The influence of plantation and seed-source elevation on wood specific gravity of 29-year-old ponderosa pines

Abstract

Genetic, environmental, and age effects were found in 29-yr-old ponderosa pine progenies from different elevational sources, when they were grown at 960, 2730, and 5650 ft elevation in the Sierra Nevada of California. Wood specific gravity decreased as elevation of seed parents increased, and all genotypes produced significantly lower specific gravity wood in the high-elevation plantation. For ponderosa pine under similar conditions, if higher specific gravity wood is wanted, low-elevation seed sources should be used, or plantings made at low elevations, or both. If lower specific gravity wood is desired, the recommendations are reversed. For optimum production, a mid-elevation source outplanted at about 3000 ft should give the combination of the highest volume yield of higher specific gravity wood.

Citation

Echols, R. M.; Conkle, M. T. 1971. The influence of plantation and seed-source elevation on wood specific gravity of 29-year-old ponderosa pines. Forest Science Vol. 17(3): p. 388-394