EARLY GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF EUCALYPTUS-PELLITA PROVENANCES IN A RANGE OF TROPICAL ENVIRONMENTS, COMPARED WITH EUCALYPTUS-GRANDIS, EUCALYPTUS-UROPHYLLA AND ACACIA-MANGIUM

Provenance/family trials of Eucalyptus pellita F. Muell were establish ed at three seasonally-dry tropical sites in northern Australia (two i n north Queensland and one on Melville Island in the Northern Territor y), and at Luasong, a tropical site with year-round high rainfall and humidity in Sabah, Malaysia. After 2-3 years, it was clear that New Gu inea provenances outperformed Queensland provenances in their survival , growth and form, and in their crown health, in the humid tropical en vironment of Luasong. New Guinea provenances were also clearly superio r to Queensland provenances in their growth and form at Melville Islan d, but less clearly so at Cardwell, Queensland. Among Queensland prove nances, Helenvale and Kuranda were superior to the more northerly Cape York provenances, Tozers Gap and Lankelly Creek, while there was litt le difference between the two New Guinea provenances tested, Bupul-Mut ing (Irian Jaya) and Keru (Papua New Guinea). Significant differences in growth traits, form and survival were demonstrated between families within provenances. In a species/provenance trial at Luasong, E. pell ita displayed better growth and survival than tropical provenances of E. grandis and E. urophylla, but was inferior in growth and crown heal th to Acacia mangium.