Variation in Seed and Cone Characteristics of Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda L.) Families in Southern Part of Korea

Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) is widely distributed in the southern part of the United States and it has been used as a major economic species in the region due to its excellent growth and stem straightness. The tree also grows only in the southern part of Korea because it is susceptible to cold. Recently climate changes have had widespread impacts on forest trees. Thus, the use of good quality seeds is prerequisite for assessing assisted migration adaptation trial. In this study, we conducted to investigate its cone and seed characteristics of each family, which is expected to improve seeds productivity for planting valuable timber trees. A total of 14 families were selected from the experimental forest in Boseong, Jeonnam province in 1981. The seed production capacity was estimated to range from 87.2 to 129.4 among families and the average was 111.3. The number of aborted ovules was investigated in the range of 11.4 to 29.5 for the first test and 7.4 to 22.2 for the second test. The average number of empty and filled seeds was 1.4 and 79.2 per cone, respectively. Based on the results, we can conclude that there is a strong correlation between the number of fertile scale and the seed production ability.