Linking field performance to initial morphological traits of thuja seedlings in a semiarid Mediterranean area
References
- Abourouh, M. 1994. Forest seedlings: Quality standards and cultural techniques. (Les plants forestiers: normes de qualité et techniques culturales). – Abourouh, M. (ed.). Actes de la Première Journée Nationale sur les Plants Forestiers. Agdal, Rabat, Morocco, Division de Recherches et d`Expérimentations Forestières, 17–34. (In French).
- Bayley, A.D., Kietzka, J.W. 1997. Stock quality and field performance of Pinus patula seedlings produced under two nursery growing regimes during seven different nursery production periods. – New Forests, 13, 341–356. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006550728250.
- Bélanger, N., Van Rees, K.C.J. 2007. Sampling forest soils. – Carter, M.R., Gregorich, E.G. (eds.). Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis. 2nd Edition. Boca Raton, FL, CRC Press, 10 pp. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781420005271.
- Bouderrah, M., Zine El Abidine, A., Bounakhla, A., Lamhamedi, M.S., Mounir, F. 2017. Morpho-physiological quality of Quercus suber L. cork oak seedlings produced in Moroccan forest nurseries. (Qualité morpho-physiologique des plants de chêne-liège, Quercus suber L., produits dans des pépinières forestières au Maroc). – Bois et Forêts des Tropiques, 333, 31–42. https://doi.org/10.19182/bft2017.333.a31466. (In French).
- Burdett, A.N. 1983. Quality control in the production of forest planting stock. – The Forestry Chronicle, 59(3), 132–138. https://doi.org/10.5558/tfc59132-3.
- Bocio, I., Navarro, F.B., Ripoll, M.A., Jiménez, M.N., De Simón, E. 2004. Holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia Lam.) and Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) response to different soil preparation techniques applied to forestation in abandoned farmland. – Annals of Forest Science, 61, 171–178.
- Canadell, J., Zedler, P.H. 1995. Underground structures of woody plants in Mediterranean ecosystems of Australia, California, and Chile. – Arroyo, M.T.K., Zedler, P.H., Fox, M.D. (eds.). Ecology and Biogeography of Mediterranean Ecosystems in Chile, California and Australia. New York, Berlin, Springer-Verlag, 177–210.
- Charco, J. 1999. The Mediterranean Forest in North Africa: Biodiversity and the Fight against Desertification. (El Bosque Mediterráneo en el Norte de África: Biodiversidad y Lucha Contra la Desertificación). Madrid, Spain, Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional. 370 pp. (In Spanish).
- Chirino, E., Vilagrosa, A., Hernández, E.I., Matos, A, Vallejo, V.R. 2008. Effects of a deep container on morpho-functional characteristics and root colonization in Quercus suber L. seedlings for reforestation in Mediterranean climate. – Forest Ecology and Management, 256(4), 779–785.
- Cortina, J., Green, J.J., Baddeley, J.A., Watson, C.A. 2008. Root morphology and water transport of Pistacia lentiscus seedlings under contrasting water supply: A test of the pipe stem theory. – Environmental and Experimental Botany, 62(3), 343–350.
- Cortina, J., Vilagrosa, A., Trubat, R. 2013. The role of nutrients for improving seedling quality in drylands. – New Forests, 44(5), 719–732. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-013-9379-3.
- Davis, A.S., Jacobs, D.F. 2005. Quantifying root system quality of nursery seedlings and relationship to outplanting performance. – New Forests, 30(2–3), 295–311.
- Dominguez-Lerena, S., Herrero Sierra, N., Carrasco Manzano, I., Ocaña Bueno, L., Peñuelas Rubira, J.L., Mexal, J.G. 2006. Container characteristics influence Pinus pinea seedling development in the nursery and field. – Forest Ecology and Management, 221(1–3), 63–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2005.08.031.
- El Haddadi, R., El Mekkaoui, A., Zouahri, A., Ouazzani Touhami, A., Douira, A. 2022. Effect of growing media on morpho-physiological quality attributes of Tetraclinis articulata seedlings. – Forest Science and Technology, 18(3), 108–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/21580103.2022.2104936.
- Esteve-Selma, M.A., Martínez-Fernández, J., Hernández, I., Montávez, J.P., Lopez, J.J., Calvo, J.F., Robledano, F. 2010. Effects of climatic change on the distribution and conservation of Mediterranean forests: the case of Tetraclinis articulata in the Iberian Peninsula. – Biodiversity and Conservation, 19, 3809–3825.
