Changes in nutrient concentrations and nutrient release in decomposing needle litter in monocultural systems of Pinus contorta and Pinus sylvestris—a comparison and synthesis

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) needle litters were compared in terms of nutrient composition and its change during decomposition. Initial nutrient composition differed between the species, with lodgepole pine needle litter having significantly higher concentrations of P, Mg and Mn. However, no difference was found for concentrations of N, Ca or K. Increases in concentrations of N, P and K during decomposition were significant in both litter types. For Ca the pattern of concentration changes followed a quadratic function as decomposition proceeded. Concentrations of Mg and Mn decreased in lodgepole pine needle litter. In Scots pine litter there was also an initial decrease, but it was followed by an increase in most incubations. For both Mg and Mn, changes in concentrations during decomposition differed significantly between species. In the late decomposition stages, concentrations of Mg and Mn became similar in both litter types. Nutrient concentrations generated by the models were compared with those of the humus (F and H) layer in the stands. The model was quite accurate in predicting concentrations of N and P for both species and the concentration of Mg for lodgepole pine. By contrast, it was not accurate in predicting concentrations of Ca and Mn. Nutrient release was estimated for the two species using both measured litterfall data and long‐term estimates, and regression models were used to predict concentration changes. Rates of release of P, Mg and Mn in the lodgepole pine stands were found to be about twice as high compared with those in Scots pine. Calcium was also released to a greater extent although the difference was not significant.     

Sawn-timber and kraft pulp properties of Pinus elliottii × Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis and Pinus patula × Pinus tecunumanii hybrids and their parental species

A study was undertaken to evaluate the quality of the timber produced by Pinus elliottii × Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis (PECH) and the Pinus patula × Pinus tecunumanii low elevation (PPTL) and high elevation (PPTH) hybrids and their parent species for both kraft pulp and sawn-timber production. Trees were taken from unthinned tree improvement trials managed for pulpwood, ranging in age between 15 and 19 years. All sawn boards produced by study trees met the minimum wood density requirement for S5-grade structural timber (360 kg m^?3), but approximately 17% of the boards failed to meet the other requirements for the grade, largely due to knot-related defects. Results of dynamic modulus of elasticity assessments performed on all of the boards suggested that a large percentage of boards would not meet the specified average stiffness (7 800 MPa). This was confirmed by the results of static bending tests performed on a subsample of boards. All boards tested for all species and hybrids met the required fifth percentile bending strength value for grade S7 (15.8 MPa) according to SANS 6122 (2008) specifications. The kraft pulping results indicated that the samples taken from the upper part of the stem yielded slightly better results on average than the samples representing the whole tree with respect to uniformity in the kappa vs charge and temperature, and yield vs kappa traits, with slight improvement of pulp yield (52% vs 50%) and some strength properties compared with whole tree pulping. Samples from the upper part of the stem had a close delignification rate in the 60–80 kappa range. The delignification rate for PPTL in the 60–80 kappa range was slower and the yield was slightly lower than P. patula (53.17% vs 52.72%) despite a higher kappa number. The pulp strengths short-span compressive test, breaking length and tearing strength of PECH were similar to those of P. elliottii, which were in turn generally lower than those of P. patula. The pulp strengths of PPTL and PPTH were similar to those of P. patula, whereas P. caribaea strengths were intermediate between those of P. patula and P. elliottii. With the exception of a slightly lower pulp yield, PPTL emerged as the best all-round hybrid for both pulp and sawn-timber properties.     

Growth and dynamic modulus of elasticity of Pinus patula × Pinus tecunumanii hybrids in Mpumalanga,South Africa

