The mating system in natural populations of western redcedar (Thuja plicata)

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (6) ◽  
pp. 753-756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M O'Connell ◽  
Frédérique Viard ◽  
John Russell ◽  
Kermit Ritland

Outcrossing rates and the correlation of paternity were estimated in six natural populations of western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn. ex D. Don) in southwestern British Columbia. Over 3000 offspring were assayed, as progeny arrays, for the only sufficiently polymorphic isozyme locus in this species, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Estimates of population outcrossing rates ranged from 0.173 to 1.257 and averaged 0.715 ± 0.045 (mean ± SD). Estimates of the correlation of paternity generally did not differ from zero. Six of the seven outcrossing estimates (one population was surveyed in two consecutive years) were higher than a previous seed orchard study. However, these outcrossing rates are still lower than those estimated for most other species of conifers. Population outcrossing rates also showed wide variation, and this variation is discussed in terms of ecological and phenological differences among populations.Key words: Cupressaceae, conifers, isozymes, outcrossing rate, inbreeding.


2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (6) ◽  
pp. 753-756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M. O'Connell ◽  
Frédérique Viard ◽  
John Russell ◽  
Kermit Ritland


Botany ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (7) ◽  
pp. 353-359
Author(s):  
Kermit Ritland ◽  
Allyson Miscampbell ◽  
Annette Van Niejenhuis ◽  
Patti Brown ◽  
John Russell

We used microsatellite genetic markers to evaluate the mating system of western red cedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don) under various seed orchard pollen management schemes. We primarily examined whether supplemental mass pollination (SMP) can reduce the observed selfing rates. Pollen blowing and “hooding” were also examined in smaller tests. Only SMP was consistently effective in reducing the selfing rate, from 30% to 20%. The correlation of paternity was quite high (60%–90%) in two of three orchards, and in these two orchards the application of SMP reduced this correlation by about 10% as well. The correlation of paternity is the fraction of full-sibling vs. half-sibling progeny, and unbiased estimates can be obtained with few loci, even single loci, in contrast to other types of paternity analysis. We also find the microsatellite amplicon sizes should be pooled into “bins” of 2–4 nucleotides, owing to unintended errors of assay; otherwise the estimates are biased. This new feature of mating system estimation was incorporated into the computer program MLTR.



2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 297-306
Author(s):  
J.H. Russell ◽  
O. Hak

Abstract Western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn) foliar-applied gibberellin A3 (GA3) induction trials were performed over a 4-year period at a number of different seed orchards in coastal British Columbia. The effects of GA3 timing, concentration, and frequency on male and female strobilus production, as well as timing on seed quality, were studied. Male and female strobili were induced over the complete span of shoot elongation from May to August, indicative of a less-precise induction period than species in the Pinaceae family. Female strobilus production was correlated with shoot increment, such that maximum cone production was associated with maximum shoot elongation. In addition, seed quality decreased with decreasing shoot increments in August. For operational efficiency, a one-time foliar application of 200 mg/l GA3 is sufficient for adequate female strobilus production. To increase the female-to-male strobilus ratio, a two-time foliar application of GA3 mid-May and mid-July, concentrating on vigorous shoots, is recommended. Results are discussed in relation to seed orchard management techniques that may potentially influence selfing rates.



2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (10) ◽  
pp. 1978-1986 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Russell ◽  
Harry H. Kope ◽  
Peter Ades ◽  
Heidi Collinson

