of high quality seedlings of a wide species base for smallholder forestry. Seedling production in government nurseries is quantity-orientated with low emphasis on the production of high quality planting materials. Germplasm used in seedling production is mostly collected from unselected sources and seedlings produced are mostly of low physical quality. The species selection in government nurseries is heavily based on the availability of germplasm which resulted in the production of a few species which are commonly raised on private nurseries. The duplication of species of most seedlings raised in government nurseries with those produced in private nurseries and the far distance of government nurseries from the villages has resulted in low uptake of seedlings by smallholder tree farmers. For the government nursery sector to become more effective in providing support in the present paradigm of decentralized seeding production, a change from its production system and a broadening of the role it plays is needed. The social mobilization on seedling production as a scheme of implementing the Green Philippines Program has led the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to acknowledge the seedling production activity of private individual and communal nursery groups. This can be an opportunity for organizing the private and government nursery sectors to promote the operational effectiveness of the overall forest nursery industry.     

保山市林木苗圃发展及可持续经营研究

阐述保山市林木种苗培育历史和现状以及新世纪以来林木苗圃发展与种苗管理措施,认为云南省典型山区保山市林木种苗生产和供应的模式以委托育苗为主,私营苗圃占绝对优势.就政府对林木种苗产业发展的影响、单一树种造林模式的改善以及林木苗圃的未来发展进行了讨论,建议政府对林业种苗市场发展加强规划和管理.     

Genetic diversity and adaptive traits of European versus American Douglas-fir seedlings

Due to its productivity and potential to adapt to the expected climate change, the Douglas-fir is one of the most important commercial non-native forest tree species in Europe. Currently, seeds from both non-native European and native American seed stands are used for plantations. In this study, we investigate European seed lots for their native origin (variety and potential geographic origin in America) and assess the adaptability, growth and survival potential of European versus American Douglas-fir seed lots. We compare the genetic diversity, morphological characteristics such as height (h), root collar diameter (rcd) and the ratio of h/rcd, and the timing of bud burst. We investigate 852 1-year-old seedlings from 10 different US and European seed lots representing 5 provenance regions which are sold in Germany and Austria. Seedlings are genotyped for 13 nuclear SSRs and analysed together with reference data set and standard genetic structuring and assignment methods. Adaptive traits of morphological characteristics and timing of bud burst of the seedlings are recorded and statistically analysed. The results show that the investigated European seedlings originate from recommended American native seed sources and represent both varieties and inter-varietal admixed individuals. European seedlings have a lower genetic diversity versus the American seedlings and native populations. They show significant differences in the adaptive traits such as morphological characteristics and timing of bud burst. According to the genetic diversity indices, certified North American Douglas-fir seed sources should be preferred for planting in Central Europe.     

Estimates of pollen contamination and selfing in a coastal Douglas-fir seed orchard

Seed orchards are the link from tree breeding to reforestation programs and are theoretically expected to function as closed, perfect populations, ensuring gain and diversity are consistently and predictively delivered as improved seed and seedlings. Seed orchard populations often deviate from panmixia due to fertility variation, reproductive asynchrony, and gene flow, leading to reduced seed crops genetic quality. Here, as a part of multiyear monitoring study, we used DNA fingerprinting (simple sequence repeat markers) to assess a Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) seed orchard's seed crop genetic quality (2009 seed crop). The studied seed crop was produced under ambient temperature (i.e. no reproductive phenology manipulation) and pollination was augmented by pollen from within orchard's pollen donors. DNA fingerprinting of the parental population (66 parents) along with 207 gametophyte (1n) – embryo (2n) pairs of random bulk sample of seed allowed parentage (maternal and paternal) assignment and the direct assessment of pollen contamination (0.18 ± 0.027) and selfing (0.17 ± 0.025) rates as well as parental (pollen, ovule and individual parent) gametic contribution was compared to a previous year's crop (2005). The extended reproductive phenology coupled with variable within-orchard pollen availability has created opportunities for both self and foreign pollen to be successful at various times resulting in the seemingly paradoxical scenario of high selfing and gene flow. These results (2005 and 2009) allowed comparison of seed orchard's crop management practices and are expected to provide scientific foundations to effective seed crops genetic quality improvement.     

