Tore Skrøppa. (1994). Impacts of tree improvement on genetic structure and diversity of planted forests. Silva Fennica vol. 28 no. 4 article id 5539. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.a9179

Keywords: diversity; tree breeding; seed orchards; production; adaptability; genetic factors; trees

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After a presentation of basic biodiversity concepts, reviews are made of studies reporting genetic implications of tree improvement activities: seed treatments, seedling production, provenance transfers, plus tree selection, seed production in seed orchards and progeny testing.

Several of the activities may influence the genetic structure and diversity of the planted forests. The general conclusion is, however, that planted forests are at least as genetically diverse as the natural stands that they replace. The diversity in forest management and use is best assurance for the future adaptability of the forests.

Skrøppa, E-mail: ts@mm.unknown

article id 5464, category Article

Donald I. Dickmann. (1991). Role of physiology in forest tree improvement. Silva Fennica vol. 25 no. 4 article id 5464. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.a15622

Keywords: flowering; tree breeding; selection criteria; plant physiology; biotechnology; tree improvement; adaptability; ideotypes

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The paper introduces different ways plant physiology research can avail the process of tree improvement. The breeding of tree cultivars that efficiently produce a particular wood product or amenity will be an important aspect of forest management. What physiologist can provide to breeders and genetic engineers is the opportunity to move their work from empirical level towards a more theoretical level, and help to make breeding more predictable and more precise in its objectives. The areas of research discussed in the paper are biotechnology, flowering, selection criteria, adaptability and application of ideotypes.

Dickmann, E-mail: dd@mm.unknown

Category : Research article

article id 46, category Research article

Matti Rousi, Boy J.H.M. Possen, Risto Hagqvist, Barb R. Thomas. (2012). From the Arctic Circle to the Canadian prairies – a case study of silver birch acclimation capacity. Silva Fennica vol. 46 no. 3 article id 46. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.46

Keywords: acclimation; Betula papyrifera; Betula pendula; birch adaptability; critical night length; provenance transfers

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Earlier provenance research has indicated poor success even in short distance transfers (> 2–3° latitude) of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) southward from their origin. These results may indicate poor adaptability of silver birch to a warming climate. Some of the scenarios for a warming climate in Finland suggest effective heat sums are likely to double in the north and increase 1.5 fold in the south for the period of 2070–2099. Consequently, the outlook for silver birch appears bleak. To study the acclimation of birch to this projected change we established a provenance trial in northeastern Alberta, Canada, at the temperature area currently predicted for Central Finland (lat. 64–66°N) at the turn of this century (1400 dd). Our 10-year experiment showed that all the Finnish provenances (origins 61–67°N) have acclimated well to the warmer growth conditions experienced in Alberta at 54°N. These results suggest that silver birch has the potential to acclimate to thermal conditions predicted for Finland at the end of the 21st century. Our results also indicate that silver birch has the potential as a plantation species in Canada, where the Finnish birch grew faster in the boreal forest region of Canada than local paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.) provenances.

Rousi, The Finnish Forest Research Institute, Finland E-mail: matti.rousi@metla.fi
Possen, The Finnish Forest Research Institute, Finland E-mail: bjhmp@nn.fi
Hagqvist, The Finnish Forest Research Institute, Finland E-mail: rh@nn.fi
Thomas, University of Alberta, Dept of Renewable Resources, Edmonton & Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc., Boyle, Alberta, Canada E-mail: brt@nn.ca

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