IDENTIFICATION OF RACES IN EUCALYPTUS-GLOBULUS SSP GLOBULUS BASED ON GROWTH TRAITS IN TASMANIA AND GEOGRAPHIC-DISTRIBUTION

Canonical discriminant analysis of 432 open-pollinated families groupe d into 46 collection localities covering the natural geographic range of Eucalyptus globulus ssp globulus was carried out on four year growt h data from five trial sites in Northern Tasmania. Combining results f rom the analysis of growth responses with natural geographic boundarie s and reported taxonomic groupings it was possible to identify 12 geog raphical races in the E. globulus ssp globulus base population. The th ree races from Victoria [(1) the Otway Ranges, (2) the Strzelecki Rang es and (3) South Gippsland], the (4) King Island, the (5) Furneaux Gro up, and (6) Central Western Tasmania races, showed relatively similar growth responses. Races from eastern Tasmania, [(7) Northeastern Tasma nia, (8) Eastern Tasmania, (9) Jericho, and (10) Southeastern Tasmania ] were distinct from the previous large group. Two small races, (11) P ort Davey and (12) Lighthouse, Wilson's Promontory had very slow growt h. The trees at the Lighthouse locality had a distinct shrub-like habi t. The classification of four localities (South West Lavers Hill, Clar ke Island, Dover and Recherche Bay) was doubtful. The variation in gro wth response across environments among the different races suggest tha t appropriate genetic groupings (tentatively the 12 geographic races i dentified here) should be made prior to further genetic analysis of E. globulus ssp globulus breeding populations.