Summary
Published in Forest Ecology and Management 106: 307-313
Temporal factors affecting sap sugar content (SSC) were assessed in a 65-yr-old plantation of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) located in Québec. A total of 694 maples were measured and the variation in SSC was assessed between 2 sampling years, among 3 days within each sugar season, and among hours within each sampling day. Average individual tree variation in SSC was extensive, ranging from 1.3 to 5.5% for spring 1994, and from 1.4 to 4.8% for spring 1995. The correlation between DBH and SSC was weak for both sampling years. SSC did not vary extensively between sampling hours within days, while it varied significantly among sampling days for both years analysed. However, the largest source of variation in SSC was between the 2 sampling years. Tree relative performances in SSC were moderately conserved among days within years and to a lesser degree, between sampling years. The relative magnitude of the differences between statistical treatments and the stability analysis of tree relative performances indicated that, for adequate estimation of an individual tree's SSC, sampling over years appears superior to sampling over several days within a single sugar season. Also, sampling towards the end of the sugar season or during days with lower SSC appears less reliable for mass selection.
Sector(s):
Forests
Categorie(s):
Scientific Article
Theme(s):
Forest Genetics, Forestry Research, Forests, Genetic improvement of trees
Departmental author(s):
Author(s)
LAROCHELLE, François, Éric FORGET, André RAINVILLE and Jean BOUSQUET
Year of publication :
1998
How to get the publication :
Keywords :
mass selection, maple sap, Acer saccharum, sugar maple, sugarbush, forest tree breeding, amélioration génétique des arbres, sélection massale, concentration en sucre, érable à sucre
