Jan Kowalczyk, Piotr Markiewicz, Jan Matras
Intra-population variability of Picea abies from Zwierzyniec Lubelski and Bliżyn (Poland)
Dendrobiology 2009, vol. 61 supplement: 69-77
Abstract: The study investigates the intra-population variability of the growth and quality traits of Norway spruce populations from Bliżyn and Zwierzyniec Lubelski. The two populations are included in the IUFRO 1972 experiment and exhibit a high growth dynamics and a narrow crown form. The research was carried out on the experimental plot established in 1996 in Chrosno (Kutno Forest District) using 8228 two-year-old seedlings planted in a single-tree plot design at a spacing of 1.5 × 1.5 m. The seedlings represent 191 open-pollinated families, among them 93 families of Norway spruce from the Bliżyn region and 98 families from the Zwierzyniec Lubelski region. The height, height increment and DBH of trees were measured periodically, and some quality traits were assessed. The last results come from the measurements done on the trees aged 10 years. It was found that the differences between the two populations of Norway spruce are statistically nonsignificant but both of them show wide within-population variability. This suggests that they have the potential to flexibly respond to future changes in the growth conditions or to seed transfer to other seed zones. Survival in the environmental conditions of the experiment was independent of family.
Additional key words: Norway spruce, family variation, heritability