Germination and Early Survival of Picea rubens Sargent in Experimental Laboratory and Field Plantings

The Problem: In the Smoky Mountains Pica rubens Sarg. (red spruce) occurs at elevations which suggest that it should occur further south than it does. Whittaker (1956) describes the potential altitudinal range of the spruce-fir forest as being in the southwestern Smoky mountains. High elevation deciduous forest with reduced stature, and "perhaps well beyond their favorable conditions of temperature and growing season," have replaced the sub-alpine forest type. If, as has been suggested by Whittaker (1956) and Mark (1958), historical factors based on changes of climate in geological time have eliminated the red spruce southward, then a modern man-made range extension today might be successful.

The objectives of this study are: (1) to determine first-year seed germination and survival of red spruce in four areas above 4000 feet in the Southern Appalachian Mountains outside the natural range of red spruce, using four seed sources; (2) to correlate effects of altitude, slope, soil and seed source with germination and survival in the field; (3) to compare red spruce seed germination on varying substrata and regulated soil pH's at different depths of planting under controlled conditions in the laboratory; (4) to compare red spruce seed germination under controlled conditions in the laboratory with field germination; (5) to determine red spruce seedling growth at varying elevations in the Smoky Mountains.