Tree Improvement Program Project Report 2006 / 2007

.12 Lodgepole, Wh te and
Ponderosa P nes and
Inter or Broadleaved
Spec es
M chael Carlson, John Murphy and
V cky Berger
Winter scion collections were made for Pli; 1) a central
interior western gall rust resistance seed orchard, 2) an NE
low replacement seed orchard for the existing 307 orchard,
and 3) for a new NE high seed orchard. Another scion
collection was made for a new Py seed orchard drawing
upon selection work in our 14 yr-old ponderosa pine
provenance trial at the Skimikin seed orchards site.
Scion from 35 selected/tested paper birch trees (Betula
papyriferia) were collected and grafted at the Kalamalka
Forestry Center with the grafts subsequently divided
T R E E I M P R O V E M E N T P R O G R A M
P R O J E C T R E P O R T 2 0 0 6 / 2 0 0 7
F gure 16. Subalp ne
larch ex-situ gene
conservat on/breed ng
arch ve at Kalamalka
Forestry Centre,
Vernon, BC.
between the Vernon and Skimikin sites. Two small birch
seed orchards will produce seed for the southern interior
and the climatically milder portions of the central interior,
transfer limits to be determined. Additionally, 21 silver
birch (B. pendula) trees were selected from three separate
long-term trial series at the Skimikin site. These will be
scion collected and grafted in 2008 to replace our 16 yr-old
seed production stand at Skimikin which is under attack
from the Bronze birch borer. The Bronze birch borer is
thought to be at least partially responsible for the relatively
wide spread paper birch mortality occurring now in the
southern interior of BC. Silver birch has been grown and
seedling samples distributed to B.C. and Alberta private
lands cooperators for several years with excellent results. We
foresee a demand for silver birch seed/planting stock in the
future.
12 prospective trial sites for the 2007/2008 FMOMSAT
series were located and ready for layout in 2008 (see: Greg
O’Neill’s et. al. ”Assisted Migration of Multiple Species
Adaptation Trial” writeup).
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