Gene dispersion within a population of Pinus sylvestris

Gene dispersion within a population was studied in a 2‐hectare stand of 74 seed trees and 1100 seedlings. Isozyme markers were used to determine the genetic relationships among parental trees, embryos and seedling progenies. Paternity exclusion analyses were used to study multilocus progeny genotypes from certain parents. Results demonstrate large variation between trees in their capacity to contribute their genes through natural regeneration. The proportion of all genes dispersed into a specific distance interval from the source was estimated. The estimation procedure took into account the background of seedlings where parenthood was not excluded, but where the seedlings turned out to be unrelated. We found little evidence for clusters of progeny seedlings surrounding their parental tree. Within 15 m from a tree, approximately 5 % of the genes originated from that tree and 95 % originated from other trees. We found no evidence for an increase in levels of inbreeding, or genetic substructuring in the seedling progeny stand relative to the parental seed trees. A mathematical model for pollen distribution was developed. According to this model, 90% of pollen was distributed more than 15 m from the source. It is concluded that the marker seed trees had a surprisingly low detectable genetic contribution to the regeneration. It seems likely that a considerable part of the new seedlings have parents among felled trees or from surrounding stands.     

林木种苗与林业可持续发展

探讨了林业可持续发展渊源及要求,分析了林木种苗对林业可持续发展4个方面的影响,从林木种苗工作的角度,提出重视种质资源、创造遗传多样性、提倡种苗产品多样化、开展公益林遗传改良、坚持科技兴种、强化种苗安全等6项对策。     

Family composition of Douglas-fir nursery stock as influenced by seed characters,mortality, and culling practices

Changes in family composition during nursery production were evaluated by following individual seeds and seedlings of 36 wind-pollinated Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) families sown in mixture in two operational nurseries in western Washington and Oregon. Families differed significantly in emergence and in percent of seedlings culled for being too small. However, differences were small enough that family composition was largely unaffected. The observed changes in family composition did not markedly reduce genetic diversity and did not affect the genetic gain that may be expected from an improved population. The plantable nursery stock was, for the most part, representative of the composition of families originally sown.     

湿地松改良种子园无性系的遗传评价及新一轮育种亲本选择*

台山湿地松（Pinus elliottii）改良种子园营建于1988—1997 年,为评价该种子园无性系的遗传品质,项目组在种子园内采集无性系的自由授粉种子并营建子代测定林。文章根据1 块营建在台山市红岭种子园的湿地松子代测定林4、13、18 a 的生长性状数据,分析了改良种子园的现实增益,评价建园无性系的选择效果,选择新一轮的育种亲本,结果如下：3 个年份数据分析结果均显示,在生长量方面,改良种子园子代显著甚至极显著大于湿地松一代种子园子代,18 a 生时,树高、胸径、单株材积的平均现实增益分别为3.09%、4.70%、15.08%;根据单株材积育种值选择出优良亲本无性系6 个,其育种值介于0.050 5~0.186 1 m3,其中有5 个亲本无性系的遗传品质已得到多次验证,可以作为新一轮的育种亲本甚至是核心育种亲本;新选优树15 株,其单株材积育种值介于0.114 9~0.276 9 m3,可充实到新一轮的育种群体中。     

Operational Effectiveness of Centralized Nursery for Small-Scale Forestry in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, the Philippines: Lessons Learned in Seedling Production for Commercial Energy Crop Plantations

One way to maximize potential income of smallholder tree farmers is to ensure high quality of planting material. In San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, the Philippines, great importance is placed on seedling quality because Energy Crop Plantations (ECPs) managed under a Short-Rotation Coppice (SRC) system will involve a single planting for several three-year coppices. High seedling quality requires superior seed provenances and seedling propagation methods. Throughout the establishment of the nursery facility, and the propagation of planting stock, data collection, reporting and database systems have been designed to capture relevant costs and technical information. Training has been provided to nursery personnel and labourers to enable them to operate the nursery and produce high quality seedlings. This paper reports a practical operational evaluation of all materials and procedures followed in nursery establishment and seedling production. Economies of scale in nursery operation are achieved at a production level of at least 90,000 seedlings per planting season of three months in the year. The production cost is estimated at PhP 3.57/seedling, excluding the cost of the nursery infrastructure and overheads. Cost comparison with decentralized or contracted nurseries shows little variation at a total cost of PhP 4.12/seedling. However, with these alternative nursery arrangements there is high risk of producing low quality seedlings by possible reduction of inputs and skipping quality enhancement procedures to reduce production cost.     

