Heritability of height growth in 10-year-old Sitka spruce

Abstract
Ten-year height growth for Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr. was studied in a progeny test of 42 wind-pollinated families from seven stands on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island [Canada]. Although stand and family-within-stand effects were significant sources of variation, 79% of the phenotypic variance in 10-year height was associated with differences among trees within family plots. Estimates of heritability (h2individual = 0.07 .+-. 0.03, h2family 0.37 .+-. 0.12, and h2stand = 0.92 .+-. 0.26) indicate that a combination of stand, family-within-stand, and progeny-within-family selection will be effective for a long-term breeding program to increase tree heights in Sitka spruce.

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