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Gene
conservation of Norway spruce (Picea abies) in Poland
Jan Matras Forest Research Institute, Department of Genetics and Physiology of Woody Plants, 00973 Warsaw, Poland
Introduction The network connected with gene conservation of forest tree species started in 1991 when the Programme of gene conservation and tree breeding for 1991-2010 was formally confirmed by Officials. This Programme was mainly prepared for conservation of genepools of the species in economical forests (State Forests). In this Programme the strategic aims of gene conservation were estimated. Conservation of the forest gene resources is necessary to sustain:
To the main factors causing threats to genetic variety of native populations belong:
Methods Depending on the threat to the forests it is planned to use different methods of gene conservation. For these reasons the forests (areas) are classified in three groups:
Areas without threat (mainly in situ preservation)
Areas of medium threat (in situ and ex situ preservation) In situ
Ex situ
Areas of total decline of forests (ex situ preservation)
Results Spruce exists in Poland in three subranges (or regions Giertych), separated by areas where spruce does not occur naturally. It is probably connected with glacial epoch and spruce refugial regions from which spruce migrated mainly in northerly and westerly directions. Spruce growing in northeast Poland (northeast subrange) is connected with the northern and eastern ranges of this species in Lithuania, Latvia and Byelorusia. Hercynian West Carpathian subrange is the part of natural range connected with spruce growing in Germany, Czech Republic and part of Slovakia. Spruce growing in the southeast part of Poland belongs to the southeast Carpathian subrange. On the basis of this macrodivision were delimited the areas where existing natural populations of spruce should be included in a long-term gene conservation programme. Between these populations there are also well-known and valuable Polish provenances such as: Bystrzyca, Ldek, Istebna, Wis»a, Nowy Targ, Tarnawa, Zwierzyniec, Bia»owieńa, Augustowo, Knyszyn and Borki. Apart from these populations, other spruce stands located in central and northwest Poland were included in the programme of long-term gene conservation of spruce. In total, 52 populations (stands) of spruce were chosen for gene conservation in Poland (Table 1). All of these stands will be managed as normal stands and at the proper time the natural regeneration for establishing in situ progeny plantations will be started. Parallel ex situ progeny plantations were established artificially from seeds collected in these stands. The size of the work connected with ex situ gene conservation of spruce in Poland is shown in Table 2. Until 1993, 623.7 ha in situ and ex situ progeny plantations had been established. Also, clones of spruce (about 500) existing in seed orchards are treated as an additional source of genes for conservation. Short-term activities in gene conservation of spruce are connected with the threat of populations growing in Sudety region. For this reason, field work was done, which let us choose natural or probably natural stands in 11 Forest Districts (about 670 ha) for ex situ gene conservation. In these stands 2 years ago was begun the first clone collection and 49 samples of seeds (1.5 kg each) were put in a genebank for long-term storage (Table 3). Additionally, a special short-term programme for gene conservation of spruce for the oldest natural stands and trees growing in our protected areas is managed by Dr A. Korczyk in northeast Poland, mainly for Bia»owieńa National Park. In the first phase of this work one natural stand of different ages (40-240 years) and 73 trees older than 200 years, growing in different soil conditions, were chosen for conservation of our premanagement natural population of spruce. These trees were used for establishing ex situ clone collections (4.16 ha) in two different places. [Table 1] Not available [Table 1. cont'd.] Not available Table 2. Areas of in situ and ex situ progeny plantation established up to 1993
Research At the same time as networks connected with gene conservation were started, the Gene Bank Laboratory was created in the Department of Genetics and Physiology of Woody Plants of the Forest Research Institute. This laboratory carries out the studies which are necessary for practical realization of gene conservation, including:
- cuttings, - organogenesis, - embryogenesis,
Table 3. Spruce stands where cones were collected for long-term storage in genebank
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