Spruce hybreds

[Richard Moody]

>From Tim Keenan

Del et al--Re spruce hybrids.

    I suspect that the hybrid of which you speak is between Picea engelmannii
(Engelmann Spruce) and Picea glauca (Eastern White spruce).  These species
hybridize freely where their native ranges overlap in Alberta and north-central
British Columbia.  The properties of their wood are very similar, and even a
trained eye with a 20x hand lens has difficulty telling wood samples apart.
They are what is known in forest genetics as an east-west species pair--they
were probably a single species in recent evolutionary time, but were isolated
during the ice ages and diverged genetically enough to be recognizably distinct.
There are several such pairs, another of which is lodgepole pine (Pinus
contorta) and jackpine (Pinus banksiana). There has been some interest among
tree improvement specialists in the hybrids, because, as is often the case,
there appears to be some extra vigo(u)r associated with hybridization.

    Just thought you might be interested--I used to work in forest tree
improvement genetics, as well as boreal forest ecology.

    tkeenan@kermode.net

    Tim Keenan
    Terrace, BC