Ensuring that forests are adapted to future climates

Brad St. Clair; Glenn Howe

Treesearch

Ensuring that forests are adapted to future climates

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Brad St. Clair, Glenn Howe

Year:

2010

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Pacific Northwest Research Station

Source:

Northwest Woodlands. 26(2): 20-21

Download (PDF 1.86 MB)

Download (PDF 1.86 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/37232.pdf

Abstract

Successful reforestation requires that planted or naturally regenerated seedlings are well suited to a site. Genetic studies of forest trees provide ample evidence of large differences among seed sources in adaptive traits--traits such as the timing of growth initiation and cessation, cold and drought hardiness, and growth rates. Much of this variation is related to the temperature and moisture regimes of the seed sources. In general, seed sources from near a planting site survive and grow well, whereas distant seed sources are often maladapted.

Keywords

climate change, genetic management, gene conservation, assisted migration

Citation

St. Clair, Brad; Howe, Glenn. 2010. Ensuring that forests are adapted to future climates. Northwest Woodlands. 26(2): 20-21.