Role of forest tree breeding as a guarantee for sustainable biomass

Role of forest tree breeding as a guarantee for sustainable
biomass production
Aris Jansons, Dagnija Lazdina, Martins Zeps
Latvian State Forest Research Institute “SILAVA”
Background
Forest tree breeding aims to increase forest health, quality of trees and stand
productivity (both in terms of above-ground biomass production and stem-volume
production), using combination of several different approaches:
1)provenance selection, both for native and introduced specie (fig. 3);
2) selection of phenotypically best individuals (so-called plus-trees) within stand
with superior productivity and quality and establishment of grafted seed orchards
for seed collection and plant production (fig. 1);
3)crossing among superior individuals from closely related species (e.g. common
and American aspen) to exploit hybrid vigor and select clones, that are superior to
both parent-species for establishment of short-rotation plantations (fig. 2);
4)crossing among several species in multiple generation to create breeds with
necessary characteristics and best clones within the breeds, intended for ensuring
agriculture-like management, very short rotations and high biomass (fig. 4)
Results
Efficient tree breeding requires long-term commitment, selection of appropriate
methods and large-scale application of results to provide practical benefits.
Therefore Tree Breeding Strategy has been developed at Silava and approved at
Latvian State Forest Management enterprise. Also in-situ and ex-situ protection
of forest genetic resources at national level are ensured.
Studies of growth rhythm and diseases resistance indicate, that importance to
use selected material will increase in future, while natural populations will
become mal-adapted due to rapid climatic changes and spread of diseases will
be favored.
at age 12 years
350
Forest stands
Seed orchard
Seed orchard
Experimental area
Forest stands
Fig. 1. Yield of spruce seed orchard progenies in comparison to stand
porgenies at the age of 32 years
at age 10 years
300
m3 ha-1
250
200
150
100
50
0
4 B 9 10 30 16 19 2 23 20 34 6 22 12 15 3 36 24 26 25 28 D 21 A C G 39 18 7 11 17 8
hybrid aspen
Tree biomass, kg
Stem volume, m3
triploid common aspen
aspen
Fig. 3. Biomass production capacity of lodgepole pine in comparison
to Scots pine at the age of 25 years, planting density 5000 trees ha -1
Fig 2. Yield of hybrid aspen (Populus tremuloides x P. tremula), triploid
form of common aspen and common aspen at the age of 10 and 12 years,
planting density 2500 trees ha-1
Sven
Tora
Torhild
S.viminalis
35
30
TDM ha-1
25
20
15
10
5
0
second harvest
annual
first harvest
second harvest
biannuall
first harvest
triannual
Fig. 4. Biomass production capacity of Salix clones at the age of 1 - 3
years, planting density 12000 trees ha-1
Conclusion
Use of selected material guarantees form 20% to 3-fold higher
yield (biomass) from plantations both on forest and former
arable land, options to shorten rotation period and
considerable increase of gains from the investments in
biomass production.
LSFRI “SILAVA” Rīgas iela 111, Salaspils, Latvia
Aris Jansons, Dagnija Lazdina, Martins Zeps
aris.jansons@silava.lv
www.silava.lv