Assessing the Quality of Seedlings in Small-scale Nurseries in the Highlands of Cameroon: The Use of Growth Characteristics and Quality Thresholds as Indicators

In developing countries seedlings are often produced in small-scale nurseries as a means to raise tree planting materials and, provided they are of high quality, these can form the basis for successful forest plantation initiatives. This study uses morphological characteristics to assess the quality of seedlings of three tree species (Persea americana, Cola acuminata and Dacryodes edulis) in the Western Highlands of Cameroon. The growth characteristics and quality indicators of seedlings produced in two nursery categories were compared—three nurseries collaborating with the tree domestication program implemented by the World Agroforestry Centre (Category 1) and three nurseries collaborating with government and non-governmental projects (Category 2). Seedlings produced in nurseries in the first nursery category were found to be uniform in terms of growth characteristics and quality indicators. In the second category, there were relatively higher seedling proportions having measured parameters out of threshold standards for root to shoot ratio and for sturdiness quotient. Significant differences between nursery categories (at α = 0.05) were detected in root collar diameter of C. acuminata and D. edulis and in shoot dry weight of D. edulis. These differences could be attributed to better nursery management as a results of training and technical backstopping received by nursery operators in Category 1. The level of experience of nursery operators in both categories was found to be insufficient and greater exposure to skills and knowledge could enhance the production of high quality seedlings.     

Effect of maternal soil treatment on first year growth and autumn frost hardiness of Pinus sylvestris L. full‐sib families

After‐effects of maternal soil treatment, controlling for photoperiod and weather conditions, were tested in a nursery experiment with Pinus sylvestris L. seedlings. Three full‐sib crosses were replicated in 4 different soil treatment plots of a grafted experimental seed orchard (63"54'N). Weight of filled seeds, percentage of empty seeds, first year hypocotyl and epicotyl length, and autumn frost hardiness (from artificial freeze testing) were evaluated. Systematic effects from maternal soil treatment were small compared to family differences for all characters studied. However, epicotyl length of the progenies showed a positive relationship with N needle content of the mother grafts. The results also indicated an important interaction between maternal soil treatment and autumn frost hardiness of the families. It is suggested that the altered mother tree treatment could lead to a change in progeny performance, corresponding to a 1.5 degree difference in latitudinal origin of natural stand seedlings. The results demonstrate the advantages of providing the mother tree with uniform conditions in early progeny testing.     

大渡河上游天然岷江柏木移植试验及种质资源保存

为寻找岷江柏木最佳的种质资源保存方式,以马尔康市天然起源岷江柏木为对象,从岷江柏木移植试验入手,结合已有的岷江柏木种质资源保存方法,进行了两方面研究:1)探讨了不同移植时间、不同树龄、不同修枝比例对岷江柏木移植的影响。试验共移植216株个体,1 a后成活8株,成活率3.70%。主根发达、须根偏少,土壤贫瘠且砾石含量多,移植施工的直接伤害、移植地环境难以完全相似等因素,直接影响到岷江柏木移植的成活率。2)比较了原地保护、异地移植、采种育苗、存入种质资源库等岷江柏木种质资源保护方式。提出在原地保存不可行的情况下,应优先采取采种育苗,结合入库保存等方式保护岷江柏木种质资源。     

Variation in water relations characteristics of terminal shoots of Port-Orford-cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) seedlings

We measured water relations attributes of the terminal shoots of 3-year-old Port-Orford-cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (A. Murr.) Parl.) seedlings that represented its geographic range. Pressure-volume curves were developed and osmotic potentials at full (psi(sf)) and zero turgor (psi(sz)), relative water content at zero turgor, and an index of tissue elasticity (IE) were calculated for 38 families during early, mid- and late summer at an inland nursery, and for 12 of these families during mid- and late summer at a coastal nursery. Compared with other conifer species, psi(sz) was high (-1.4 to -1.5 MPa) and declined in seedlings at both nurseries as the season progressed. Both IE and osmotic amplitude (psi(sf)-psi(sz)) increased during the season. Osmotic potential at zero turgor was lower and osmotic amplitude greater in seedlings at the inland nursery than at the coastal nursery. Correlations of water relations attributes with geographic location of the seed sources were weak and usually not significant. High elevation southern sources exhibited smaller differences in psi(sz) between nurseries than low elevation northern sources. The small differences in water relations attributes among sources and between nurseries suggest that some may be of marginal physiological importance; however, sources that produced larger seedlings appeared to be less desiccation tolerant. We conclude that, when moving genotypes during reforestation, decisions based on patterns in tree size and timing of growth will account for these small differences in water relations.     

