The genetic control of wood density components (earlywood density, latewood density, and latewood proportion) and their relationships with overall density in coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. menziesii) were examined to assess the usefulness of this information in breeding for wood density. The genetic relationships of wood density with intraring density variation and bole volume growth were also investigated. Increment cores were taken at breast height from 15-year-old trees of 60 open-pollinated families. Averages across each core for overall wood density, its components, and intraring density variation were determined by using X-ray densitometry. Bole volume at age 15 for the same trees was derived from tree height and diameter at breast height measurements. Although wood density components varied significantly among families and were under moderate genetic control (individual-tree heritability (hi2) > 0.24), none had a higher heritability than overall density (hi2 = 0.59). Density components had strong genetic correlations with overall density (r ≥ 0.74) but were also strongly related among themselves (0.57 ≤ r ≤ 0.92). Thus, density components have limited value in improving the efficiency of selection for overall density. Overall density was positively correlated with intraring density variation (r = 0.72) and negatively correlated with bole volume (r = −0.52). Comparison of several selection indices incorporating wood density and one or more growth traits, however, showed that it is possible to obtain substantial gains in bole volume without loss in (or even with a modest increase in) wood density. By restricting the response in wood density, the change in intraring density variation can also be limited.

It is well known that tree growth is strongly affected by climate at high elevations, but it is still unclear how climate variability influences the distribution of montane forest ecosystems, particularly tree line species. To advance knowledge in this field, we combined temporal (tree ring measurements) and spatial data (remotely sensed variables), to quantify how forests responded to climatic variability across altitudinal gradients in Central Mexico. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), tree‐ring chronologies, and site‐level climatic data were used in a vegetation trend analysis of greenness and browning and to reconstruct canopy vigor for the last century. Although a common ring width chronology was developed, we found significant site‐dependent forest growth response, where young trees (<100 years) exhibited heterogeneous growth trends, without an altitudinal pattern. However, mature trees (100–200 years) showed a common growth decline during the middle twentieth century, regardless of their altitude. Annual maximum NDVI anomalies did not show a general greening effect at high‐elevations. The forest showed both greening and browning zones denoting spatial variability in tree vigor. Furthermore, temperature from the previous year had a positive effect on both NDVI and ring width index but negative at beginning of the growing season. The significant relationship between winter‐spring NDVI (December to March) and ring width index (r = 0.64, p < 0.05), was useful to reconstruct the canopy vigor for the last 151 years. Thus, the greening effect derived from NDVI should be carefully interpreted as a direct forest growth increase. These results highlight the potential of integrating remotely sensed and dendrochronological methods to improve predictions of forest ecosystem responses.

Symptoms of forest decline, apparently due to climate change, have become evident in the last 10 years on the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and northwestern temperate forest of Mexico, particularly at the xeric (low elevational) limit of several forest tree species. We review and provide recent evidence of massive infestation of timberline Pinus hartwegii Lindl. by the mistletoes Arceuthobium globosum Hawksw. & Wiens and Arceuthobium vaginatum (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) J.Presl; insufficient Abies religiosa (Kunth) Schltdl. & Cham. seedling recruitment at the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve; indications of inbreeding and defoliation in endangered Picea chihuahuana Martínez, Picea martinezii T.F. Patt., Picea mexicana Martínez, and extreme southern populations of Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco; and the incidence of unusual pest and disease outbreaks (e.g., Dendroctonus Erichson, 1836 spp., Neodiprion autumnalis Smith, and Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands) in several conifer and oak species. We also discuss a difficult question: Is natural genetic variation sufficient to provide populations with the adaptive variation necessary to survive the natural selection imposed by projected climate change scenarios, or will phenotypic plasticity be exhausted and populations decline? Controversial ex situ conservation within natural protected areas, assisted migration, and translocation of species ensembles are discussed as options by which to accommodate projected climatic change impacts on the management and conservation practices of the megadiverse Mexican temperate forest.

