The growth of seven Abies grandis provenances in the climatic conditions of the Polish Carpathian Mountains

The introduction of foreign tree species to new areas facilitates an increase in species biodiversity and possibilities for growth of tree stands. Many years of research related to survival rate, basic growth features and evaluation of a sensitivity to climatic conditions of a new habitat is necessary to achieve a successful introduction. The paper presents the results of the research on the adaptation of grand fir to the climatic conditions in the provenance trial located in the lower montane forest belt. The dendroclimatic research has concerned the offsprings of 7 grand fir provenances originated from North America. A total of 24 trees from each provenance were selected and two cores from each tree were taken. Principal component analysis of tree-ring widths was used to classify the provenances. The climate elements described by PC1 and PC2 were identified on the basis of bootstrap correlation function. Survival rate, height and diameter at breast height of trees were also analysed. The features of the studied provenances showed significant differences. The variation of the inter-provenance survival rate and the increase in tree height of particular provenances were determined principally by the genotype. Grand firs trees from Region I exhibited superior survival rates and better dynamic increases in tree height. The variability of these two features had the character of clinal variation because they primarily depended on the elevation and the latitude of the maternal tree stands. Two groups of provenances which were connected with the regions of their natural distribution were characterized on the basis of the features of the short-term rhythm of the radial increments. The provenances of two specific groups revealed different sensitivity to temperature, rainfall, humidity and sunshine. The greatest effect on the variation of radial increments had been produced by the moisture and pluvial factors whilst the solar factor had produced the least effect on it. The air temperature made also a relatively high contribution to their radial increments. Grand fir trees from the Salmon River provenance in British Columbia provided the best trees from the cultivation point of view. The provenances from Vancouver Island and the western slope of the Cascadian Mountains in Washington State have been regarded as the best for introducing and acclimatising to the conditions of the Carpathian Mts.