Genetic Gain and Diversity in a Clonal Seed Orchard of Pinus Koraiensis Under Various Thinning Intensities

There are various orchard management options to increase genetic gain while conserving genetic diversity, including selective harvesting, genetic thinning and combination of both. Genetic improvement is defined as a process that enhances the genetic value while giving deliberate consideration to the genetic diversity of deployed materials (Kang et al. 2001). The calculations of genetic gain and diversity in seed orchard populations are of great theoretical and of practical importance. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the genetic gain and diversity of seed crops from a P. koraiensis clonal seed orchard under different thinning intensities, and to determine appropriate selection intensity.