Seedling growth and establishment in natural stands of yellow-cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) seedlings derived from the use of modified seed dormancy-breaking treatments

Following dispersal from the parent tree, seeds of yellow-cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis[D. Don] Spach) exhibit low germination, primarily as a result of coat-imposed dormancy. Dormancy of the mature (intact) seed is effectively terminated by traditional warm/cold treatments. A chemical treatment using the anaesthetic 1-propanol combined with a three day warm water soak (30 °C), a two day GA₃ treatment and 60 d of moist chilling not only promotes high germinability of yellow-cedar seeds, but also elicits vigorous post-germinative growth following seedling emergence under nursery greenhouse conditions. Here we compare the effectiveness of the more traditional warm/cold treatments with the chemical treatment in terms of their capacity to elicit vigorous growth and establishment in natural stands following transplant of seedlings from a nursery greenhouse environment. Two seed lots (42313 and 43697) and open-pollinated seed from parent trees 13-6 and 19-8 showed equivalent seedling growth in natural stands following the chemical treatment and two traditional warm/cold treatments typically used for dormancy breakage by the forest industry and by the Ministry of Forests in British Columbia. The chemical protocol offers the advantage of reducing the time required to break seed dormancy. We have now demonstrated that it yields seedlings that exhibit vigorous growth and are capable of withstanding the vagaries of the environment.     

Detection of genetic variation among seed and seedlings ofChamaecyparis obtusa using allozyme markers

The effects of nursery practices on genetic composition and structure were studied inChamaecyparis obtusa by analyzing seeds and one-, two-, and three-year-old seedlings. Enzyme polymorphisms of the6Pgd-2, G6pd, Got, Gk, Shd-2, Pod, Dia-1, andPgm loci were used. OnlyDia-1 indicated significantly different allelic frequencies between seeds and three-year-old seedlings. Most of the genetic diversity of the parental clones in this seed orchard could be transferred to the offsprings. Genetic diversity on the basis of an average expected heterozygosity did not differ between seeds and seedlings. A slight excess of homozygotes in seeds and a significant excess of heterozygotes in seedlings of different ages to the expected panmictic proportions were found. Most of the differences in genotypic distributions among the seed and seedling stages, probably resulted from viability selection favoring outcrosses, and selective removal of inbred offsprings including self-fertilized ones prior to their transplantation in the nursery. A part of this paper was orally presented at the 107th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Forestry Society (1996).     

Small-scale forestry development in Leyte,Philippines: The central role of nurseries

This paper presents results of survey research into the role of the forestry nursery sector in the development of smallholder forestry in Leyte, Philippines. Seedling production in the province is basically carried out by three categories of nurseries: individual, communal and the government. Seedlings in the government nurseries are primarily raised for free distribution to landholders but the extension scheme fails to reach the majority of the smallholder farmers. Seedling demand of landholders is mostly catered for by the more numerous and accessible individual and communal nurseries. However, problems of capital outlay, sources and supply of germplasm, technical knowledge in nursery management for both timber and fruit trees and low sales are among the major impediments in the sustainability of small-scale nurseries. Most of the communal nurseries fail to sustain the operation after the withdrawal of supporting agencies. Knowledge on site-species matching is needed not only by small-scale nursery operators but also by the managers of government nurseries. It is concluded that the seedling industry in the province is not well established and there is a need to organise better the overall nursery system so as to improve the availability of seedlings and promote appropriate site and species combinations.     

Juvenile genetic parameter estimates for vigour,stem form,branching habit and survival in three radiata pine (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus radiata</Emphasis> D.Don) progeny tests in Galicia,NW Spain

Individual and family heritabilities, as well as phenotypic and genetic correlations were estimated 2 and 3 years after plantation, in progeny tests carried out in plantations of open-pollinated Pinus radiata D.Don progeny located at three different sites in Galicia (NW Spain). The following factors were considered: survival, growth (free growth, height, diameter, volume, height/diameter ratio), form (number of branches, number of whorls, number of branches per whorl, number of branches per tree height meter, number of ramicorn branches, diameter of the thickest branch, internode length, branch angle, stem straightness, stem sinuosity, number of forks) and resistance (frost and insect resistance). Each plantation contained 50 female parents that had been selected as plus trees in genetically unimproved plantations in Galicia, as well as 6 female parents selected from the radiata pine breeding programme in the Basque Country (northern Spain) and two commercial lots of seed from Galicia, as controls. Individual heritabilities varied from low to high levels for each trait studied. Family heritabilities followed similar trends for individual heritabilities, but were of much greater magnitude. The results suggested that all traits except the number of branches per whorl and insect resistance could be expected to respond to selection based on individual performance. The less heritable traits could be improved by progeny testing. Height and diameter were strongly and positively correlated, and both traits were also correlated with the number of branches, the number of whorls and the branch diameter. The results are compared with previously published data and discussed in relation to the implications for breeding activities.