• Kenlan, Kevin
  The Graduate School University of Maine
  

Black spruce (Picea mariana (MILL.) B.S.P.) trees growing in pure, even-aged stands were evaluated for their phenotypic growth superiority on the basis of their mean annual height increment. An attempt was made to sample stands from a broad geographic area of the State of Maine during the summers of 1978 and 1979.

Method of plus tree selection as applied in this study was not successful in identifying superior genotypes in the field. This may be attributed to the lack of good cone crops in some selected trees which necessitated collection of seed from slower growing parents. Microsite differencies within stands may also obscure tree genotypic superiority.