Bengt Andersson Gull, Torgny Persson, Aleksey Fedorkov, Tim J. Mullin. (2018). Longitudinal differences in Scots pine shoot elongation. Silva Fennica vol. 52 no. 5 article id 10040. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.10040

Keywords: Pinus sylvestris; climate change; adaptation; shoot phenology; heritability of phenological traits; growth onset; growth cessation

Highlights: More northerly Scots pine origins exhibit earlier onset and cessation of shoot growth; Continental origins show more northern phenological behaviour; Heat accumulation requirements for onset are not fixed and may be lower when accumulating slower; Scots pine may suffer from spring frost due to earlier growth onset in a warming climate; Phenological traits show potential to adapt to new climate conditions by breeding.

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Phenology can have a profound effect on growth and climatic adaptability of long-lived, northern tree species such as Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), where the onset of growth in the spring is triggered mainly by accumulated heat, while cessation of growth is related to the joint effect of photoperiod and temperature. In this study, the objectives were: (1) to compare shoot phenology of genetic material from Scandinavia (maritime climate origin) and northern Russia (continental climate origin) sources, under field conditions in both Scandinavia and Russia (maritime and continental growth conditions); and (2) to estimate the heritabilities of phenological parameters. The material used was part of a larger provenance test series involving Scots pine populations and open-pollinated plus-tree families from Russia, Sweden and Finland. Terminal shoot elongation was measured on multiple occasions during the seventh growing season from seed at a trial near Bäcksjön (Sweden) and Syktyvkar (northern Russia). We calculated the regression of relative shoot elongation over accumulated heat sum above +5 °C using an exponential expression. Seedlings of Swedish and Russian provenance had similar heat-sum requirements for growth onset and cessation in both trials. More northern provenances started onset and cessation at a lower temperature sum, but heat accumulation requirements for onset were not fixed. Scots pine may suffer from spring frost due to earlier growth onset in a warming climate. Variation and heritability of phenological traits show potential to adapt Scots pine to new climate conditions by breeding.

Andersson Gull, The Swedish Forestry Research Institute (Skogforsk), Box 3, SE-918 21 Sävar, Sweden https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3556-3172 E-mail: bengt.anderssongull@skogforsk.se
Persson, The Swedish Forestry Research Institute (Skogforsk), Box 3, SE-918 21 Sävar, Sweden E-mail: torgny.persson@skogforsk.se
Fedorkov, The Institute of Biology of Komi Scientific Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IB Komi SC UB RAS), Kommunisticheskaya St., 28, Syktyvkar, 167982, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7800-7534 E-mail: fedorkov@ib.komisc.ru
Mullin, The Swedish Forestry Research Institute (Skogforsk), Box 3, SE-918 21 Sävar, Sweden https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4924-1836 E-mail: tim.mullin@skogforsk.se

article id 1562, category Research article

Mats Erik Berlin, Torgny Persson, Gunnar Jansson, Matti Haapanen, Seppo Ruotsalainen, Lars Bärring, Bengt Andersson Gull. (2016). Scots pine transfer effect models for growth and survival in Sweden and Finland. Silva Fennica vol. 50 no. 3 article id 1562. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1562

Keywords: Pinus sylvestris; adaptation; tree breeding; reaction patterns; forest regeneration material

Highlights: Scots pine transfer effect models for growth and survival, valid in both Sweden and Finland have been developed; The models use high-resolution gridded climate data and can predict performance in future climatic conditions; The models perform well both for unimproved and genetically improved material and can be used to develop deployment recommendations of contemporary forest regeneration material in Sweden and Finland.