P. greggii Engelm. es endémico del este de México, con amplia importancia ecológica y económica. Su área de distribución natural se encuentra entre los 20º13' y los 25º29' de latitud N, con una discontinuidad de 360 km en la parte central. Las poblaciones del norte se conocen como P. greggii var. greggii y las del sur como P. greggii var. australis. El intervalo altitudinal de la especie es de 1,400 a 2,613 m s.n.m. Los rodales del sur se encuentran a menor elevación, con mayor temperatura media y precipitación anual (±1,720 m, ±17.5°C y ±1,370 mm) que las poblaciones de la región norte (±2,450 m, ±13°C y ±640 mm). Se muestrearon veinte poblaciones naturales de la especie, encontrándose considerables diferencias entre ellas en cuanto a la superficie que cubren y las especies arbóreas asociadas. En la porción sur se registraron plantas típicas de comunidades templado-cálidas, mientras que en el norte abundaron los árboles de climas frescos y semiáridos, aunque Juniperus flaccida y Quercus spp. son comunes en las dos regiones. En general las poblaciones en los extremos de la distribución natural presentan menor tamaño y menor densidad de arbolado maduro y regeneración. En la mayoría de las poblaciones de P. greggii el impacto humano es notable a causa del aprovechamientos de madera y actividades agropecuarias, dando como resultado una deficiente proporción de renuevos. Se discuten las posibilidades de conservación de la especie in situ y ex situ.

Pinus patula Schiede ex Schltdl. et Cham. es un pino endémico de México, ampliamente utilizado en plantaciones comerciales en varios países. La propagación masiva de materiales mejorados de esta especie mediante el enraizado de estacas, proporciona la oportunidad para aumentar y uniformar su productividad. Se comparó el sustrato (perlita vs. mezcla de turba con vermiculita), edad de planta madre (12, 18 y 24 meses) y dosis de ácido indolbutírico (AIB) (0, 5000 y 10 000 ppm) (i.e., mg L-1) en el enraizado de estacas de P. patula, mediante un arreglo factorial en diseño experimental de bloques completos al azar. La supervivencia, enraizado, número y longitud de raíces, presencia de raíces secundarias y desarrollo de callo se evaluaron después de 14 semanas. En el sustrato con perlita se presentó el mayor porcentaje de enraizado de las estacas (21.4 vs. 14.7 %) y fue evidente el efecto de la dosis de AIB y edad de planta madre en la respuesta de las estacas. La capacidad de enraizado se redujo casi a la mitad (de 29.2 a 15.8 % en el sustrato de perlita) al aumentar de 12 a 24 meses la edad de las plantas madre. El AIB inhibió la formación de raíces en las estacas de menor edad, pero no en las de 24 meses. El control de los factores evaluados permitió obtener más de 50 % de enraizado en uno de los tratamientos, valor aceptable en un programa operativo de clonación.

No abstract

To better understand the genetic control of wood formation in coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii var. menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), and to assess the potential impact of selecting for increased wood density on adaptation of trees, genetic relationships of wood density, and its components, with cambial growth rhythm traits were examined in a 15-year-old progeny test. Timing of diameter growth during the 1987 growing season was available from an earlier study, and wood formation traits were estimated by X-ray densitometry of increment core samples. Wood formation traits were under weak genetic control [Formula: see text]. Lengths of earlywood and latewood formation were mostly determined by the timing of latewood transition. Overall core density was negatively correlated with the dates of cambial growth initiation (rA = −0.41) and latewood transition (rA = −0.62), and positively correlated with the date of cambial growth cessation (rA = 0.40). As a result of these relationships, higher wood density was associated with a longer duration of cambial growth (rA = 0.67) and a slower rate of wood formation (rA = −0.37). All density components showed similar relationships with cambial phenology and wood formation traits. Selection for increased wood density is expected to cause only a slight extension of the cambial growth period, but it would also cause an earlier transition to latewood formation, negatively affecting growth rate.

Synchronization between female receptiveness and pollen dispersal, and fecundity of clones influence effective population size and genetic diversity of germplasm produced in seed orchards. Our objective was to determine clonal variation in phenological synchronization and in cone production in a Pinus patula seed orchard. Two-year phenology data of female and male strobili from a sample of 31 clones, and of male strobili in trees from neighboring natural stands of the same species were used. Synchronization indices between female receptiveness and pollen release of the same clone (O̅iP̅i), of other clones (O̅i P̅j), and of natural stands (O̅i P̅NS) were calculated for each clone and averaged per precocity group (early, intermediate, and late). Genetic parameters for cone production of clones during three consecutive cone harvests were estimated, as was their relationship to precocity and synchronization index O̅i P̅NS. Cone production showed a broad variation among clones and between years, with strong genetic control (H2c ≥ 0.80) and stable (rB ≥ 0.79) between yeas. There was wide clonal variation in synchronization indices, but no significant variation was found in most cases among precocity groups, neither were they consistent between years. Negative correlations [rp = -0.37 and -0.40 (P < 0.05)] in cone production per clone in two years with the O̅i P̅NS index in the first year, indicated that the most prolific clones had lower synchronization with pollen release in natural stands in the orchard’s vicinity, and thus less risk of genetic contamination.