Forest Tree Improvement

Forest tree improvement has mainly been implemented to enhance the productivity of artificial forests. However, given the drastically changing global environment, improvement of various traits related to environmental adaptability is more essential than ever. This book focuses on genetic information, including trait heritability and the physiological mechanisms thereof, which facilitate tree improvement. Nineteen papers are included, reporting genetic approaches to improving various species, including conifers, broad-leaf trees, and bamboo. All of the papers in this book provide cutting-edge genetic information on tree genetics and suggest research directions for future tree improvement.

Forest tree breeding has been ongoing for more than 70 years across Europe. It has successfully generated improved varieties for the major economical forest tree species. They are part of the present European forestry landscape and largely contribute to intensive wood production and other forest activities. In this book, we describe the state-of-art of breeding for the main forest tree species. We provide a comprehensive, unique and up-to-date overview of the major scientific results and breeding achievements gathered from the many programmes scattered across Europe. The book is divided into 10 chapters, each as a monograph corresponding to a species or group of species Abies spp., (Larix spp., Picea abies, Picea sitchensis, Pinus sylvestris, Pseudotsuga menziesii, and Mediterranean pines; Acer pseudoplatanus, Fraxinus excelsior, and Prunus avium). Each of them is written by a group of experts and focuses on the distribution and economical importance of the species; motivation for breeding and breeding objectives; intraspecific genetic variability, breeding populations and breeding strategy; forest reproductive material deployment including mass-propagation and, prospects and perspectives for joint research and breeding. The book is a unique and up-dated source of information for students, researchers and professionals interested in the genetics and domestication of forest tree species.

General Concepts of Tree Improvement. Variation and Its Use. Provenance, Seed Source, and Exotics. Quantitative Aspects of Forest Tree Improvement. Selection in Natural Stands and Unimproved Plantations. Seed Production and Seed Orchards. Use of Tree Improvemente in Natural Forests and in Stand Improvement. Selection and Breeding for Resistance to Diseases, Insects, and Adverse Environments. Vegetative Propagation. Hybrids in Tree Improvement. Wood and Tree Improvement. Advanced Generations and Continued Improvement. Gain and Economics of Tree Improvement. The Genetic Base and Gene Conservation. Developing Tree Improvement Programs.

Experimental Design and Analysis for Tree Improvement provides a set of practical procedures to follow when planning, designing and analysing tree improvement trials. Using many fully-worked examples, it outlines how to: design field, glasshouse and laboratory trials; efficiently collect data and construct electronic data files; pre-process data, screening for data quality and outliers; analyse data from single and across-site trials using either GenStat or SAS; and interpret the results from statistical analyses. The authors address the many practical issues often faced in forest tree improvement trials and describe techniques that will give conclusive results with the minimum expense. The techniques provided are applicable to the improvement of not only trees, but to crops in general. Building on the success of the first edition, this edition includes commercially-available software packages for design generation (CycDesigN) and data pre-processing and automated generation of programs for statistical analysis (DataPlus). For analysis, it provides both GenStat and SAS programs as generated by DataPlus.