Abstract | Full text in HTML | Full text in PDF | Author Info

In this study, we developed models of transfer effects for growth and survival of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in Sweden and Finland using a general linear mixed-model approach. For model development, we used 378 provenance and progeny trials with a total of 276 unimproved genetic entries (provenances and stand seed check-lots) distributed over a wide variety of climatic conditions in both countries. In addition, we used 119 progeny trials with 3921 selected genetic entries (open- and control pollinated plus-tree families) for testing model performance. As explanatory variables, both climatic indices derived from high-resolution gridded climate datasets and geographical variables were used. For transfer, latitude (photoperiod) and, for describing the site, temperature sum were found to be main drivers for both survival and growth. In addition, interaction terms (between transfer in latitude and site altitude for survival, and transfer in latitude and temperature sum for growth) entail changed reaction patterns of the models depending on climatic conditions of the growing site. The new models behave in a way that corresponds well to previous studies and recommendations for both countries. The model performance was tested using selected plus-trees from open and control pollinated progeny tests. Results imply that the models are valid for both countries and perform well also for genetically improved material. These models are the first step in developing common deployment recommendations for genetically improved forest regeneration material in both Sweden and Finland.

Berlin, Uppsala Science Park, SE-75183 Uppsala, Sweden E-mail: mats.berlin@skogforsk.se
Persson, Skogforsk, Box 3, SE-91821 Sävar, Sweden E-mail: torgny.persson@skogforsk.se
Jansson, Uppsala Science Park, SE-75183 Uppsala, Sweden E-mail: gunnar.jansson@skogforsk.se
Haapanen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Green Technology, Box 18, FI-01301 Vantaa, Finland E-mail: matti.haapanen@luke.fi
Ruotsalainen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Green Technology, Finlandiantie 18, FI-58450 Punkaharju, Finland E-mail: seppo.ruotsalainen@luke.fi
Bärring, Rossby Centre, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Folkborgsvägen 17, SE-60176 Norrköping, Sweden E-mail: lars.barring@smhi.se
Andersson Gull, Skogforsk, Box 3, SE-91821 Sävar, Sweden E-mail: bengt.andersson@skogforsk.se

article id 152, category Research article

Torgny Persson, Bengt Andersson, Tore Ericsson. (2010). Relationship between autumn cold hardiness and field performance in northern Pinus sylvestris. Silva Fennica vol. 44 no. 2 article id 152. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.152

Keywords: Scots pine; cold hardiness; genetic coefficient of variation; genetic correlation; multivariate analysis; narrow-sense heritability

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Results from 3 artificial freezing tests (one-year-old seedlings) and 15 field trials (9- to 21-year old trees) of half-sib offspring from first generation Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) plus-trees were used to estimate the amount of additive genetic variance for autumn cold hardiness and traits assessed in the field, and the genetic correlations between them. Cold hardiness of individual seedlings was scored visually, based on the discoloration of their needles after freezing in a climate chamber. The field traits analyzed were tree vitality, tree height, spike knot frequency, branch diameter, branch angle, stem straightness, and susceptibility to infection by the pathogenic fungi Phacidium infestans L., Gremmeniella abietina (Lagerb.) Morelet, Melampsora pinitorqua (Braun) Rostr. and Lophodermella sulcigena (Rostr.) Höhn. Narrow sense individual heritabilities varied between 0.30 and 0.54 for autumn cold hardiness, 0 and 0.18 for tree vitality, 0.07 and 0.41 for tree height, and 0.01 and 0.26 for the remaining traits. Based on the results of the artificial freeze tests, our estimates of additive genetic correlations indicate that while early selection for cold hardiness can improve seedling survival rates in the field, it may also reduce growth in mild environments. It also has minor effects on quality traits and attack by common fungal diseases. The results indicate that artificial freeze testing is an appropriate method for identifying suitable clones for establishing seed orchards to supply stock for the reforestation of regions with harsh environments.

Persson, Forestry Research Institute of Sweden, Sävar, Sweden E-mail: torgny.persson@skogforsk.se
Andersson, Forestry Research Institute of Sweden, Sävar, Sweden E-mail: ba@nn.se
Ericsson, Forestry Research Institute of Sweden, Sävar, Sweden E-mail: te@nn.se

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