Stand Features and Height Growth in a 36-Year-Old Maritime Pine (Pinus Pinaster Ait.) Provenance Test

1994

S. 52-62

36 Lit. Ang.

Unselbständiges Werk

200051561

A trial comparing 10 maritime pine provenances was measured at age 36 years. Ranking for vigour remained stable throughout the test period. Two major groups were obvious, Atlantic lowland seed sources with high vigour and frost resistance and southern seed sources with low vigour and low frost resistance. Three provenances had intermediate features. Height growth curves were fitted with a non-linear growth model and the shape of the curves (relative height of the inflexion point) was almost the same for all provenances. The asymptote and the maximum growth rate were correlated at the provenance level but not at the individual phenotypic level. This indicates a good juvenile-mature correlation for seed source vigour. The results for growth characteristics were compared to previous findings concerning the structure of genetic variability and the physiological features of provenances. The growth potential of Maritime pine seed sources appeared to be mostly a result of natural selection for drought resistance.