Western redcedar ( Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don) seedlings from a population study with family structure were planted at four sites across coastal British Columbia. All seedlings at the time of planting were infected with cedar leaf blight (CLB) ( Didymascella thujina (E.J. Durand) Maire). CLB severity and tree heights were measured at various ages from 2 to 12 years. There were significant site differences in CLB severity with the coastal hypermaritime site showing the most and with the submaritime site showing the least. Population differences in disease severity were evident with British Columbia coastal, low-elevation populations exhibiting the most resistance and with British Columbia high-elevation and California sources showing the least. Population resistance was consistent across all four sites (all r > 0.90, p < 0.001). Coefficients of additive genetic variation in CLB severity at all four sites varied from 13.2% to 20.1% with narrow-sense heritabilities from 0.21 to 0.66. Type B genetic correlations in CLB severity across sites averaged 0.59. Type A genetic correlations between 6 year CLB severity and height at the Jordan River site on western Vanvouver Island and at the site on the Queen Charlotte Islands were –0.96 and –0.86 (p < 0.001), respectively. Results are discussed with respect to climatic influences and prior exposure to CLB on among- and within-population variation in western redcedar natural populations and impact on gene resource management.



2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M O'Connell ◽  
Kermit Ritland

In conifers, polyembryony (multiple embryos within an ovule) may decrease the number of seeds lost to random embryo abortion, and (or) increase the proportion of outcrossed seeds if outcrossed embryos out-compete selfed ones. Western redcedar (Thuja plicata Don ex D. Donn, Cupressaceae) is a conifer with a mixed (selfed and outcrossed) mating system and high self-fertility with simple (archegonial) polyembryony. To test whether polyembryony can decrease seed abortion or the proportion of selfed seedlings, we conducted controlled pollinations in a seed orchard in southwestern British Columbia. Four trees received a total of 48 pollination treatments consisting of self, outcross, or mixtures of self and outcross pollen. Enzyme electrophoresis identified selfed seeds in the mixed pollen treatments. Reduction in the proportion of filled seeds (seed set) owing to selfing was approximately 30% for three of the trees and 93% for the fourth. Following mixed pollinations we did not observe an increase in seed set attributable to polyembryony. However, when trees received high ratios of self-pollen they produced fewer selfed seedlings than expected, suggesting embryo competition. The consequences of these results on the mating system of western redcedar are discussed.Key words: conifer, Cupressaceae, embryonic lethals, inbreeding depression, polyembryony, Thuja plicata.



1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 663-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Perry ◽  
Peggy Knowles

Arrays of open-pollinated seeds were assayed for allozyme polymorphisms at four loci (Mdh-1, Me, 6Pg-2, and Pgm) to obtain estimates of outcrossing rates for three eastern white cedar populations in northwestern Ontario, Canada. Multilocus population outcrossing rate estimates were low, ranging from 0.507 to 0.745, with significant heterogeneity among populations. Low stand densities and relatively high selfed embryo survival may have contributed to the low effective outcrossing rates observed. Single-tree multilocus outcrossing rate estimates were obtained for nine trees from one population. When estimated jointly with outcross pollen pool allele frequencies, these outcrossing rate estimates ranged from 0.253 to 1.023 with significant heterogeneity among trees. Key words: mating system, outcrossing rate, Thuja occidentalis L.



2007 ◽  
Vol 139 (5) ◽  
pp. 685-689
Author(s):  
Regine Gries ◽  
Robb G. Bennett ◽  
Grigori Khaskin ◽  
Gerhard Gries

AbstractIn a field trapping experiment in an abandoned seed orchard of western red-cedar, Thuja plicata Donn × D. Don, in British Columbia, we show that attraction of male red-cedar cone midges, Mayetiola thujae (Hedlin), to the pheromone blend (2S,12S)-, (2S,13S)-, and (2S,14S)-diacetoxyheptadecane is reduced in the presence of a blend of all other stereoisomers, or of the three SR- or RR-stereoisomers. The three RS-stereoisomers, in contrast, had no significant effect. Thus, synthetic pheromone for monitoring M. thujae populations must not contain the SR- or RR-stereoisomers of 2,12-, 2,13-, and 2,14-diacetoxyheptadecane. This result will allow development of a less expensive design for synthesizing the pheromone.



