COST Action E 52 - vTI - Bund.de

a long enough period for regeneration of the best ecotypes and populations. New technology enables
storage of seeds, germs and parts of plants for up to 30 years in liquid nitrogen. This method will help
to protect seeds, especially in regions characterized by low European beech phenotype plasticity and
seed productivity. Long-time storage of seeds is a complementary method for establishing ex situ
gene conservation stands.
research acTIvITIes reLaTed To GeNeTIc resources oF
euroPeaN beech
The first European beech experiment representing 11 Polish provenances was established in 196
(Rzeznik 19 6, 1990). Six parallel provenance field trials were established. In this experiment two
ecotypes of European beech were distinguished: mountain and lowland. Afterwards the provenance
experiment with 45 populations of European beech was established with six trials in the 1992/1995
series (Barzdajn 2002, Matras et al. 2005). Adaptive characteristics (survival and growth) and
phenology (flushing and growth cessation) were analyzed. Among European beech populations in
Poland, populations of high plasticity were selected, well adapted to different sites like Kwidzyn,
Wipsowo and Lezajsk provenances. Provenances which originate from places where European
beech was not widely found were characterized by relatively low survival and slow growth rate of
forest cultures (Karnieszewice, Lipusz). Flushing revealed great differentiation and two phenological
forms were distinguished – late form (Pomeranian region) and early form (southern part of Poland).
Cessation characteristics did not show any clear trends. In this experiment genetic variability of mother
stands and progeny were also compared using progeny studied at the experimental plot in Bystrzyca
Klodzka. Statistical analyses showed high genotype × environment interactions for most of the studied
silvicultural features, as well as varying plasticity of populations. Biochemical studies (isoenzyme
and RAPD markers) revealed that genetic variation of parent populations confirms the results of
phenotypically based assessments to a significant degree. Provenance Kwidzyn (Forest Directory
Kwidzyn, forestry Polno) was proposed to be certified as the national standard population according
to its high plasticity value and silvicultural characteristics. Regional European beech standards were
chosen there e. g. in Forest Districts Gryfino, Milicz, Zdroje, Łosie (Sabor et al. 2004).
Isoenzyme analysis showed (Sułkowska 2002, Gömöry et al. 2003): high genetic diversity of
beech in Poland, similar to other neighbouring European populations, slight decrease of average
number of alleles per locus and level of differentiation towards the north of the natural range limit,
which generally confirms the migration paths after glaciations but it is not the basis to distinguish
geographic regions.
Recently, population differentiation of nine European beech provenances from selected stands
and their progeny for selected genetic parameters and on the basis of soil characteristics of their
habitats were studied (Sułkowska, Kowalczyk, Przybylski 2008). According to phytosociological
characteristics following plant associations were classified: fertile Pomeranian beech – galio-odorati-
Fagetum (Gryfino i Kartuzy), fertile Carpathian beech – Dentario glandulosae-Fagetum (Lutowiska
i Łosie), acid beech – Luzulo-luzuloides-Fagetum (Miechów, Suchedniów, Tomaszów, Zwierzyniec),
fertile Sudeten beech – Dentario enneaphyllidis-Fagetum (Zdroje). The analyzed selected stands are
practically homogenous related to site conditions which reflect ecological index values (Zarzycki
et al. 2002): light – semi-shade, thermic – temperate cool climate conditions, edaphic – clay-sandy
or sandy-clay soils and regarding to humus mineral-humus soils. There were only differences
determining moisture and acid factors of the soils. The stem and shape of the crown of most of the
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