- FAO. 2015. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015 (FRA 2015). Country Report, Morocco. (Évaluation des ressources forestières mondiales 2015 (FRA 2015), Rapport national, Maroc). Rome, FAO. 107 pp. (In French). https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/8b904b4a-d801-42e9-88fc-fe3772ab5e1c/content.
- Fenner, M. 1987. Seedlings. – New Phytologist, 106(s1), 35–47.
- Ferradous, A., Hafidi, M. 2018. Production of argania spinosa seedlings in Morocco: choosing the right container and substrate. (Production de plants d’arganier (Argania spinosa) au Maroc: choix du conteneur et du substrat). – Bois et Forêts des Tropiques, 334, 37–47. https://doi.org/10.19182/bft2017.334.a31490. (In French).
- Forgy, E. 1965. Cluster analysis of multivariate data: Efficiency versus interpretability of classifications. – Biometrics, 21(3), 768–780.
- Gardner, W.H. 1986. Water content. – Klute, A. (ed.). Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 1: Physical and Mineralogical Methods. 2nd Edition. Madison, Wisconsin, American Society of Agronomy, Inc. 493–544.
- Grantz, D.A., Vaughn, D.L., Farber, R.J., Kim, B., Ashbaugh, L., VanCuren, T., Campbell, R., Bainbridge, D., Zink, T. 1998. Transplanting native plants to revegetate abandoned farmland in the western Mojave Desert. – Journal of Environmental Quality, 27(4), 960–967.
- Grossnickle, S.C., Folk, R.S. 1993. Stock quality assessment: forecasting survival or performance on a reforestation site. – Tree Planters’ Notes, 44(3), 113–121.
- Grossnickle, S.C. 2005. Importance of root growth in overcoming planting stress. – New Forests, 30(2-3), 273–294.
- Grossnickle, S.C. 2012. Why seedlings survive: influence of plant attributes. – New Forests, 43(5–6), 711–738. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-012-9336-6.
- Grossnickle, S.C., MacDonald, J.E. 2018a. Seedling quality: history, application, and plant attributes. – Forests, 9(5), 283. https://doi.org/10.3390/f9050283.
- Grossnickle, S.C., MacDonald, J.E. 2018b. Why seedlings grow: influence of plant attributes. – New Forests, 49(1), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-017-9606-4.
- Haase, D.L. 2008. Understanding forest seedling quality: measurements and interpretation. – Tree Planters’ Notes, 52(2), 24–30.
- Herrera, C.M. 1992. Historical effects and sorting processes as explanations for contemporary ecological patterns: character syndromes in Mediterranean woody plants. – The American Naturalist, 140(3), 421–446.
- Hosmer, D.W., Lemeshow, S. 2000. Applied Logistic Regression. 2nd Edition. New York, Chichester, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 373 pp.
- Hunt, R., Causton, D.R., Shipley, B., Askew, A.P. 2002. A modern tool for classical plant growth analysis. – Annals of Botany, 90(4), 485–488. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcf214.
- Jaccard, J. 2001. Interaction Effects in Logistic Regression. Sage University Papers Series on Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences, 07–135. Thousand Oaks, Sage. 70 pp.
- Jacobs, D.F., Salifu, K.F., Seifert, J.R. 2005. Relative contribution of initial root and shoot morphology in predicting field performance of hardwood seedlings. – New Forests, 30(2–3), 235–251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-005-5419-y.
- Jacobs, D.F., Landis, T.D. 2009. Hardening. – Dumroese, R.K., Luna, T., Landis, T.D. (eds.). Nursery manual for native plants: A guide for tribal nurseries, Volume 1: Nursery management. Agriculture Handbook 730. Washington, DC, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 217–228.
- Jaenicke, H. 1999. Good Tree Nursery Practices: Practical Guidelines for Research Nurseries. Nairobi, Kenya, International Center for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF). 93 pp.
- Kaufman, L., Rousseeuw, P.J. 2009. Finding Groups in Data: An Introduction to Cluster Analysis. Hoboken, NJ, USA, John Wiley & Sons. 344 pp.
- Kramer, P.J., Kozlowski, T.T. 1979. Physiology of Woody Plants. New York, Academic Press. 811 pp.
- Lamhamedi, M.S., Fortin, J.A. 1994. Forest seedlings quality: Assessment and performance in the field. (La qualité des plants forestiers: critères d’évaluation et performances dans les sites de reboisement). – Abourouh, M. (ed.). Actes de la Première Journée Nationale sur les Plants Forestiers. Agdal, Rabat, Morocco, Division de Recherches et d`Expérimentations Forestières, 35–50. (In French).
