An approach to sustainable management of population genetic resources of tress II. Management analysis of plantation and natural population of some autochthonous tree species in China

Appropriate treatment of the relationship between natural population and plantation is an important part of sustainable management of forest tree genetic resource. In this paper genetic variation of fourteen autochthonous tree species in China was comprehensively analyzed, including Pinus tabulae formis, Cunninghamia lanceolata, Pinus massoniana, Ulmus pumila, Pinus armandi, Larix principisrupprechtii, Picea koraiensis, Larix gmelinii, Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, Larix olgensis, Pinus koraiensis, Juglans manclshumca, Platycladus orientalis and Pinus taiwanensis. Provenance trials of these species had been conducted and showed that there were many common characteristics of genetic variations in terms of growth traits: the occurrence of significant effects of provenance, site, and interaction between provenance and site, and the existence of obvious geographic variation in terms of growth traits. Population genetic structures of some species assessed using RAPD, allozyme markers, monoterpenes, etc., were also remarked. By integrating these results, authors discussed some strategies for sustainable management of genetic resources in both natural stands and man-made plantations. For natural populations, it is suggested to strengthen environmental protection, ex situ and in situ conservation, and to reduce human being disturbance. For plantations, different genetic materials are required so as to reduce the contamination to natural populations caused by gene flow.