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

article id 690, category Research article

Bengt Persson. (1998). Will climate change affect the optimal choice of Pinus sylvestris provenances? Silva Fennica vol. 32 no. 2 article id 690. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.690

Keywords: Pinus sylvestris; yield; survival; temperature sum; climatic warming; provenance transfer

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

Provenance experiments with Pinus sylvestris (L.) were evaluated in Sweden north of latitude 60°N. Survival and yield were determined as functions of temperature sum of the site and latitudinal origin of the provenance. Altitudinal origin was of negligible importance. The effects of latitudinal transfer were influenced by temperature sum at the growing site. At the harshest situated sites southward transfer longer than 3° was optimal for survival and yield, whereas transfer effects in a mild climate were weak. Climatic warming would reduce demands of hardiness. However, moderate differences in productivity are expected between formerly optimal seed sources and the ones adapted to changed climatic conditions. Since mortality usually was low in plantations older than 20 years or higher than 2 m, established stands are expected to be robust against adverse effects of climate change.

Persson, Högskolan Dalarna, S-781 88 Borlänge, Sweden E-mail: bpn@du.se

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