2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 578-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell J. Chedgy ◽  
Young Woon Lim ◽  
Colette Breuil

We tested the effect of leaching on the concentration of western redcedar (WRC; Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don) heartwood extractives that are known to exhibit antimicrobial activity and correlated this with fungal growth and decay. We assessed the extractive tolerance of the following fungal species: Acanthophysium lividocaeruleum , Coniophora puteana , Heterobasidion annosum , Pachnocybe ferruginea , Phellinus sulphurascens , and Phellinus weirii by measuring their growth rate (mm/day) on media with or without WRC leachate. These data were correlated with the ability of the fungal species to grow on and decay leached versus nonleached WRC. We used an ergosterol assay to estimate growth and a standard soil-block test to assess decay. We estimated that leaching reduced the concentration of 5 major extractives: (–)-plicatic acid, β-thujaplicin, γ-thujaplicin, β-thujaplicinol, and thujic acid by ~80%. Phellinus sulphurascens exhibited the lowest extractive-tolerance in vitro, grew poorly on and caused minimal decay in nonleached WRC, but it grew well on and decayed pine and leached WRC. Coniophora puteana, H. annosum, and P. weirii displayed moderate to high tolerance to leachate, grew on and caused decay in nonleached as well as leached WRC, but their growth and decay were always greatest on leached WRC and pine, suggesting that leaching enhances decay by these fungi. Acanthophysium lividocaeruleum and Pachnocybe ferruginea exhibited high extractive-tolerance. Whereas A. lividocaeruleum clearly caused decay on all types of wood, no decay was observed with Pachnocybe ferruginea, which grew very slowly in the different wood species, and it may or may not be able to decay wood.



2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 690-696 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.A. El-Kassaby ◽  
M.U. Stoehr ◽  
D. Reid ◽  
C.G. Walsh ◽  
T.E. Lee

Mating system pattern (selfing or outcrossing and correlated matings levels) comparisons between two interior spruce seed orchard designs (clonal-row and random) managed under intensive crown and pollen management were conducted. Crown manipulation consisted of tree topping and branch pruning, while pollen management involved multiple supplemental mass-pollination applications during peak seed-cone reproductive receptivity and pollen agitation using helicopters. Significant differences between orchards’ multilocus outcrossing rate estimates were observed, and both estimates significantly departed from complete outcrossing (t = 1.0). Clonal arrangements in the clonal-row design permitted higher chances for selfing (t = 0.948) in comparison with those of the random design (t = 0.989). Intensive pollen management, while effective, still produced a minor component of selfing. Both orchard designs produced similar individual tree's outcrossing rate trends with the majority showing high outcrossing, while few individuals showed high selfing propensity. Estimates of correlated mating varied substantially between the two seed orchard designs with 9.3% and 4.3% for the clonal-row and random seed orchards, respectively. While small but significant differences in the genetic quality of the seed crops were observed between the two orchard designs, the establishment of clonal-row seed orchards should be given serious considerations specifically under committed pollen and crown management. The ease of crop and orchard management in the clonal-row design outweighs the observed differences in the seed crop genetic quality. A slight modification to the clonal-row design is proposed and is expected to reduce the observed minor genetic quality differences between the two orchard designs.



1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1314-1319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willi Fast ◽  
Bruce P. Dancik ◽  
Ralph C. Bower

Pollen contamination and mating system of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) clone banks used as an interim seed orchard near Nanaimo, B.C., were estimated. Pollen contamination (m) from surrounding clone banks and natural stands ranged from 0.44 to 0.89. Overall contamination over 2 years was estimated to be 0.65. Pollen contamination varied significantly over 2 pollination years. Multilocus outcrossing rates (t) of four clone banks over 2 years ranged from 0.51 to 1.09, with an unweighted mean outcrossing estimate of 0.72. Outcrossing varied significantly among clone banks and pollination years. An excess of homozygotes suggests that these seed may be inbred. Although pollen contamination and inbreeding may be a problem in these clone banks, the seed may still be useful operationally.



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