Climate-smart oak forests: genetic adaptation potential of oak species, hybrids, seed stands and orchards WF-Project, WP4

Non-native tree species could make an important contribution to the establishment of climate-smart forests. In Austria, northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) is one of the economically most important non-native forest tree species. However, as a rule, only seed stands of unknown origin are available as seed sources. Especially for species with a large natural range like northern red oak, the origin of the material plays a crucial role for sustainable climate fitness. The adaptation of northern red oak within its native range has already been proven by means of field trials, genetic and genomic studies. Therefore, the origin plays a significant role for the adaptability of red oak forests in Austria. Hence, this project will: (i) investigate the origin and genetic diversity of existing and potential seed stands using molecular genetic markers; (ii) set up field trials with progeny from different stands to test adaptation-relevant traits (phenological and other physiological traits); and (iii) conduct a genomic study of the progeny to explore the relationship between adaptive traits and genotype using an association study to identify adaptation-relevant genes. The results of the association study will provide the basis for selection steps beyond phenotypic selection. Furthermore, the progeny grown in the project will be used to establish experimental plots in order to check the growth characteristics of the different seed sources in the medium and long term.