Edaphic interactions in first-year growth of California ponderosa pine

Abstract

To investigate local adaptation to soil fertility, seeds were collected from trees in natural stands selected on one fertile and one nearby ultramafic soil in four geographic areas in the northern Sierra Nevada. Germinants from all seed parents in an area were planted in soils dug from the A horizon of both parent stands. Seedling growth on the fertile and ultramafic soils suggested no specific adaptation ofparent stands to native soil. For every stand, the growth of seedlings from individual trees varied widely on both soils. Differences among families were highly significant, and one-fourth of the families showed significant differential responses to soil type.

Citation

Jenkinson, James L. 1977. Edaphic interactions in first-year growth of California ponderosa pine. Res. Paper PSW-RP-127. Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 16 p