Pacific Northwest Research Station

Title: Performance of full-sib families of Douglas-fir in pure-family and mixed-family deployments

Author: Gould, Peter J.; St.Clair, J. Bradley; Anderson, Paul D.

Date: 2011

Source: Forest Ecology and Management. 262: 1417-1425

Description: A major objective of tree improvement programs is to identify genotypes that will perform well in operational deployments. Relatively little is known, however, about how the competitive environment affects performance in different types of deployments. We tested whether the genetic composition and density of deployments affect the performance of full-sib families of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga meniziesii), and whether traits related to crown morphology could help to explain differences in family performance under competition. Seedlings from eight families were planted in pure-family and three mixed-family composition treatments at high, medium, and low densities. Height (HI), diameter at breast height (DBH), and volume•ha^-1 (VOLHA) were measured at ages 8 and 15 years. Our results suggest that the competitive environment has a considerable effect on family performance, and that incorporating crown morphology traits into selection criteria in tree improvement programs may lead to greater productivity of Douglas-fir.

Keywords: tree improvement, forest genetics, intergenotypic competition, intragenotypic competition, crown morphology

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Citation

Gould, Peter J.; St.Clair, J. Bradley; Anderson, Paul D.  2011.  Performance of full-sib families of Douglas-fir in pure-family and mixed-family deployments.   Forest Ecology and Management. 262: 1417-1425.