Genetic Variation in Picea glauca for Growth and Phenological Traits From Provenance Tests in Ontario

Ecologically based management of white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss.) requires an understanding of its patterns of adaptive variation. This understanding will become increasingly important under changing climate conditions. Five common garden tests and a greenhouse trial established in 2002 across Ontario were used to assess levels of genetic variation and relate this variation to local climate. Growth and phenological variables, including height, root collar diameter, survival, timing of spring budflush, and timing of fall budset were measured. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated for all traits to determine levels of genetic variation. Simple linear regressions were used to relate these differences to local climate conditions. After two growing season’s levels of between-provenance genetic variation ranged from 0 percent for several of the budflush variables to 22 percent for 2003 survival at the Englehart field trial. Overall, growth variables showed higher levels of between-provenance variation than phenological variables. Variation was predominately explained by longitude, a surrogate for precipitation patterns in Ontario, and temperature variables related to the growing season with r2 values ranging from 0.03 to 0.55. Generally, patterns of adaptive variation followed a southeast to northwest trend across Ontario. Northern sources flushed earlier and set bud earlier, while southern sources demonstrated superior growth. Results support previous white spruce genecology studies showing superior growth of sources from the Ottawa valley region of Ontario and Quebec.