Geographic Variation in Forest Trees: Genetic Basis and Application of Knowledge in Silviculture

Geographic variation within tree species is one of the basic issuesfacing foresters, biologists, and others who work with trees. Geneticdifferences among and within populations of these trees becomeimportant considerations when forests are regenerated artificially byseeding and planting, and when new species are introduced in forestry,agroforestry, or for ornamental and landscape purposes. Geographic Variation in Forest Trees is the first book toexamine this subject from a world-wide perspective. Following ahistorical review, the author discusses population genetic theory andgenetic systems of native North American tree species as they interactwith environments in the major climatic regions in the world. He thendemonstrates how this knowledge is used to guide seed zoning and seedtransfer in silviculture, basing much of his discussion on modelsdeveloped in Scandinavia and North America. In the final chapter, theauthor addresses the issue of genetic conservation — a subject ofgreat concern in the face of accelerated forest destruction, industrialpollution, and climatic change. This comprehensive, well-researched book makes a significantcontribution to the knowledge of one of our most important renewablenatural resources.