Genetic Relations — Abstract of Paper


Geographic Patterns of Variation in Biomass Production of California Blue Oak Seedlings as a Response to Water Availability
Susan Kloss¹ and Joe R. McBride²


This study characterized the distribution of geographic variation in water relations traits for six populations of California blue oak along a precipitation gradient (two each from high, medium and low precipitation environments). Acorns were collected from each population, germinated and the resulting seedlings were experimentally treated with three different watering regimes in a greenhouse experiment. There were significant among-population differences in growth and biomass production characteristics in the seedlings. Significant among-treatment differences indicated at least low levels of plasticity, although there were no treatment x population interactions. Implications are that seed source zone maps should be used by restorationists until we have more information that coadapted or regional gene complexes do not exist.