A5075788452- Forest ecology and management
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals
- Remote Sensing and LiDAR Applications
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Tree Root and Stability Studies
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Bioinformatics and Genomic Networks
- Bioenergy crop production and management
- Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
- Wood Treatment and Properties
- Forest Management and Policy
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Tree-ring climate responses
- Plant Reproductive Biology
- Genetics and Plant Breeding
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
University of British Columbia
2015-2025
Genomic selection (GS) in forestry can substantially reduce the length of breeding cycle and increase gain per unit time through early greater intensity, particularly for traits low heritability late expression. Affordable next-generation sequencing technologies made it possible to genotype large numbers trees at a reasonable cost. Genotyping-by-sequencing was used 1,126 Interior spruce representing 25 open-pollinated families planted over three sites British Columbia, Canada. Four...
The open-pollinated (OP) family testing combines the simplest known progeny evaluation and quantitative genetics analyses as candidates' offspring are assumed to represent independent half-sib families. accuracy of genetic parameter estimates is often questioned assumption "half-sibling" in OP families may be violated. We compared pedigree- vs. marker-based models by analysing 22-yr height 30-yr wood density for 214 white spruce [Picea glauca (Moench) Voss] represented 1694 individuals...
Genomic selection (GS) can offer unprecedented gains, in terms of cost efficiency and generation turnover, to forest tree selective breeding; especially for late expressing low heritability traits. Here, we used: 1) exome capture as a genotyping platform 1372 Douglas-fir trees representing 37 full-sib families growing on three sites British Columbia, Canada 2) height growth wood density (EBVs), deregressed estimated breeding values (DEBVs) phenotypes. Representing models with (EBVs) without...
Abstract Maximization of genetic gain in forest tree breeding programs is contingent on the accuracy predicted values and precision estimated parameters. We investigated effect combined use contemporary pedigree information genomic relatedness estimates parameters, as well rankings selection candidates, using single-step evaluation (HBLUP). In this study, two traits with diverse heritabilities [tree height (HT) wood density (WD)] were assessed at various levels family genotyping efforts (0,...
Since their initiation in the 1950s, worldwide selective tree breeding programs followed recurrent selection scheme of repeated cycles selection, (mating), and testing phases essentially remained unchanged to accelerate this process or address environmental contingencies concerns. Here, we introduce an "end-to-end" framework that: (1) leverages strategically preselected GWAS-based sequence data capturing trait architecture information, (2) generates unprecedented resolution genealogical...
Background The presupposition of genomic selection (GS) is that predictive accuracies should be based on population-wide linkage disequilibrium (LD). However, in species with large, highly complex genomes the limitation marker density may preclude ability to resolve LD accurately enough for GS. Here we investigate such an effect two conifer ~ 20 Gbp genomes, Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb. (Franco)) and Interior spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss x Picea engelmannii Parry ex...
The advantages of open-pollinated (OP) family testing over controlled crossing (i.e., structured pedigree) are the potential to screen and rank a large number parents offspring with minimal cost efforts; however, method produces inflated genetic parameters as actual sibling relatedness within OP families rarely meets half-sib assumption. Here, we demonstrate unsurpassed utility after shifting analytical mode from pedigree- (ABLUP) genomic-based (GBLUP) relationship using phenotypic tree...
Here, we perform cross-generational GS analysis on coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), reflecting trans-generational selective breeding application. A total of 1321 trees, representing 37 full-sib F1 families from 3 environments in British Columbia, Canada, were used as the training population for (1) EBVs (estimated values) juvenile height (HTJ) generation predicting genomic HTJ 136 individuals F2 generation, (2) deregressed HTJ, (3) mature (HT35) F2, and (4) HT35 F2. Ridge...
Abstract Background Genomic prediction (GP) and genome-wide association (GWA) analyses are currently being employed to accelerate breeding cycles identify alleles or genomic regions of complex traits in forest trees species. Here, 1490 interior lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta Dougl. ex. Loud. var. latifolia Engelm) from four open-pollinated progeny trials were genotyped with 25,099 SNPs, phenotyped for 15 growth, wood quality, pest resistance, drought tolerance, defense chemical...
Tree improvement programs often focus on improving productivity-related traits; however, under present climate change scenarios, change-related (adaptive) traits should also be incorporated into such programs. Therefore, quantifying the genetic variation and correlations among productivity adaptability traits, importance of genotype by environment interactions, including defense compounds involved in biotic abiotic resistance, is essential for selecting parents production resilient...
Seed orchards main function is delivering breeding programs' gains in the form of genetically improved seedlings. They are unique experimental populations, perfectly suited for studying various pollination environments (natural or otherwise), affecting their mating system parameters. Here, under different environment and intrusive (pollen augmentation and/or bloom-delay)), a second generation, wind-pollinated, coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. (Mirb.) Franco) seed orchard was...
Coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) is one of the most commercially important softwood species in North America. In British Columbia, Canada, breeding has increased volume gains between 20 and 30%, while 97% seedlings come from improved seed sources. Branching traits particular, have a strong influence on strength stiffness wood; however, they are rarely measured. Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems Airborne Laser Scanning (RPAS-LS) produce high-density three-dimensional...
Progeny test trials in British Columbia are essential assessing the genetic performance via prediction of breeding values (BVs) for target phenotypes parent trees and their offspring. Accurate timely collection phenotypic data is critical estimating BVs with confidence. Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) have been used to measure tree height structure across a wide range species, ages environments globally. Here, we analyzed Coastal Douglas-fir [ Pseudotsuga menziesii var. (Mirb.)] progeny trial...
While droughts, intensified by climate change, have been affecting forests worldwide, pest epidemics are a major source of uncertainty for assessing drought impacts on forest trees. Thus far, little information has documented the adaptability and evolvability traits related to pests simultaneously. We conducted common-garden experiments investigate how several phenotypic (i.e. height growth, avoidance based water-use efficiency inferred from δ 13 C resistance defence traits) interact in five...
ABSTRACT Conifers are prime candidates for genomic selection (GS) due to their long breeding cycles. Previous studies have shown much reduced prediction accuracies (PA) of values in unobserved environments, which may impede its adoption. The impact explicit environmental heterogeneity modeling including genotype-by-environment (G×E) interaction effects using covariates (EC) a reaction-norm model was tested single-step GBLUP (ssGBLUP). A three-generation coastal Douglas-fir experimental...
Background High-throughput sequencing technology has revolutionized both medical and biological research by generating exceedingly large numbers of genetic variants. The resulting datasets share a number common characteristics that might lead to poor generalization capacity. Concerns include noise accumulated due the predictors, sparse information regarding p≫n problem, overfitting model mis-identification from spurious collinearity. Additionally, complex correlation patterns are present...
Injury from sampling increment cores may induce defense responses in trees, which vary between species and reflect differing allocation strategies against attack by insects pathogens. We recorded presence of systemic induction traumatic resin ducts early-season coring mature white spruce (Picea glauca) lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) trees. In the year coring, formed three months later, 20 cm below initial site xylem showed little variation response among families. contrast,...