Front cover. The bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva D.K. Bailey), like most North American temperate tree species, has no commercial commodity value. How- ever, it has aesthetic value and it literally changed the history of the world. Trees like the one pictured, from the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Botanical Area in the lnyo National Forest of California, U.S.A., provided a tree-ring chronology that extended several millennia back into prehistory. The chronology was used to calibrate the radiocarbon dating technique. The calibration revealed that radio- carbon dates deviated substantially from actual dates because they had been based on the false assumption of a constant 14Cf 2C ratio. In fact, the more-exact, bristlecone dendrochronology demonstrated that radiocarbon dates thought to represent 31 00 B.C., for example, were really 1,100 years earlier (4200 B.C.) and that dates thought to be around 2400 B.C. were really from 3000 B.C. The only accurate radiocarbon dates were from the last 2,000 years. In a sense, correction of radiocarbon dates based on the bristlecone dendrochronology reversed the course of history, or at least reversed archaeological concepts regarding the se- quence of historical events; e.g., megalithic structures of western Europe thought to have been constructed after the pyramids of Egypt actually predated them. For a more complete account see Hitch (1982). The Status of Temperate North American Forest Genetic Resources An undertaking of the Forest Genetic Resources Study Group of the North American Forestry Commission of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Deborah L. Rogers and F. Thomas Ledig Editors Sponsored by the USDA Forest Service and the University of California Genetic Resources Conservation Program with the technical collaboration of the Forest Resources Division Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Report No. 16 @ July 1996 Genetic Resources Conservation Program Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources University of California Davis, California U.S.A. This report is one of a series published by the University of California Genetic Resources Conservation Program (technical editor: P.E. McGuire) as part of the public information function of the Program. The Program sponsors proj- ects in the collection, inventory, maintenance, preservation, and utilization of genetic resources important for the State of California as well as research and education in conservation biology. These activities take place on the several campuses of the University of California with funds provided by the State of California to the University. Additional copies of this report may be obtained from: Genetic Resources Conservation Program University of California Davis, CA 95616 USA (916) 754-8501 FAX (916) 754-8505 e-mai I: [email protected] CITATION:Rogers, Deborah L. and F. Thomas Ledig, eds. 1996. The Status of Temperate North American Forest Genetic Resources. Report No. 16. University of California Genetic Resources Conservation Program, Davis, CA. Deborah L. Rogers is a research geneticist with an appointment within the Office of the President, Univer- sity of California, Oakland, California. F. Thomas Ledig is senior scientist in the Pacific Southwest Research Station of the USDA Forest Service. He works at the Institute of Forest Genetics, Albany and Placerville, California on the genetics and evolu- tion of conifers and teaches conservation genetics at the University of California, Davis. PHOTOGRAPHYCREDITS: All photographs not otherwise credited are by F. Thomas Ledig. The University, in accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, does not discrimi- nate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, medical condition (cancer- related), ancestry, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or status as a Vietnam-era veteran or special disabled veteran. The University also prohibits sexual harassment. Inquiries regarding the University's nondis- crimination policies may be directed to the Affirmative Action Director, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 300 Lakeside Drive, 6th Floor, Oakland, CA 9461 2-3560. Tel. (510) 987-0096. Contents .. Preface ...................................................................v11 Approaches to conservation .................................. 59 [F. Thomas Ledig, Deborah L. Rogers, and workshop participants/ Executive summary................................................. xi Information needs .................................................. 67 Recommendations of the workshop ...................... xv [Deborah L. Rogers and workshop participants] . North American temperate forests .......................... 1 Emerging Issues ...................................................... 69 [F. Thomas Ledid workshop participants/ Agricultural models and forestry practice ................5 Literature cited ....................................................... 73 [F. Thomas Ledid Report methodology ..............................................11 A. List of respondents to questionnaire on the peborah L. Roger$' use of North American temperate forest tree Status of temperate forest tree genetic resources in species as exotic plantation species .................... 77 North America 13 ...................................................... B. List of respondents to questionnaire on the [Deborah L. Rogers/ domestic status of North American temperate Status of temperate forest tree species of North forest tree species ............................................... 79 America in countries where they are grown as exotic plantation species .........................................29 [Deborah L. Rogers and E Thomas Ledid D. List of forest tree species mentioned in the text of the report ............................................... 83 List of tables 1 Countries and areas within them represented 14 Main North American species grown as in the questionnaire on the use of North Ameri- exotics, by country ...........................................32 can temperate forest tree species as exotic plan- 15 Recent or emerging trends in use of North tation species ..................................................... 12 American forest tree species where they are 2 Temperate forest tree species in Canada that grown as exotics ................................................ 34 have been designated at risk .............................. 14 16 Contribution of North American forest tree 3 Gene conservation scores for 23 forest tree spe- species to domestic supply of wood and wood cies in British Columbia ................................ 16 products in countries where they are grown as 4 Native species and varieties of trees in Mkxico exotics ........................................................... 35 that are considered rare and endangered............ 18 17 Trade in North American forest tree germplasm 5 Plantation area for dominant commercial tem- reported for various countries where North perate forest tree species of Mkxico ...................20 American species are grown as exotics ..............36 6 Pattern of land ownership and management for 18 Adequacy of gene pool reserves in countries plantations of commercially significant tem- where North American forest tree species are perate forest tree species in Mkxico ................... 20 grown as exotics ................................................ 37 7 Genetic diversity represented in plantations and 19 Genetic diversity in plantations and reserves of reserves of the major temperate forest tree spe- North American forest tree species in those cies of commercial interest in Mkxico ...............21 countries where they are grown as exotics.. ......38 8 Genetic reserves within tree improvement 20 Gene pool reserves of North American forest programs for Mexican temperate forest tree tree species in countries where they are man- species ...............................................................2 1 aged as exotics ................................................... 39 9 Exports of temperate forest genetic resources 21 Status of records on geographic origin of North from Mkxico .....................................................22 American temperate forest tree germplasm used in exotic plantations ..........................................40 10 Area managed by the major federal land man- agement agencies in the United States and per- 22 Land ownership patterns where North American centage with conservation restrictions as of forest tree species are grown as exotics.............. 46 September 30, 1993 ........................................... 23 23 Invasiveness of North American temperate 11 Tree species on the federal 'Endangered Species' forest tree species in countries where they are list for the United States .................................. 24 managed as exotics ............................................ 50 12 Examples of international transfer of forest 24 Major insect or disease problems of North tree germplasm from the U.S.A. to other conti- American forest tree species in countries where nents .................................................................. 26 they are managed as exotics .............................. 52 13 North American temperate forest tree species 25 Transfer of germplasm from North American that are major plantation species outside of forest tree species between countries where North America .................................................32 they are managed as exotics