by Marie-Claude Boileau | 22 February 2019
Published in BMC Genomics 19(1): 942. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-018-5247-z
Background Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] is ecologically and economically one of the most important conifer worldwide. Our main goal was to develop a large catalog of annotated high confidence gene SNPs that should sustain the development of genomic tools for the conservation of natural and domesticated genetic diversity resources, and hasten tree breeding efforts in this species.
Results Targeted sequencing was achieved by capturing P. abies exome with probes previously designed from the sequenced transcriptome of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss). Capture efficiency was high (74.5%) given a high level of exome conservation between the two species. Using stringent criteria, we delimited a set of 61,771 high-confidence SNPs across 13,543 genes. To validate SNPs, a high-throughput genotyping array was developed for a subset of 5571 predicted SNPs representing as many different gene loci, and was used to genotype over 1000 trees. The estimated true positive rate of the resource was 84.2%, which was comparable with the genotyping success rate obtained for P. abies control SNPs recycled from previous genotyping efforts. We also analyzed SNP abundance across various gene functional categories. Several GO terms and gene families involved in stress response were found over-represented in highly polymorphic genes.
Conclusion The annotated high-confidence SNP catalog developed herein represents a valuable genomic resource, being representative of over 13 K genes distributed across the P. abies genome. This resource should serve a variety of population genomics and breeding applications in Norway spruce.
by equipewp | 22 February 2019
Published in Reforesta 6: 60-70. https://dx.doi.org/10.21750/REFOR.6.05.58. Stock types used in reforestation projects can influence plantation success, as they determine the morphological attributes of the planted seedlings. They can also interact with silviculture treatments to influence early seedling survival and growth. As nurseries develop and produce new stock types in response to -and in interaction with- manager needs, research efforts must be pursued to validate early seedling performance and long-term growth and yields. In this context, we aimed to evaluate the main and interactive effects of mechanical site preparation and stock type on planted black (<i>Picea mariana</i> [Mill.] BSP) and white spruce (<i>P. glauca</i> [Moench.] Voss) seedling dimensions at 16-y, and estimate the long-term impact of stock type on the merchantable volume at rotation age for white spruce. We hence compared medium (200 cm<sup>3</sup> root plug) and large (350 cm<sup>3</sup> root plug) containerized seedlings, as well as large bare-root seedlings of both species, in a field experiment established in Quebec (Canada), where there is a ban on the use of chemical herbicides for vegetation management treatments. Our results confirm that there is a significant, although limited impact of stock type on the size of black and white spruce at the juvenile stage, when medium and large stock types are compared, but that these small differences have a negligible effect on the estimated merchantable volume produced at rotation age (60 years). Mechanical site preparation does not promote seedling growth on these rich sites with thin humus. Therefore, selection of a medium or larger stock type for reforestation projects and application of mechanical site preparation in ecosystems similar to the one studied here should be based on other considerations than growth and yield, such as seedling availability, production and planting costs, or operational constraints.
by Marie-Claude Boileau | 30 January 2019
Published in Journal of Forestry Research 28(3): 95-106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-018-0778-3
We studied late-entry commercial thinning effects on growth, yield, and regeneration in a 48-year-old jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) stand. Applied thinning intensities were 27, 32, and 47% of merchantable basal area (BA) excluding skidding trails. After 15 years, mean diameter at breast height of surviving trees in the 47% BA removal increased by 4.9 cm (25%) compared to the unthinned control. The 47% BA removal also increased gross merchantable volume (GMV) tree−1 by 46% compared to the control. The 27% BA removal had twice as much GMV ha−1 compared to the 47% BA removal after 15 years. Moreover, cumulative GMV ha−1 was much higher in the 27% BA removal than in the unthinned control. The highest thinning intensity produced larger trees on average, while the lowest thinning intensity maximized volume production per hectare. Maintenance of acceptable growing stock throughout the 15-year period in the 27% BA removal could provide other ecosystem functions such as biodiversity enhancement or wildlife habitat by delaying senescence. Regeneration data showed that a shift in species composition occurred in the understory. After 15 years, the understory was dominated by black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.), white birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.), and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.). If regenerating jack pine is an objective after final overstory removal, additional efforts will be needed to re-establish this species.
by Marie-Claude Boileau | 30 January 2019
Published in Ecohydrology 11(7): e2014. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2014
Sapwood area is an important parameter for estimating transpiration at whole-tree and watershed scales, given that it is used for scaling up point sap flow measurements. However, its determination may be difficult, particularly for large-diameter trees of diffuse-porous, broad-leaved species. By delineating only the highly conductive sapwood, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) may be more appropriate than sapwood dyeing for estimating tree sapwood area. We compared sapwood area measurements made with ERT with those that were obtained from wood dyeing, assuming that the more adequate measure was that which was best correlated with tree leaf area. To achieve this objective, we sampled 31 sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and 20 yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) trees covering a large range of tree diameters and leaf areas from one site located in eastern Canada. Also, 79 sugar maple trees were sampled in two other sites to document the estimation of tree leaf area over a large territory. The sapwood area that was determined from ERT appeared to be the best method for scaling up point sap flow measurements to whole-tree transpiration. The predictive ability of ERT was particularly greater than that of wood dyeing when they were both measured at 1 m. If the objective is to estimate tree leaf area rather than sapwood area, the crown surface area would provide a useful substitute for the ERT method because it is rapid and easy to measure while serving a robust predictor applicable over a large territory.
by Marie-Claude Boileau | 30 January 2019
Published in Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 33(8). https://doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2018.1495254
Commercial thinning enables forest managers to meet timber production objectives. Thinning reduces tree density to alleviate competition for resources and favour growth of selected tree species. However, in doing so, thinning can homogenize the composition of mixed-species forests and raise biodiversity issues. There is increasing evidence that species richness can lead to higher productivity through a complementarity effect. Hence, thinning that would maintain species diversity of mixed-species forests could enhance stand productivity and help forest managers to reconcile timber production objectives and biodiversity issues. The objective of this study was to compare post-thinning stand production, experimentally over 10 years, in mixed and monospecific stands of black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] B.S.P.) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.). The post-thinning stand production curve of the mixed stand converged toward that of the unthinned mixed stand while the production curves of the thinned and unthinned monospecific stands remained parallel. The convergent productivity of the mixed stand could be explained by a positive interaction between effects of thinning and niche complementarity. We propose that thinning that maintains species diversity of mixed stands could help forest managers who are implementing ecosystem management to reconcile timber production objectives with biodiversity issues.
