Intraspecific variation of growth and adaptive traits in North American oak species Hb Kriebel To cite this version: Hb Kriebel. Intraspecific variation of growth and adaptive traits in North American oak species. Annales des sciences forestières, INRA/EDP Sciences, 1993, 50 (Suppl1), pp.153s-165s. hal-00882886 HAL Id: hal-00882886 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00882886 Submitted on 1 Jan 1993 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Review article Intraspecific variation of growth and adaptive traits in North American oak species HB Kriebel School of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691-4096, USA Summary — Variation of growth and adaptive traits has been identified in Quercus rubra L, which has recognizable geographic patterns in replicated test plantations in the central and western parts of the species range. Traits varying geographically include growth rate, drought resistance, cold re- sistance, time of flushing and leaf senescence. Patterns may differ in tests in southern regions. In Quercus falcata Michx, coastal plain sources are superior to others in both central Mississippi and western South Carolina. In 3 partial-range Quercus pagoda Raf tests, local or regional sources out- rank others in growth and adaptability. Both of these species vary widely in cold hardiness. Local trees of Quercus alba L are above the average height of all Indiana trees at age 5 yr in southern In- diana, but local trees of Quercus macrocarpa Michx in Nebraska are not as fast-growing as trees from seed sources 160 km south. Range-wide patterns remain undefined in both of these species. Among western provenances of Quercus nigra L in Louisiana, flushing is latest in trees of the north- ernmost origins. Only fragmentary information is available on variation of growth and adaptive traits in 7 other oaks, all eastern North American species. Quercus / oaks / variation / growth / adaptive traits / hardiness Résumé — Variabilité intraspécifique des caractères d’adaptation et de croissance chez les espèces d’Amérique du Nord. La variabilité des caractères de croissance et d’adaptation a été étu- diée chez Quercus rubra L; des gradients de variation ont clairement pu être établis chez cette es- pèce au vu des résultats obtenus dans des plantations installées dans la partie centrale et occiden- tale de l’aire naturelle. Les caractères, dont la variabilité suit un gradient géographique, sont : le taux de croissance, la résistance à la sécheresse et au froid, la date de débourrement et la sénescence des feuilles. Ces gradients peuvent être différents dans les plantations installées dans la partie méri- dionale de l’aire. En ce qui concerne Q falcata Michx, les origines des plaines côtières sont supé- rieures aux autres dans la partie centrale du Mississippi, et la partie occidentale de la Caroline du Sud. Dans 3 plantations de Q pagoda Raf ne comprenant qu’un échantillon partiel de provenances, les populations locales étaient nettement supérieures aux autres pour la croissance et les carac- tères d’adaptation. Les origines locales de Q alba L ont une meilleure croissance que les autres dans le sud de l’Indiana (à 5 ans); alors que chez Q macrocarpa Michx dans le Nebraska, les ori- gines locales sont moins vigoureuses que celles originaires de 160 km au sud. Les gradients de va- riation au niveau de l’ensemble de l’aire naturelle n’ont pas encore été étudiés pour ces 2 espèces. En Louisiane, chez Q nigra L, le débourrement est plus tardif chez les provenances les plus nordi- ques. Des données fragmentaires sur la variabilité des caractères de croissance et d’adaptation exis- tent pour 7 autres espèces, toutes issues de l’est des États-Unis. Quercus / chênes / variabilité / croissance / adaptation / résistance INTRODUCTION expected to vary with seed source in ex- perimental plantations. North America has about 58 species of In uniform-environment provenance oaks (genus Quercus) of tree size, of tests of a geographically variable species, which about 20 are considered important extensive provenance sampling covering in forest management (Fowells, 1965). the entire distribution strengthens the prov- enance in Many of the North American oaks are dis- component of variance relation tributed over a wide range of latitude and to stand and family components, whereas longitude and over several of the plant har- range restriction leads to proportionately diness zones used as guidelines in horti- larger regional and local components (Krie- culture (fig 1, table I). Some are extremely bel, 1965). In several species of Quercus, wide-ranging. Q macrocarpa Michx, one of