Provenance and Family Variation in Biomass Potential of Loblolly Pine in the Piedmont of North Carolina

Abstract

Considerable genetic differences in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) exist for growth, stem form, and wood quality traits that influence biomass/biofuel production. By planting genetically superior trees with desirable biomass/biofuel traits, it is possible to substantially increase the amount of biomass and potential sawtimber trees produced from plantations. Ten of the fastest growing loblolly pine families from two provenances, Atlantic Coastal Plain and Piedmont, were tested for their biomass potential in North Carolina on a Piedmont site. At this northern Piedmont site at age six years, there were no provenance differences for biomass production or for trees with sawtimber potential. Variation in volume and sawtimber potential was significant at the family level. For biomass plantations, risks can be mitigated because of shorter rotation length, allowing for a higher-risk seed lot to capture greater gains in terms of volume. For a longer-rotation sawtimber stand, a more conservative family deployment strategy should be considered to maintain stem quality at the end of the rotation. Understanding the different seed source families and harvest regimes is essential to ensure profitable returns from pine plantations.