GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF NORWAY SPRUCE IN THE CZECH-GERMAN PROVENANCE TRIAL PLOT LEDEC

A long term experimental project DDR-?SR 1972/76 was carried out to study the growth characteristics and evaluate the progeny variability of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) provenances from Central Europe, Hercynian-Sudetes area. The study presents the evaluation of the increment characteristics, mortality, and qualitative morphological characteristics of forty-two studied spruce provenances at one of international experimental plots situated at Lede?-Zah?j, the Czech Republic, 46 years after the beginning of the experiment. The best growth was observed at the provenances from the St?edo?esk? pahorkatina upland and the Kru?né hory Mts. (Erzgebirge, Ore Mts.) in the given conditions. The highest average height increment was confirmed for spruce provenances from Jedl?, Reinhardtsdorf, Hainsbach, Gehlberg (Nos. 17, 37, 41, 46, respectively), diameter increment was the highest for similar provenances with the addition of ?lterthal (Nos. 17, 41, 44, 46). Results did not separate the provenances into clearly specified groups according to the original locality, latitude or altitude, probably due to suitable (not extreme) conditions at the experimental plot. According to the correlation analysis, correlations were found between mean diameter and original stand altitude (negative) and original stand latitude (positive). The tree survival rate was negatively correlated with both the mean diameter and mean height probably as a result of the trees competition on the stand.