mid-range or confined-latitude sampling in- the most widely-distributed species, oc- dicated that, within the region studied, curs from 28-53 °N latitude and 66-105 stand variability was more important than °W longitude. Therefore, adaptive traits, geographic variability, and geographic pat- and perhaps growth rate as well, could be terns were not observed (Kriebel, 1965; Houston, 1987; Schnabel and Hamrick, 1990). However, this paper demonstrates that results are very different, at least in Q rubra, when samples are more widely dis- persed. Most of the information currently availa- ble on intraspecific variation in the North American oaks is based on population samples covering only parts of the spe- cies distribution. Far more information is available on Q rubra than on any other species. In addition, there have been sev- eral provenance experiments on Q falcata and the closely-related Q pagoda. Report- ed results from research on Q alba and Q nigra are not range-wide and are limit- ed to juvenile material. Some information is available on growth and adaptatibility of Q macrocarpa from one provenance test at age 11 years. Apart from these 6 spe- cies, there is a little information in the liter- ature on variation of growth and adaptive Variation in growth rate traits in North American oaks. Brief dis- cussions on 7 other are included species Northern red oak rubra varies in this review. The information is taken (Quercus L) with geographic origin in rate of height and from: 1) published research; and 2) un- diameter growth. The geographic pattern published data and reports obtained by was evident in trees in 4 the author. With the exception of experi- 23-year-old range-wide tests in middle latitudes of the mental analysis of one commercially im- species range from eastern Nebraska to portant adaptive trait in Q palustris, the in- northern Ohio et al, but not formation on these other oaks is based (Kriebel 1988), at age 14 years in the same tests (Kriebel on fragmentary data from limited popula- et al, There was no statistical evi- tion sampling. 1976). dence of a pattern in results from limited- area sampling (Kriebel, 1965; Farmer et al, La and NORTHERN RED OAK 1981; Houston, 1987; Farge Lewis, 1987). The variation pattern is as follows: About 25 provenance tests of northern red height growth means are almost always oak (Quercus rubra L) of varying size have highest in trees from provenances be- been established in North America, but tween latitudes 43 and 46°N in an east- some no longer exist and others have not west zone extending from the Mississippi been evaluated. Some are comprehen- River to western Maine. Trees from out- sive, multi-family experiments that are side of this zone are, on the range-wide and replicated in several loca- average, slower-growing. In Ohio, Indiana and tions, while others include only a few pop- Michigan experiments, all but one of the ulation samples or are regional in their provenance samples that exceeded the sampling pattern. The first Q rubra prove- mean annual increment of its age class by nance tests, which were established by more than 1 standard deviation was of Scott Pauley in Massachusetts in 1951 Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario, New York and 1952, were the most geographically or Maine et al, comprehensive tests of this species in origin (Kriebel 1988). There were indications of a similar North America. They included 80 seed pattern in a test of the same material in eastern sources that sampled most of the natural where the distribution. Unfortunately, the plantations Nebraska, fastest-growing trees were from Wisconsin and extreme were not maintained and the only pub- eastern Minnesota (Schlarbaum and Ba- lished report is a study of cold-hardiness. patterns are summar- Nine replicated range-wide tests were gley, 1981). These ized in table II. planted in the North Central states be- tween 1960 and 1962. Results from 7 of From these evaluations up to age 23 these have been published. The other in- years, we can conclude that at latitudes tensive study was of more than 200 fami- 40-42°N in the USA significant gains in lies from Tennessee and adjacent areas; growth of northern red oak can be of 10 outplantings, results from 3 are sum- achieved by planting trees from seed ori- marized. Additional information was availa- gins 250-550 km north of the planting lo- ble from 4 other northern red oak studies, cality. In addition, since growth varies with 2 in the northeastern and 2 in the south- stand and family (Kriebel et al, 1988), intra- eastern parts of the USA. A summary fol- provenance selection is important for plant- lows.