Field establishment of South Africa’s most important commercial pine species, Pinus patula, is severely hampered by the pitch canker fungus, Fusarium circinatum. Importantly, hybrids between P. patula and other pine species tolerant to the pitch canker fungus, such as P. tecunumanii and P. oocarpa, have been identified as an alternative planting stock. In this study, variation in tree volume and dynamic modulus of elasticity (MOE_dym) of the P. patula × P. tecunumanii (low- and high-elevation [LE and HE] ecotypes) hybrid was compared with the P. elliottii × P. caribaea hybrid, and the pure species P. tecunumanii (LE) and P. patula. The MOE_dym was assessed using the Fakkop TreeSonic microsecond instrument across three sites. The results of the study showed that P. patula × P. tecunumanii LE performed significantly better than P. patula × P. tecunumanii HE for volume and MOE_dym, which in turn was significantly better than P. patula. The MOE_dym and tree growth decreased with an increase in elevation. There was significant taxon × site interaction for volume and MOE_dym. The results of these trials suggested that P. patula × P. tecunumanii LE is a suitable alternative to P. patula in the Sabie region of Mpumalanga in South Africa on frost-free sites, in terms of the traits that were assessed.     

Performance of Pinus elliottii, Pinus caribaea, their F1, F2 and backcross hybrids and Pinus taeda to 10 years in the Mesopotamia region, Argentina

Performances of Pinus taxa were studied to 10 years of age in two trials in each of Misiones and Entre Ríos provinces across the Mesopotamia region of Argentina. Taxa comprised 22 populations from sources in Argentina, Australia, Brazil and Zimbabwe including Pinus elliottii var. elliottii (Pee), Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis (Pch), their four, inter-specific hybrids (F₁, F₂ and backcrosses from F₁ to Pch and to Pee—all as broadly based bulks); other Pee and Pinus taeda (Pt) comprised narrower or unspecified bulks. Variable numbers of taxa were missing at each site. Mean survival across sites at age 10 years ranged 53.2–91.3% averaging 74.2%. Analysis of variance of plot means indicated population effect was statistically significant (p < 0.05) for all or most growth and quality traits at all sites. However, significant differences from the nominated check seedlot at the Entre Ríos sites (Pee, Australia) were extremely rare, while quite common at the northern, Misiones sites (check seedlot a Pt population). In the Misiones trials, F₁, F₂ and both backcross hybrids showed better stem straightness than Pee and Pt from Argentina, generally with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). Pt showed lowest forking scores (desirable). Taxon × environment interaction was statistically significant (p < 0.01) for growth traits only (p > 0.05). However, this interaction contributed an average of only 34.1% of the taxon variance suggesting a lack of practical importance. Taxa most suitable for deployment in the Mesopotamia region, Argentina are suggested.     

Fire Burning Characteristics, Attacking Techniques and Safety Precautions in Pinus pumila Scrubs

In China, Pinus pumila is mainly distributed in Daxing’anling, while those growing in the eastern Daxing’anling are primarily covered under the jurisdiction of Huzhong Forest Bureau. P. pumila is an evergreen shrub, 3-6 m high, and always grows vigorously. Its trunks creep along the ground, usually 10 m long or more. It is easily flammable because of the large amounts of resins and volatile oils in its body. Attacking forest fires is a dangerous work, especially in P. pumila scrubs. The fires in P. pumila scrubs are very different from those in other forest types, e.g. fierce combustion and heavy smoke. In this paper, the distribution characteristics of P. pumila scrubs were presented. Attacking techniques and safety precautions for attacking fires in P. pumila scrubs were also discussed.     

Height growth recovery and crown development in top‐damaged Pinus sylvestris trees

Leader shoot damage was imposed on young Scots pines (3 m high) in four ways: by caging the uppermost whorl including the leader shoot with 10 pine shoot beetles; by caging the two uppermost whorls with 20 beetles; by topping the tree below the 1984 whorl; by topping the trees as above and removing all current shoots in whorl 1983. Six years later, top‐damaged trees were still significantly shorter than undamaged controls, although the annual height growth rate had recovered to the pre‐damage level within 3 years. Recovery occurred in two ways: lateral branches from the nearest intact whorl took dominance over the damaged leader or secondary branches developed from interfascicular buds on the damaged leader shoot. Approximately one and two years of height growth were lost in the former and latter case, respectively. Only 5 of the 34 top‐damaged trees escaped technical defects (crooks and/or vertical branches). Stem diameter and crown development were slightly affected.     

