Variation in Cone and Seed Productions of Cedrus libani A. Rich. Populations

Reproductive characteristics are important tools for sustainable forestry and to transmit of present gene diversity to future generations by forestry practices. Knowledge and estimation of fertility variation and its linkage parameters such as population size, gene diversity in seed crop calculated by reproductive traits is used widely because of its many advantages. Estimation of these parameters are used for many purposes in forestry practices (i.e., natural regenerations, establishment and management of seed sources). In this study, cone and seed production and their effect on fertility variation were examined in two natural populations sampled at southern part of Türkiye of Taurus cedar (Cedrus libani A. Rich.). Numbers of mature cone which of two-years, and filled seed were counted from fifty trees selected phenotypic of each population in 2023. The averages of cone and seed number were 90 and 33, and 5321 and 3115 per tree, respectively. Among individual trees within population, and between populations showed large differences for the cone and seed productions. Percentage of filled seed were 94% and 83% in the populations. There were significant differences (p<0.05) between populations for the productions and percentage of filled seeds according to results of analysis of variance. Estimated fertility variations (Ψ<2) were well accordance with target (Ψ<3). Effective number of parents was ranged from 30.1 (60% of number of individuals) to 41.4 (83%). Besides, data sets can be used to fill the FLR-Library.