Overview
- Documents from the outset the domestication of an economically important plant species
- Covering the two main planks of domestication, namely management inputs and genetic improvement
- The plant species being a forest tree is an especially distinctive feature
- Contrasts the obscurity of the species in nature with its economic importance as a domesticated organism
- Comprehensive coverage of a classic case history in the development of modern commercial forestry
- Covers the interplay between the technical factors, political and technical institutions, and a range of other human factors
- Addresses issues for the future in special depth
- Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
Part of the book series: Forestry Sciences (FOSC, volume 83)
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Table of contents (9 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Keywords
About this book
In nature, radiata pine is very localised and an obscure tree species despite the romantic character of much of its natural habitat. That obscure status and the lack of any reputation as a virgin timber slowed its due recognition as a commercial crop. Nevertheless, it has become a major plantation forest crop internationally. It has become the pre-eminent commercial forest species in New Zealand, Chile and Australia, with important plantings in some other countries. It consequently features prominently in the international trade in forest products, in addition to its importance in domestic markets of grower countries. Very fast growth, considerable site tolerances, ease of raising in nurseries and transplanting, and ease of processing and using its wood for a range of products and purposes, have made it the utility softwood of choice almost everywhere it can be grown satisfactorily. Abundant genetic variation and its amenability to other management inputs created special opportunities for its domestication.
The story of its domestication forms a classic case history in the development of modern commercial forestry, with trailblazing in both genetic improvement and plantation management; this inevitably meant a learning process that provided instructive lessons, especially for tree breeders dealing with some other species. Paradoxically, the plantation monocultures have played and can continue to play an important role in protecting natural forests and other forms of biodiversity. Given the attractions of growing radiata pine, there were inevitably cases of overreach in planting it, with lessons to be learnt. Economic globalisation has meant globalisation of pests and disease organisms, and the scale on which radiata pine is grown has meant is has been the focus of various biotic alarms, none of which have proved catastrophic. Temptations, remain, however, to pay less than due attention to some aspects of risk management.
The chapter structure of the book is based on historical periods, beginning long before any important human influences, and ending with a look into what the future might hold for the species and its role in human and ecological sustainability. Almost throughout, there has been complex interplay between the technical aspects, local social and economic factors, various types of institution, the enthusiasm and drive of some very influential individuals, and tides of economic ideology, threads that needed to be woven together to do the story justice.
Authors and Affiliations
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Domestication of Radiata Pine
Authors: Rowland Burdon, William Libby, Alan Brown
Series Title: Forestry Sciences
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65018-0
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life Sciences, Biomedical and Life Sciences (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2017
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-65017-3Published: 22 January 2018
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-87926-0Published: 04 June 2019
eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-65018-0Published: 12 December 2017
Series ISSN: 0924-5480
Series E-ISSN: 1875-1334
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XXXV, 480
Number of Illustrations: 20 b/w illustrations, 71 illustrations in colour
Topics: Forestry, Plant Breeding/Biotechnology, Plant Genetics and Genomics, Sustainable Development, Economic Geography