- Lamhamedi, M.S., Bernier, P.Y., Hébert, C. 1997. Effect of shoot size on the gas exchange and growth of containerized Picea mariana seedlings under different watering regimes. – New Forests, 13(1–3), 209–223. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006586325524.
- Lamhamedi, M.S., Fecteau, B., Godin, L., Gingras, C. 2006. Practical guide to the above-ground production of forest, pastoral and ornamental seedlings in Tunisia. (Guide pratique de production en hors sol de plants forestiers, pastoraux et ornementaux en Tunisie). Project: ACDI E4936-K061229. Tunis, Tunisia, Direction Générale des Forêts and Pampev Internationale Ltée, 114 pp. (In French).
- Leiva, M.J., Fernández-Alés, R. 1998. Variability in seedling water status during drought within a Quercus ilex subsp. ballota population, and its relation to seedling morphology. – Forest Ecology and Management, 111(2–3), 147–156.
- Lloret, F., Casanovas, C., Peñuelas, J. 1999. Seedling survival of Mediterranean shrubland species in relation to root: shoot ratio, seed size and water and nitrogen use. – Functional Ecology, 13(2), 210–216. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2435.1999.00309.x.
- Luis Díaz, V.C., Climent Maldonado, J., Peters, J., Pérez Martín, E., Puértolas Simón, J., Morales Méndez, D., Jiménez Parrondo, M.S., Gil Sánchez, L. 2004. Effect of seedlings quality grown with different methods on field survival and growth in Pinus canariensis. (Evaluación de la calidad de plántulas de Pinus canariensis cultivadas con diferentes métodos en la supervivencia y crecimiento en campo). – Cuadernos de la Sociedad Española de Ciencias Forestales, 17, 63–67. (In Spanish).
- MacQueen, J. 1967. Some methods for classification and analysis of multivariate observations. – Le Cam, L.M., Neyman, J. (eds.). Proceedings of the Fifth Berkeley Symposium on Mathematical Statistics and Probability. Berkeley, University of California Press, 281–297.
- Mañas, P., Castro, E., de las Heras, J. 2009. Quality of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) seedlings using waste materials as nursery growing media. – New Forests, 37(3), 295–311. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-008-9125-4.
- Mattsson, A. 1997. Predicting field performance using seedling quality assessment. – New Forests, 13(1–3), 227–252.
- Moles, A.T., Westoby, M. 2004. What do seedlings die from and what are the implications for evolution of seed size? – Oikos, 106(1), 193–199.
- Navarro, R.M., Villar-Salvador, P., del Campo, A. 2006. Morphology and establishment of seedlings. (Morfología y establecimiento de los plantones). – Cortina, J., Peñuelas, J.L., Puértolas, J., Savé, R., Vilagrosa, A. (eds.). Quality of Forest Plant for Restoration in Mediterranean Environments. (Calidad de planta forestal para la restauración en ambientes mediterráneos). Madrid, Spain, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente. 67–88 pp. (In Spanish).
- Oliet Palá, J.A., Planelles González, R., López Árias, M., Artero Caballero, F. 1997. Effect of nursery fertilization on survival in Pinus halepensis plantation. (Efecto de la fertilización en vivero sobre la supervivencia en plantación de Pinus halepensis). – Cuadernos de la Sociedad Española de Ciencias Forestales, 4, 69–79. (In Spanish).
- Oliet, J.A., Planelles, R., Artero, F., Jacobs, D.F. 2005. Nursery fertilization and tree shelters affect longterm field response of Acacia salicina Lindl. planted in Mediterranean semiarid conditions. – Forest Ecology and Management, 215(1–3), 339–351.
- Oliet, J.A., Ortiz de Urbina, E., Sánchez-Pinillos, M., Tardío-Cerrillo, G. 2019. Matching seedling size to planting conditions: interactive response with soil moisture. – iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry, 12(2), 220–225. https://doi.org/10.3832/ifor2801-012.
- Oliveras, I., Martínez-Vilalta, J., Jimenez-Ortiz, T., Lledó, M.J., Escarré, A., Piñol, J. 2003. Hydraulic properties of Pinus halepensis, Pinus pinea and Tetraclinis articulata in a dune ecosystem of Eastern Spain. – Plant Ecology, 169, 131–141. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026223516580.
