by
K.G. Eldridge
Division of Forest Research, CSIRO
P.O. Box 4008
Canberra A.C.T. 2600
Australia
As reported in FGRI No. 7 (p.47) seed of Pinus radiata and P. muricata was collected from natural stands in California in 1978, with the objectives of conservation and provenance testing. The collections were made by an Australian/New Zealand/U.S. team from a total of 763 trees along the Californian coast (U.S.A.) and from the two Mexican islands of Guadalupe and Cedros.
General accounts of the collections and their objectives have been published by Anon.(1978); Eldridge (1979a); and Frith (1978). Detailed descriptions on sites, collection methods, etc. are available for limited distribution as Internal Reports of the CSIRO Division of Forest Research (Eldridge 1978; 1979b).
SEED COLLECTIONS
Pinus radiata
The seed collected covers the full geographic range of the species, which occurs in five widely separated populations. Four sub-populations (stands, collection areas) were sampled at Año Nuevo, six at Monterey and three at Cambria. In addition, seed was collected from Guadalupe Island and Cedros Island.
Within each of the first mentioned 13 sub-populations, 22 to 70 trees were climbed; the trees were chosen for (i) presence of 40 or more closed, accessible cones; (ii) more than 100 m distance from the next tree collected; and (iii) size and form, where a choice existed. A total of 63.4 kg of seed was collected from these provenances.
On Cedros and Guadalupe Islands about 40 cones from each of 50 randomly selected trees were collected. The purpose of the collections, in addition to conservation and evaluation, was to augment material collected earlier by the University of Berkley for studies on the mating system of these island populations. A total of 2.7 kg of seed from Guadalupe Island and 1.1 kg from Cedros Island was collected.
Pinus muricata
Provenance samples were collected from the northern part of the distribution range of the species, including the ‘Blue Strain’. Sampling was done at a sub-population level. Between 20 and 40 trees, at least 100 m apart, were sampled in each sub-population. 40 to 50 cones were collected from each tree by climbing. The provenances collected were: Trinidad Head (1 sub-population); Mendocino County (5 sub-populations); Sonoma County (1 sub-population); and Monterey (1 sub-population). A total of 4.1 kg of seed was collected.
DISTRIBUTION OF SEED
A small sample of each seedlot is stored by the U.S. Forest Service at the Insitute of Forest Genetics, Placerville; 13.6 kg of the mainland P. radiata collection was sent to the New Zealand Forest Research Institute, Rotorua, for trials throughout New Zealand; and the remainder was sent to the CSIRO Division of Forest Research, Canberra. CSIRO is storing small quantities of the seed as a gene conservation measure and has commenced distribution to forestry organizations in Australia and, through FAO, to many developing countries. Seed of P. radiata has to date been distributed to 10 organizations in Australia and 19 non-Australian institutes; seed of P. muricata has been distributed to 5 organizations in Australia and 15 institutes in other countries.
Seed for additional provenance trials is available from CSIRO, Canberra. Further information is available from the author.
REFERENCES
Anonymous 1978 CSIRO collects pine seeds in California. Appita 32 (2):93–97.
Eldridge, K.G. 1978 Refreshing the genetic resources of radiata pine plantations. CSIRO DFR Australia, Genetics Section Report no. 7 (Unpublished). 120 pp.
Eldridge, K.G. 1979 a Seed collections in California in 1978. CSIRO DFR Australia, Annual Report 1977–78, pp. 8–17.
Eldridge, K.G. 1979 b Pinus muricata collections 1978. CSIRO DFR Australia, Genetics Section Report no. 8 (Unpublished). 55pp.
Frith, A. 1978 Seed collections in the Californian stands of Pinus radiata. N.Z. Forest Service, FRI, GTI Internal Report no.160 (Unpublished). 16 pp.
