ALTITUDINAL VARIATION IN EMERGENCE AND INITIAL GROWTH OF Pinus patula PLANTS

Abstract

Pinus patula is a widely used and very important species in México and other countries due to its growth and wood quality traits. In order to identify the existence of a variation pattern between provenances of different altitudinal origin (1959 to 2579 masl), the emergence of seedlings, as well as height and basal diameter at six months of age were evaluated in the nursery in seven populations from the states of Hidalgo, Puebla and Veracruz, Mexico. Seed was collected from 49 mother trees and sown in polyethylene containers. Seedling emergence varied between populations from 54.2 to 88.3 %, the emergence speed from 35.5 to 45.3 days, seedling height from 25.8 to 27.9 cm and basal diameter from 3.4 to 3.6 mm. Plants from higher altitude sites had a higher percentage and speed of emergence than those from lower elevation sites. No differentiation pattern was o found in the growth in height and diameter of plants in relation to the altitude of the provenance site.