Abstract:
The provenance test including 33 seed sources of Schima superba at age seven was conducted at Jian'ou of Fujian to study the provenance differences and geographic variation pattern for growth traits and wood basic density. Based on cluster analysis results, the provenances with superior growth and wood properties were selected. Significant variations in DBH, height, clear bole height, volume index and wood basic density among provenances were demonstrated, of which the variation in volume index was the largest. A typical latitude variation pattern was found for growth traits and wood basic density of S. superba, and the local temperature was the main climatic factor which led to the variation. The provenances from lower latitudes and higher temperature region were higher in height, diameter and volume index, with lower wood basic density. Also, there existed correlations among various traits, as the wood basic density was negatively correlated with growth traits. Besides the provenance effect, the effect of micro-environment of different repetition was also very significant, the increment of S. superba provenances was smaller under poorer site condition, but the wood basic density showed an increasing tendency. Based on clustering of growth and wood basic density, the S. superba provenances could be approximately divided into three provenance regions, i.e. central, middle and northern regions. Meanwhile, seventeen provenances with superior growth and eleven provenances with both superior growth and wood properties were preliminarily selected, which were above provenance mean of volume index and wood basic density, and most of which originated from central provenance region of the Nanling-Wuyi Mountains.