- Ovalle, J.F., Arellano, E.C., Oliet, J.A., Becerra, P., Ginocchio, R. 2016. Linking nursery nutritional status and water availability post-planting under intense summer drought: the case of a South American Mediterranean tree species. – iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry, 9(5), 758–765. https://doi.org/10.3832/ifor1905-009.
- Padilla, F.M., Pugnaire, F.I. 2007. Rooting depth and soil moisture control Mediterranean woody seedling survival during drought. – Functional Ecology, 21(3), 489–495.
- Paula, S., Naulin, P.I., Arce, C., Galaz, C., Pausas, J.G. 2016. Lignotubers in Mediterranean basin plants. – Plant Ecology, 217(6), 661–676.
- Peng, C.-Y.J., So, T.-S.H. 2002. Logistic regression analysis and reporting: A primer. – Understanding Statistics, 1(1), 31–70. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15328031US0101_04.
- Peñuelas, J.L., Ocaña, L. 1996. Cultivation of forest seedlings in containers. (Cultivo de plantas forestales en contenedor). Madrid, Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, Ediciones Mundi-Prensa. 190 pp. (In Spanish).
- Pinto, J.R., Marshall, J.D., Dumroese, R.K., Davis, A.S., Cobos, D.R. 2011. Establishment and growth of container seedlings for reforestation: A function of stocktype and edaphic conditions. – Forest Ecology and Management, 261(11), 1876–1884.
- Pinto, J.R., Marshall, J.D., Dumroese, R.K., Davis, A.S., Cobos, D.R. 2012. Photosynthetic response, carbon isotopic composition, survival, and growth of three stock types under water stress enhanced by vegetative competition. – Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 42(2), 333–344. https://doi.org/10.1139/x11-189.
- Puértolas, J., Gil, L., Pardos, J.A. 2003. Effects of nutritional status and seedling size on field performance of Pinus halepensis planted on former arable land in the Mediterranean basin. – Forestry, 76(2), 159–168. https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/76.2.159.
- Quézel, P. 1980. Biogeography and ecology of conifers around the Mediterranean. (Biogéographie et écologie des conifères sur le pourtour méditerranéen). – Pesson, P. (ed.). Actualités d’Écologie Forestière: Sol, Flore, Faune. Paris, Gauthier-Villars, 205–255. (In French).
- Ritchie, G.A. 1984. Assessing seedling quality. – Duryea, M.L., Landis, T.D., Perry, C.R. (eds.). Forest Nursery Manual: Production of Bareroot Seedlings. Dordrecht, Springer, 243–259.
- Ritchie, G.A., Landis, T.D., Dumroese, R.K., Haase, D.L. 2010. Assessing plant quality. – Landis, T.D., Dumroese, R.K., Haase, D.L. (eds.). The Container Tree Nursery Manual, Volume 7, Seedling Processing, Storage, and Outplanting. Agriculture Handbook 674. Washington, DC, USDA Forest Service, 19–81.
- Roller, K.J. 1977. Suggested minimum standards for containerized seedlings in Nova Scotia. – Information Report M-X-69. Canadian Forest Service, Department of Fisheries and Environment. 18 pp.
- Rose, R., Carlson, W.C., Morgan, P. 1990. The target seedling concept. – Rose, R., Campbell, S.J., Landis, T.D. (eds.). Target Seedling Symposium: Proceedings, Combined Meeting of the Western Forest Nursery Associations. – General Technical Report RM-200. Fort Collins, Colorado, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, 1–8.
- Rose, R., Gleason, J.F., Atkinson, M. 1993. Morphological and water-stress characteristics of three Douglass-fir stocktypes in relation to seedling performance under different soil moisture conditions. – New Forests, 7(1), 1–17.
- Royo, A., Fernández, M., Gil, L., González, E., Puelles, A., Ruano, R., Pardos, J.A. 1997. The quality of the nursery plant of Pinus halepensis Mill. intended for afforestation. Three years of results in the Valencian Community. (La calidad de la planta de vivero de Pinus halepensis Mill. destinada a la repoblación forestal. Tres años de resultados en la Comunidad Valenciana). – Montes, 50, 29–39. (In Spanish).
- Sánchez-Gómez, P., Jiménez, J.F., Vera, J.B., Sánchez-Saorín, F.J., Martínez, J.F., Buhagiar, J. 2013. Genetic structure of Tetraclinis articulata, an endangered conifer of the western Mediterranean basin. – Silva Fennica, 47(5), 1073. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1073.
