DOI: 10.5061/dryad.dv41ns1x2
title: Critical seed transfer distances for selected tree species in eastern North America

description: Forest planting events present key opportunities to enhance forest
 adaptation and growth through the selection of appropriate growing
 materials (seeds and seedlings). Critical to such efforts is knowledge of
 the climatic distance that seed sources can be moved before significant
 growth forfeitures are incurred. These limits, referred to here as
 critical seed transfer distances (CSTD), can be used to identify a
 potential seed procurement region for any given planting site and can
 readily incorporate climate change projections. We assembled provenance
 trial data from a variety of sources and employed transfer functions to
 derive CSTDs for five major tree species in eastern North America.
 Calculated transfer limits were large, indicating that seed sources could
 be moved significant climatic distances before height growth was less than
 90 percent relative to that of the local seed source. These broad
 relationships would allow considerable flexibility in resulting seed
 transfer systems; however, given the significant uncertainty surrounding
 climate change – particularly in the location and timing of extreme
 weather events – prudent application of seed transfer limits may be
 appropriate. Synthesis: We assembled and analyzed a significant amount of
 provenance data to derive novel information on seed movement limits for
 five tree species in eastern North America. This information will support
 forest managers in ongoing efforts to incorporate climate change into
 forest regeneration operations.
description: This dataset is a compilation of provenance data from a number of
 sources. Much of the data for black spruce, white spruce, and jack pine
 were provided by Dr. Bill Parker - a retired professor from the Forestry
 Faculty at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Data was also
 provided by: Jean Beaulieu (white spruce), retired research scientist at
 the Laurentian Forestry Centre, Dale Simpson (white spruce) at the
 Atlantic Forestry Centre, and Pengxin Lu (white pine) at the Ontario
 Forest Research Institute. The remainder of the data was obtained from
 published provenance studies as detailed in the associated
 publication.
description: This dataset provides information on the average height of seed
 sources at planting sites for five tree species native to eastern Canada.
 Following is a brief explanation of the variables found in the
 dataset: Study - The name of the data
 provider/publisher(as further detailed in the associated
 publication);<br> Species - Name of the tree species associated with
 the data;<br> Test_Name - Name of the test site where provenance
 measurements were taken;<br> Test_Lat - Latitude of test site in
 decimal degrees;<br> Test_Long - Longitude of test site in decimal
 degrees;<br> Test_Elev - Elevation of test site in metres above sea
 level;<br> Prov_Name - Identifier of provenance\seed source where
 growing materials originated.<br> Prov_Lat -Latitude of provenance
 in decimal degrees;<br> Prov_Long -Longitude of provenance in
 decimal degrees;<br> Prov_Elev - Elevation of provenance in metres
 above sea level;<br> Height_m - Average height of provenance at test
 site;<br> Age - Age of plantation at time of height
 measurement;<br> AMEANT_T - Average annual mean temperature at test
 site for period spanning year of plantation establishment throughyear of
 height measurement;<br> GSLENGTH_T - Average growing season length
 at test site for period spanning year of plantation establishment
 throughyear of height measurement;<br> ANNP_T -Average annual
 precipitation at test site for period spanning year of plantation
 establishment throughyear of height measurement;<br> CMIANN_T -
 Average annual climate moisture index at test site for period spanningyear
 of plantation establishment throughyear of height measurement;<br>
 XMinT_T- Average annual extreme minimum temperature at test site for
 period spanningyear of plantation establishment throughyear of height
 measurement;<br> AMEANT_P- Average annual mean temperature at
 provenance location for 1961-1990 period;<br> GSLENGTH_P- Average
 growing season length at provenance location for 1961-1990
 period;<br> ANNP_P- Average annualprecipitation at provenance
 location for 1961-1990 period;<br> CMIANN_P- Average annual climate
 moisture index at provenance location for 1961-1990 period;<br>
 XMinT_P- Average annual extreme minimum temperature at provenance location
 for 1961-1990 period;