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Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr)

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Book cover Forest Tree Breeding in Europe

Part of the book series: Managing Forest Ecosystems ((MAFE,volume 25))

Abstract

Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr) is native to the Pacific North West of America and was introduced to Western Europe in the early 19th nineteenth century. It is now an important commercial species along the extreme western seaboard of Europe – namely Ireland and Great Britain – and this is where most progress has been made in the area of selection and breeding. Sitka spruce has been the subject of more limited selection and breeding work in some other European countries where it is of secondary or minor significance – Denmark, France, Germany, and Norway. These programmes have now effectively come to a close due to perceived lack of importance. In Sweden Sitka spruce is being planted at an increasing rate and is seen as a species of great potential in the light of climate change.

This monograph presents details and statistics relating to Sitka spruce breeding across Europe. It summarises the work carried out to date (plus trees, field testing, orchards), the gains achieved, knowledge of genetic relationships between selection traits, and acts as a conduit to further references for the interested reader.

With contributions from:

Jean-Yves Gautry (FR), Bo Karlsson (SE), Bernt-Håvard Øyen (NO)

Volker Schneck (DE) and Sven de Vries (NL)

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Conifer Breeding, Forestry Commission Research Agency, EH 25 9SY, Roslin, UK

    Steve Lee

  2. Tree Improvement Section, Coillte Teoranta-The Irish Forestry Board, County Wicklow, Ireland

    David Thompson

  3. Danish Centre for Forest Landscape and Planning, University of Copenhagen, 1870, Frederiksberg, Denmark

    Jon Kehlet Hansen

Authors
  1. Steve Lee
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  2. David Thompson
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  3. Jon Kehlet Hansen
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Correspondence to Steve Lee .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Unité AGPF, INRA, Avenue de la Pomme de Pin 2163, Orléans, 45075, France

    Luc E Pâques

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Lee, S., Thompson, D., Hansen, J.K. (2013). Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr). In: Pâques, L. (eds) Forest Tree Breeding in Europe. Managing Forest Ecosystems, vol 25. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6146-9_4

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