Fourteen Year Results of a White Spruce Provenance Test Planted in Maine
Survival, total height, annual height growth, diameter, and cone production of white spruce grown in a central Maine plantation from seed collected from 30 sources were studied. Variation in all traits except survival was significant at the 1% level. Trees from St. Raymond, Quebec, Lake Mattawin, Quebec, and Beloeil, Quebec had the best total height, annual height growth, and dbh, respectively. These sources also had better than average survival. Greatest survival was exhibited by a source from Mitchinamekus Lake, Ontario, which was also better than average in all other growth traits. Trees from a Connecticut source showed poorest survival, total height, annual height growth, and diameter. However, those trees did have the greatest frequency of cone production. Growth of trees from different sources was not significantly related to the latitude or elevation of seed origin. Results of this test do not confirm the findings of other studies that indicate the Cobourg—Beachburg corridor to be the area of choice for seed collection for southern and central planting sites.
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Author(s): Kathy N. Hale
Publication: Tree Improvement and Genetics - Northeastern Forest Tree Improvement Conference - 1982
Section: Session 1