The importance of E. camaldulensis as an exotic and the pattern of climatic and morphological variation within the extensive range of the species in Australia has been described by Turnbull in the previous paper.
Numerous countries have started provenance trials of E. camaldulensis in recent years. The most extensive series of international provenance trials of the species is that initiated by FAO's Mediterranean Forestry Research Committee under its project No. 6 “Study of ecological adaptation of eucalypts” and coordinated by Mr. J.F. Lacaze, Directeur, Station d'Amélioration des Arbres Forestiers, Champenoux, 54 Einville, France. Mr. Lacaze is also Chairman of IUFRO's Working Party S2.02.9 on Eucalypts, within the Subject Group “Species, provenances and gene resources”.
Seed was collected by a group of Tunisian foresters, in cooperation with Australian foresters, during 1964. Collection covered a large part of the natural distribution and comprised over 30 provenances. Detailed results of early assessments in the resulting provenance trials on 24 sites (16 in the Mediterranean) in 10 countries (8 Mediterranean) have been reported by Lacaze (1970). Most of the trials were planted between 1966 and 1968 and were up to 3 years old at assessment.
These early results indicated clear and consistent evidence of the superior survival and/or growth of certain provenances. These were:-
| (1) | 6845 Lake Albacutya, Victoria. Temperate inland zone. Rainfall 350 mm, well distributed, with slightly more in winter than summer (41% in the six summer months November–April). Has proved consistently superior throughout the Mediterranean region. | |
| (2) | 6953 Petford, Northern Queensland. Tropical highlands zone. Rainfall 720 mm, summer, with pronounced winter drought (total 54 mm in five months May–September). Consistently superior in moister tropical savanna conditions in Nigeria and Congo. | |
| (3) | 6869 Katherine, Northern Territory. Tropical inland zone. Rainfall 960 mm, summer. Though total rainfall is higher than at Petford, the winter drought at Katherine is even more severe (total 15 mm in five months May–September), and temperatures are higher throughout the year. Consistently superior in more arid tropical savanna conditions. The only provenance with satisfactory survival at Yambawa, Nigeria, where conditions are extremely harsh (an infertile free-draining sand with a total rainfall of 830 mm, and six completely rainless winter months). | |
| (4) | 7029 Murchison River, Western Australia. Temperate inland zone. Rainfall 470 mm, winter. Though total rainfall is higher than at Lake Albacutya, it is much more seasonal (only 16% falling in the six summer months November–April). Temperatures are higher throughout the year than at Lake Albacutya. Performed well in the more arid types of Mediterranean climate, with severe summer drought. | |
| (5) | 6975/79 Port Lincoln, South Australia 7046 Wiluna, Western Australia | Both provenances performed well on a calcareous soil in southern Italy. Both are from areas in Australia with a high soil pH. |
As a result of a visit paid by the project coordinator to three of the cooperating countries in September 1972, the following action is now being undertaken or is proposed, as a follow-up to the previous results:
1. Management of existing provenance trials
(a) A new assessment of height, diameter, form and survival, in order to check the preliminary conclusions drawn from the first measurements.
(b) If possible, assessment of wood quality (e.g. density, fibre length) by examination of wood cores.
(c) Determination of the management system (coppice or high forest) in each country and agreement on common international management treatments for each system, e.g. felling for coppice regeneration at a predetermined mean diameter of the best provenance, in order that meaningful comparisons may be continued in subsequent coppice rotations.
2. Establishment of seed stands of outstanding provenances
All the remaining seed of the most promising provenances has been distributed to selected countries, in order to establish seed stands several hectares in area, for production of commercial quantities of seed as soon as possible. The intention is that these stands will be isolated from other eucalyptus (5 km recommended) and that the trees will be planted at wide initial spacing (4 × 4 m) in order to maximise seed production. Countries establishing the seed stands will be expected to make part of the eventual seed production from the stands freely available to other countries. In addition to production of seed, the seed stands will act as provenance conservation stands and will provide material for individual selection and breeding.
Provenances already distributed for the establishment of seed stands are:-
6845 Lake Albacutya. To Italy, Morocco, Tunisia.
7029 Murchison River. To Morocco.
6953 Petford. To Nigeria.
6869 Katherine. To Nigeria.
3. Individual selection for clonal seed orchards, provenance 6845
Superior trees of provenance 6845 Lake Albacutya have been selected, on the basis of the largest tree of acceptable form in each experimental plot, in Italy, Morocco and Tunisia. Vegetative material has been sent to Italy for grafting. A total of 40 clones are included, 6 from Morocco, 16 from Tunisia and 18 from Italy. Successfully grafted ramets will be distributed to the same three countries for the establishment of clonal seed orchards.
Note:
The above summarises briefly progress in project No.6 of the FAO Mediterranean Forestry Research Committee. Accounts of provenance research on E. camaldulensis elsewhere are also available, e.g. Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn. provenance trials in West Pakistan by M. Hafeez and M.I. Sheikh (Pakistan Journal of Forestry, October 1972) and Eucalyptus camaldulensis provenance trials in Rhodesia (Part 1. Early results) by R.L. Barrett and D.T. Carter, 1970.