Morphology Diversity and Selection of Pinus sibirica

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Fire Occurrence Environments in Pinus pumila Forests

In recent years, many serious forest fires occurred in precious Pinus pumila forests in Daxing'anling Mountains of Heilongjiang Province and Inner Mongolia. But up to now, there is still a lack of proper understanding of fire occurrence environments in P. pumila forests. In present paper, we investigated and studied the fire occurrence environments. The results showed that fires in P. pumila forests had their own special fire environments. Abundant fuel, drought weather, dry thunder and high altitude terrai...     

Effects of biotic and abiotic factors on δ15N in young Pinus radiata

In a 12-year-old Pinus radiata plantation, three dominant and three suppressed trees removed by thinning were randomly selected, and needles, annual rings from basal stem disks and bark were collected and analyzed to study the relationships of climate, tree age, dominance and growth with tree δ¹⁵N. The high foliar N concentration (1.35–2.73 % N, dw) suggested that N was not limiting tree growth, therefore allowing plants to fractionate versus δ¹⁵N, leading to differences in δ¹⁵N among trees. Most wood δ¹⁵N_air values were below the δ¹⁵N_air natural abundance in the dominant pines (?2.43 to +1.69 ‰) and above it in the suppressed trees (+0.73 to +3.35 ‰), likely due to the access of dominants to exogenous N sources with lower δ¹⁵N_air than those of suppressed. However, no dominance effect was detected in δ¹⁵N_air of bark and needles that decreased in the order: buds (+1.20 to +2.44 ‰) > needles 1 year (?0.27 to +1.43 ‰) > needles 2 years (?0.97 to +0.41 ‰) > bark (?1.18 to +0.15 ‰). Compared with the soil N in the 0–15 cm layer (δ¹⁵N_air = +4.8 ‰), all plant material was ¹⁵N-depleted. Results suggest that seedlings and foliar buds have a less efficient system for N conservation and recycling, with higher losses. The linear regression models showed that both biotic (dominance and tree age) and abiotic factors (temperature in spring–summer and annual precipitation) are needed to explain the wood δ¹⁵N_air satisfactorily.     

The tolerance of Pinus patula × Pinus tecunumanii, and other pine hybrids, to Fusarium circinatum in greenhouse trials

The field survival of Pinus patula seedlings in South Africa is frequently below acceptable standards. From numerous studies it has been determined that this is largely due to the pitch canker fungus, Fusarium circinatum. Other commercial pines, such as P. elliottii and P. taeda, show good tolerance to this pathogen and better survival, but have inferior wood properties and do not grow as well as P. patula on many sites in the summer rainfall regions of South Africa. There is, thus, an urgent need to improve the tolerance of P. patula to F. circinatum. Operational experience indicates that when P. patula is hybridized with tolerant species, such as P. tecunumanii and P. oocarpa, survival is greatly improved on the warmer sites of South Africa. Field studies on young trees suggest that this is due to the improved tolerance of these hybrids to F. circinatum. In order to test the tolerance of a number of pine hybrids, the pure species representing the hybrid parents, as well as individual families of P. patula × P. tecunumanii, a series of greenhouse screening trials were conducted during 2008 and 2009. The results indicated that species range in tolerance and hybrids, between P. patula and these species, are intermediate in tolerance to F. circinatum. Within P. patula × P. tecunumanii, large family variation exists when pollen from the high elevation source of P. tecunumanii is used. The results of these studies illustrate the importance of developing pine hybrid breeding programs to overcome the susceptibility of our pure species to pathogens such as F. circinatum.     

Are neighboring trees in tune? Wood formation in Pinus pinaster

Neighboring trees growing under identical environmental conditions can exhibit different dynamics and periods of growth. Despite the recent advances in cambial biology, the exogenous and endogenous factors generating asynchronous xylem growths still remain undetermined. This study investigated timings and duration of xylem formation in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) from an even-aged plantation in Portugal growing under Mediterranean climate. Cambial phenology and stem diameter were monitored weekly, from March to December 2010, on two classes of trees divided according to the tree ring widths of the last 15 years, but similar age and size: fast- and slow-growing trees. We tested the hypothesis that differences in tree ring widths result from cell production which in turn affects timings of xylogenesis and that the bimodal growth pattern, typical of the Mediterranean, originates from a double reactivation of the cambium: in spring and autumn. Cambial activity started earlier and ended later in fast-growing trees, confirming that cell production is a key factor determining the duration of xylogenesis. Intra-annual variations in stem diameter recorded by band dendrometers revealed two peaks of increment occurring in spring and late summer. However, the number of cambial cells did not increase in late summer, which suggested that the second peak of increment was caused by stem rehydration, rather than by a reactivation of cell division. These results demonstrated that the variability in the timings of xylem phenology observed among trees of the same age and size and growing under similar environmental conditions was closely related to cell production and not to age or size per se.     

