Tree Improvement and Adaptation - Forest Health and Adaptation | ||||||||||||
Sustainable forest management requires a proactive management of insects, diseases and environmental stresses that affect survival, reproduction, growth and productivity of forest trees and their associated ecosystems. Alberta Agriculture and Forestry ensures that Alberta forests and the forest industry will be sustained for the current and future generations through:
Climate Change Adaptation Climate change is expected to bring new challenges for the Alberta forestry sector and other sectors connected to the functioning of healthy and productive forests. Since the late 1990s, Forest Health and Adaptation has been working with the following partners to address climate change through the Alberta Tree Improvement Program:
Related Information
Gene Conservation and Species Recovery Maintenance of genetic diversity is essential for the long term survival and reproduction of species in an ever-changing environment. Like all other organisms, trees need genetic diversity for evolutionary processes to act upon, allowing the species to adapt to
For tree species, such as lodgepole pine, that are threatened by the mountain pine beetle, Forest Health and Adaptation in collaboration with other provincial programs identifies stands, collects and stores seed to capture the gene pool of the species before these stands are killed by the beetle. Related Information
Maintaining Genetic Adaptation Spanning 11' of latitude (49-60) and 3537 metres in elevation (210 to 3747metres above sea level) Alberta has a highly variable climate supporting a highly variable mosaic of vegetation and genetic variation within individual species. Through provenance research and seed and clonal transfer guidelines, Forest Health and Adaptation ensures that provincial reforestation is done in a way that maintains the species' adaption to the environment. Related Information
Provenance and Progeny Trials To support government programs for forest genetics, tree breeding and gene conservation, Forest Health and Adaptation has a network of field experiments known as
Provenance trials have provided essential data, which have been used to make preliminary revisions of guidelines on the use of reproductive materials across Alberta in a way that considers the potential impact of climate change. Progeny trials are providing data that allow the Alberta forest sector to increase forest productivity per unit area of land. Updated: Dec 4, 2014 Seed Biology, Technology and Reforestation Seed The ultimate goal of tree breeding and improvement program is production of genetically improved seed for reforestation. Forest Health and Adaptation has a vibrant seed biology and technology program designed to generate scientific information on timing of collection, handling, processing, testing and storage of forest tree seed. In addition, Forest Health and Adaptation operates a provincial reforestation seed program whereby most of reforestation seed used on public land in Alberta is registered and stored in a seed bunker at the ATISC site. Related Information
Seed Orchard and Clone Banking Forest Health and Adaptation operates a network of conifer seed orchards as follows:
Updated: Dec 4, 2014 Tree Breeding Working with forest companies in Alberta, Forest Health and Adaptation performs tree breeding to:
Related Information
Improved Surplus Seed As outlined in the Mandatory Use of Improved Seed for Reforestation Directive, the following attachment lists the declared improved surplus seedlots available for sale for 2018/2019 . Contact seed owners directly to purchase seed.
For the Government of Alberta's stream 1 seed availability and sales please contact the Provincial Seed Officer. |
||||||||||||
For more information about the content of this document, contact For-Info@gov.ab.ca This information published to the web on October 22, 2018. |