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Abstract Detail



Recent Topics Posters

Becker, Elisa [1], Cruickshank, Mike [1], Sturrock, Rona [1].

Responses to drought in interior Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) seedlings: productivity and survival in an environment of multiple stressors.

The interior Douglas fir (Fdi) variety, (Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb. Franco var. glauca), is a dominant and highly-valued tree that grows more slowly and is better adapted to drought than the coastal variety of the species (var. menzies). These long-lived trees face selective pressures for both growth and stress tolerance and must be able to compete for resources and light as well as being able to withstand decades of exposure to multiple biotic and abiotic stressors. Douglas-fir populations have adapted to diverse local environments, making it essential to match seed sources with planting locations. We are characterizing the survival and tolerance responses of Fdi families from four distinct seed planning zones in B.C. to multiple stressors, including drought and fungal diseases.  We are testing the hypothesis that growth and stress tolerance are linked, and obtaining insight into underlying mechanisms of responses to drought and diseases.   
Objectives of the present study were to analyze the survival of Fdi in an environment of drought, and to characterise the responses of Fdi grown in a water-limited environment, compared to in an ideal environment (=tolerance).  In this study, trees from the driest breeding zones, SA and WKL, had the highest risk of death by drought, but the trees from these breeding zones were those with the most growth in the driest water-limited treatment.  The results of these experimental trials will increase our knowledge of conifer responses to multiple disease agents, and inform and guide specific breeding strategies for Douglas-fir trees.  This work also provides a foundation for future genetic studies to associate phenotypic stress responses with their genetic components.   


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1 - Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, 506 West Burnside Rd., Victoria, BC, V8Z 1M5, Canada

Keywords:
Douglas-fir
Conifer
drought.

Presentation Type: Recent Topics Poster
Session: P
Location: Hall D/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PRT057
Abstract ID:1843
Candidate for Awards:None


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