A1160
Title: Bridging past and present tree growth data using genomics
Authors: Hiroyoshi Iwata - The University of Tokyo (Japan) [presenting]
Haruka Sano - The University of Tokyo (Japan)
Jiaming Yan - The University of Tokyo (Japan)
Yamato Unno - Sumitomo Forestry Corporation (Japan)
Naoko Miura - The University of Tokyo (Japan)
Wei Guo - The University of Tokyo (Japan)
Kazutaka Kusunoki - Sumitomo Forestry Corporation (Japan)
Abstract: Long-term field trials provide invaluable insights into forest tree growth, but missing records and inconsistent measurements often hinder integrated analysis. A larch provenance trial established in 1965 is studied at the Fuji Iyashinomori Woodland Study Center, the University of Tokyo Forests, using seedlings derived from controlled crosses among species of the genus Larix. While tree height was recorded annually in the early years and DBH in standard trees after 1972, many records were incomplete. A new approach is developed to integrate these historical data with current phenotypes obtained via remote sensing, using genomic information to link past and present. Genetic relationships among individuals and across years were modeled to impute missing values and reconstruct growth trajectories using nonlinear mixed models. This allowed for estimating age-dependent changes in height, DBH, and stem volume. The analysis revealed substantial variation among maternal lines and families in growth patterns over time. Results highlight how genomic data can bridge fragmented historical observations and current measurements, enabling a deeper understanding of long-term genetic influences on tree growth.
