This study had three objectives: (1) to teat the hypothesis that multiple flushing of the terminal shoot (intermittent growth pattern) in Douglas-fir seedlings (Pseudotsuca menziesii var. menziesii) has an adaptive significance, especially in inland populations from the drier regions in southwest Oregon; (2) to evaluate the genetic and adaptive consequences...
The major objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the extent to which southwest Oregon populations of Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii var menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) differ in quantitative genetic structure (QGS); (2) to determine whether differences in QGS are associated with the environments from which populations originate; and (3) to...
Gene flow is a major evolutionary force and an important factor in the breeding and conservation of forest trees. I studied the applicability of SSR markers for measuring pollen-mediated gene flow (i.e., pollen flow) in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb.] Franco). I developed SSR markers, tested alternative approaches for measuring pollen...
Stem defects, including sinuosity, large branches, and the occurrence of steep-angled
branches (e.g., forks and ramicorns) can occur with high frequency in young
plantations of Coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii (Mirb.) Franco).
The importance of including these stem defects as criteria in early selection depends, in
great part, on...
Noble fir (Abies procera Rehd.), an important conifer in the Pacific Northwest, is valuable for timber, Christmas trees, and greenery products. A number of tree improvement programs emphasizing genetic improvement of bole volume growth are underway in this species. The purpose of this study was to estimate genetic control of...
Three hundred fifty families from 11 breeding zones in southwest Oregon were grown in a common garden in Corvallis, Oregon, and patterns of genetic variation for seed weight and six first-year seedling characteristics were described. For most characteristics, large differences among breeding zones were found along an east-west
transect, with...
This study had three objectives: (1) to determine the degree to which within-source genetic variation and genetic correlations differ among elevational sources of Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb). Franco var. menziesii]; (2) to ascertain the degree to which phenotypic stability differs among and within elevational sources; and (3) to compare the...