Scholarly record
ASSESSMENT OF SILVER BIRCH (BETULA PENDULA ROTH.) GEOGRAPHICAL PROVENANCES IN LATVIA
Abstract
Plant production and planting of silver birch is gradually increasing in Latvia. It comes with the recognition on the potential to improve the growth and quality of next generation of birch stands while using the improved (selected) material (seeds for plant production mainly from seed orchard). In very fertile sites with fast over-growth of clear-cut with dense vegetation, planting also helps to ensure successful and fast forest regeneration. Planting is a significant investment, thus forest owners are interested to maximize the profit from it. It includes both ensuring the highest possible productivity as well as minimizing the risks, mainly ? wind damage probability. Therefore aim of our study is to assess the transferred silver birch provenances for potential use in tree breeding. Trial, established in central part of Latvia (56°N), includes provenances from region north and south of our country: Finland and Poland, respectively, latitudes 51°to 61°N. Initial spacing 2x1.2m, no thinning carried out before the measurement at the age of 37 years. Material from altogether 16 provenances planted in 24 tree block plots in 6 replications. Statistically significant influence of provenance on tree height, yield and height of the mass point were detected. Largest height was reached by birch provenances from Latvia (18.2±0.5m), slightly lower- from Poland (15.8±0.7m) and lowest ? from Finland (14.7±1.4m). Differences in yield between provenances from these countries followed the same trend both when the actual survival was considered as well as when 90% survival was assumed. Mass centre was higher for provenances from Latvia, however, the actual wind damage risk might be lower, since faster growth ensured shorter period until the final harvest, set by target diameter.
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