Main results from the French Cedar comparative field test network

Michel Bariteau et Denis Vauthier

INRA - FRANCE

Silva Mediterranea and Cedars : an Old Story

Selection of Mediterranean conifer seed-stands since 1962

A network on cedar sylviculture since 1987

Several international workshops(Antalya, 1990; Ifrane, 1993; Rabat, 2001 …)

And also national and european projects

Mediterranean Pinus and Cedrus(MPC)Adaptation and selection of Mediterranean Pinus and Cedrus for sustainable afforestation of marginal lands

Cedrusatlantica

Cedruslibani

Cedrusbrevifolia

A Mediterranean group of conifers

+ C. deodara

The Cedar Experience in France

Introduction in the Nineteen Century in France (Mont Ventoux)

Comparative plantations since 1970

A first set of trials from 1971 to 1984 Mainly Cedrus atlantica 86 provenances, 30 progenies, 25 ha, 63 000 trees

A second set of trials in 1993 Mainly Cedrus libani 42 provenances, 87 progenies, 30 ha, 34 000 trees

Mont Ventoux near Avignon(1912 m)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Mean height on schists after 4 years (1 site)

Mea

n h

eig

ht

on li

mes

ton

e af

ter

4 ye

ars

(3 s

ites)

(cm)

(cm

)

FranceTurkey

Lebanon

19

1321

29Algeria

Morocco(tested in other projects)

(C. libani)

(C. libani)(C. atlantica)

(C. brevifola)

Other eval. :EcophysiologyResistance to aphidsArchitecture

C. atlanticaC. libani - TurkeyC. brevifoliaC. libani - Lebanon

Four years after plantation : the MPC project

CA

LC

AR

EO

US

SO

ILS

ACIDIC SOILS

LOCALEASTERNTAURUS

MPC Frost resistance (late Spring frost)Puechabon plantation

Flu

shin

g sc

ore

(Apr

il 96

)

Frost damage (April 97)

Cedrus atlantica(France)Cedrus libani(Turkey)Cedrus libani(Lebanon)

Early

LateLow High

r2=0.62**

MPC

France + EasternTaurus

Mean total height on 5 sites (autumn 2006)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Nimes Pelicier Puechabon Soulanes Rouviere

To

tal

he

igh

t (c

m)

F

T

L

F = Cedrus atlantica (mean of 7 French provenances)T = Cedrus libani (mean of 25 Turkish provenances)L = Cedrus libani (mean of 8 Lebanon provenances)

What’s new, thirteen years after plantations ?

Calcareous soils

Acid soils

50%

55%

60%

65%

70%

75%

80%

85%

90%

95%

100%

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Year

Su

rviv

al

(%)

Nîmes

Puechabon

A very hot and dry summer in 2003

Site on limestone 150 m asl

Site on limestone 300 m asl

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Su

rviv

al (

%)

C. libani  Liban

C. atlantica France

C. libani  Turquie

Nîmes Puechabon

The Good Survival of the Turkish Provenances

The « top 4 » Turkish Provenances from Eastern Taurus

Provenance

HT 2006(cm)

Survival(%)

Drought resistance

Frost resistance

Arslanköy 224,8 A 87,1 + +

Düden 233,8 A 85,0 + +

Ermenek 212,5 A 89,5 + +

Pozanti 208,2 A 84,2 + +

Ventoux 223,6 A 56,9 - +

Maasser-Chouff

123,7 B 44,8 -- --

The best provenances (limestone)

Demarteau, 2006

Demarteau, 2006

Conclusions

A need for an international synthesis

A valuable species in the context of global warming

We have to (re)select the best provenances in the Mediterranean taking into account what could be the climate in 2100

We should revisit the experimental network and ask the « good » scientific questions