Family Variation in the Morphology and Physiology of White Spruce (Picea glauca) Seedlings in Response to Elevated CO2and Temperature

Tree improvement programs aim to develop families that are well-adapted to future growing conditions. To gain insight into the stability of the family genetic response to climate change, white spruce (Picea glauca) seedlings from 60 full-sib families were subjected to a combination of two temperature regimes and two levels of CO2 over two growing seasons. There was positive effect of warmer temperatures and higher CO2 on some growth variables but no significant family × treatment interactions. Instantaneous water use efficiency was the only physiological trait that was affected positively by the CO2 treatment, showing a 51% increase that was consistent across families.