- South, D.B., Mitchell, R.G. 2006. A root-bound index for evaluating planting stock quality of container-grown pines. – Southern African Forestry Journal, 207(1), 47–54.
- Trubat, R., Cortina, J., Vilagrosa, A. 2004. Nutrient status and transplant shock on mediterranean shrubs under semiarid climate. (Estado nutricional y establecimiento de especies leñosas en ambiente semiárido). – Cuadernos de la Sociedad Española de Ciencias Forestales, 17, 245–251. (In Spanish).
- Trubat, R., Cortina, J., Vilagrosa, A. 2011. Nutrient deprivation improves field performance of woody seedlings in a degraded semi-arid shrubland. – Ecological Engineering, 37(8), 1164–1173.
- Trubat, R., Cortina, J., Vilagrosa, A. 2010. Nursery fertilization affects seedling traits but not field performance in Quercus suber L. – Journal of Arid Environments, 74(4), 491–497.
- Tsakaldimi, M., Zagas, T., Tsitsoni, T., Ganatsas, P. 2005. Root morphology, stem growth and field performance of seedlings of two Mediterranean evergreen oak species raised in different container types. – Plant and Soil, 278, 85–93.
- Tsakaldimi, M., Tsitsoni, T., Ganatsas, P., Zagas, T. 2009. A comparison of root architecture and shoot morphology between naturally regenerated and container-grown seedlings of Quercus ilex. – Plant and Soil, 324, 103–113.
- Tsakaldimi, M., Ganatsas, P., Jacobs, D.F. 2013. Prediction of planted seedling survival of five Mediterranean species based on initial seedling morphology. – New Forests, 44(3), 327–339. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-012-9339-3.
- Vallejo, R., Aronson, J., Pausas, J.G., Cortina, J. 2006. Restoration of Mediterranean woodlands. – van Andel, J., Aronson, J. (eds.). Restoration Ecology: The New Frontier. 1st Edition. Oxford, UK, Blackwell Science Ltd, 193–207.
- Vallejo, V.R., Smanis, A., Chirino, E., Fuentes, D., Valdecantos, A., Vilagrosa, A. 2012. Perspectives in dryland restoration: approaches for climate change adaptation. – New Forests, 43(5–6), 561–579. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-012-9325-9.
- Vilagrosa, A., Cortina, J., Gil-Pelegrín, E., Bellot, J. 2003. Suitability of drought-preconditioning techniques in Mediterranean climate. – Restoration Ecology, 11(2), 208–216. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1526-100X.2003.00172.x.
- Villar-Salvador, P., Planelles, R., Enríquez, E., Peñuelas Rubira, J. 2004. Nursery cultivation regimes, plant functional attributes, and field performance relationships in the Mediterranean oak Quercus ilex L. – Forest Ecology and Management, 196(2–3), 257–266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2004.02.061.
- Wilson, B.C., Jacobs, D.F. 2006. Quality assessment of temperate zone deciduous hardwood seedlings. – New Forests, 31(3), 417–433.
- Zida, D., Tigabu, M., Sawadogo, L., Odén, P.C. 2008. Initial seedling morphological characteristics and field performance of two Sudanian savanna species in relation to nursery production period and watering regimes. – Forest Ecology and Management, 255(7), 2151–2162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2007.12.029.
- Zine El Abidine, A., Bouderrah, M., Bekkour, A., Lamhamedi, M.S., Abbas, Y. 2016a. Growth and development of plants from two provenances of cork oak produced in a nursery in containers of different depths. (Croissance et développement des plants de deux provenances de chêne-liège produits en pépinière dans des conteneurs de différentes profondeurs). – Forêt Méditerranéenne, XXXVII(2), 137–150. (In French with English summary).
- Zine El Abidine, A., Bouderrah, M., Moustahssen, A., Lamhamedi, M.S. 2016b. Water-related growth of seedlings of Atlas cedar, mountain maritime pine and Atlas cyprus subjected to gradual edaphic water deficit. (Relations hydriques et croissance de plants soumis à un déficit hydrique édaphique graduel - Cas du cèdre de l’Atlas, du pin maritime de montagne et du cyprès de l’Atlas). – Forêt Méditerranéenne, XXXVII(4), 327–342. (In French with English summary).
Language: English
Page range: 62 - 78
Published on: Oct 30, 2025
Published by: Estonian University of Life Sciences
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 2 issues per year
Keywords:
Related subjects:
© 2025 Rachid El Haddadi, Abdelali El Mekkaoui, Allal Douira, published by Estonian University of Life Sciences
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.