Clonal variation in growth,PSⅡ photochemical activity and polar metabolites in Pinus elliottii × P.caribaea

Pinus elliottii × P.caribaea is a widely planted commercial tree hybrid in South China.To investigate the potential of physiological parameters for clonal selection,cuttings of three clones (EH3,EH4 and EH5) and a control were grown in phosphorus treated pots.Significant vari-ations to phosphorous,photosystem Ⅱ activity and polar metabolite abundance in needles were noted among clones.Clone EH5 was the most P-responsive and had maximum height growth.The highest maximum quantum yield of PSⅡin the dark (Fv/Fm),maximum quantum yield of PSⅡ in the light (Fv'/Fm') and the actual PSⅡ efficiency (φPSⅡ) values were also found in EH5.A total of 64 polar metabolites were identified,21 were regulated by phosphorous,while 28 accumulated differentially among the three clones.There were few overlapping responsive metabolites to phosphorous fertilization.In EH5,the abundance of maltotriitol,neohes-peridin and raffinose were highest,whereas galactinol and shikimic acid were lower compared with EH3 and EH4.The results reveal that physiological traits were genetically con-trolled and might be useful for selecting clones with high phosphorous utilization efficiency.     

Family Outcrossing Rates of Pinus caribaea Morelet var. caribaea in Seed Orchard and Natural Populations

Family outcrossing rates of Pinus caribaea var. caribaea populations that differed in origin and management were estimated by using isozyme markers. The family outcrossing rates were estimated by (1)fixing the probability of pollen gene frequency (p); (2) allowing pollen gene frequency to vary among families. The estimates of family outcrossing rates for all the populations varied widely among families (clones of the seed orchard), ranging from 0.39 to 2.0. The average family outcrossing rates of both methods were greater than the     

Family variation in diameter growth and acoustic velocity in three 5‑year‑old South African‑grown Pinus elliottii×Pinus caribaea progeny trials established on three diverse sites

This paper discusses family differences in the stiffness of young Pinus elliottii×P. caribaea wood and how these differences relate to differences in growth rate and altitude. Trees for measurement were obtained from three 5?year?old progeny trials established at three diverse sites on the estate of Komatiland Forests (Pty) Ltd. The trials included the following controls: P. elliottii, P. patula, P. taeda, P. patula×P. tecunumanii and P. tecunumanii. Diameter at breast height and sound velocity (which has a direct relationship with wood stiffness) were measured on all healthy trees. Virtually all of the species and hybrids exhibited marked decreases in growth rate and velocity (stiffness) with increasing altitude; the effect on velocity was most likely partly due to the inverse relationship that normally exists between wood density and altitude in most pines. Differences in growth rate explained only a small proportion of the total variation in velocity. The average sound velocities of P. patula, P. patula×P. tecunumanii and P. tecunumanii surpassed the velocity values of most of the P. elliottii×P. caribaea crosses at all three sites. Results of Spearman rank correlations of average treatment velocity between sites suggested only some similarity in the ranking orders among sites. The inverse effect of altitude on wood stiffness suggests that trees grown at increased altitudes are likely to yield wood with higher proportions of wood not meeting the minimum stiffness requirement for structural lumber at final harvest. The wood of some P. elliottii×P. caribaea crosses would be particularly vulnerable. Considering the large variation found, presumably largely genetic, there can be little doubt that a good opportunity exists for the development of genotypes more suitable for planting at higher altitudes.     

Cone structure and seed development in grafted witches’ broom and normal crown clones from the same trees of Pinus sibirica

New Forests - Mutational witches’ broom represents a fragment of the tree crown with slower shoot growth, abnormally dense branching, decreased apical dominance and often with abundant...     

Genetic diversity and genetic differentiation of natural Pinus koraiensis population

Genetic diversities and genetic differentiations of the four Pinus koraiensis populations （Gaofeng Forestry Farm at Tangwanghe in Yichun City, Erdaobaihe Town in the Changbai Mountains, Shcngshan Forestry Farm in Heihe City, in China, and the suburb of Vladivostok City in Russia） were analyzed by using ISSR PCR technique. The results of 15 primers amplification showed that the ratio of polymorphic site of P koralensis population was 60.7%. Euch primer had 3.6 polymorphic sites, The diversity levels of the four P. koraiensis populations were rather higher compared with those of other Pinaceae species. The genetic diversity levels of t： koraiensis populations grown in the center region were higher than those grown in the edge zone. The genetic diversity of r3 koraiensis mainly came from the interiot of the population, accounting for 73% of total genetic diversity. There were no positive correlation between genetic distances and geographical distances for the four P koraiensis populations. The gradual decrease of natural distribution region of P. koraiensis was due to anthropic destroy and environmental factors （i.e. fire and wind throw）, rather than the lower genetic diversity.     

Freezing temperatures in the root zone—effects on growth of containerized Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies seedlings

Roots of 1‐year‐old containerized seedlings of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) were experimentally frozen in December. The seedlings were then grown for 3 weeks in a growth chamber and evaluated with regard to root growth capacity (RGC) and shoot elongation. The subsequent RGC of Scots pine declined as root zone temperatures were lowered from ‐6°C to ‐11°C and from ‐11°C to ‐16°C. Almost no root growth was observed after exposure to ‐20°C. Shoot growth was also negatively affected by low root temperatures but less than root growth. Low root temperatures did not affect Norway spruce as much as Scots pine, although root and shoot growth of Norway spruce were reduced after exposure to the lowest test temperatures (‐16°C and ‐20°C). The length of exposure, ranging between 1 and 8 hours had no effect on subsequent growth.     

Effects of priming treatments on germination and biochemicalcharacteristics of Pinus bungeana seeds

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of seed priming on the germination and physiology of Pinus bungeana seeds.Seeds were treated by hydropriming with distilled water,halopriming with potassium nitrate (KNO 3) at 0.3,0.6,1.2 MPa respectively (untreated dry seeds were taken as control).Properties of seed germination and physiology were determined and the effect of hydro-and halopriming on germination and physiology of P.bungeana seeds were investigated.The results showed that,compared with control,each priming treatment had increased the germination percentage (GP) and germination index (GI),shortened the mean germination time (MGT) and the time required for 50% of the seeds to germinate (G 50).Primed P.bungeana seeds significantly decreased the relative conductivity and the amount of malondialdehyde (MDA).Of all the treatments applied to seeds of P.bungeana,halopriming at 0.3 MPa KNO 3 produced the highest GP (65.0%) and the shortest MGT (18.8 d) and G 50 (18.2 d).     

Has global change induced divergent trends in radial growth of Pinus sylvestris and Pinus halepensis at their bioclimatic limit? The example of the Sainte-Baume forest (south-east France)

? It is agreed that climate (precipitation and temperature) influences the distribution of plant species. Near the margins of a species’ natural range, climate becomes limiting to physiological processes. There, climate change may be expected to have a significant impact on tree growth and the species’ ranges may be altered.

? In order to assess what influence climate change could exert on the distribution of pine species at their margin, radial growth trends in ring-width chronologies over the last century were analysed. In the French Mediterranean area where climate change is characterized by increased temperature, forest plots were selected along an altitudinal transect on the north-facing slope of the Sainte-Baume mountain (Bouches-du-Rhône, France) where the ranges of Pinus sylvestris and Pinus halepensis overlap.

? Two growth patterns were identified. For P. halepensis, radial growth has increased at all altitudes indicating that climate change has improved growth conditions of this species near the margin of its ecological range. For P. sylvestris, radial growth has increased only at low altitudes and even decreased at high altitudes.

? It must be deduced that the growth changes observed cannot be generalised either at the species level or at the geographical level and must be interpreted with great caution.