Dependence of dormancy release on temperature in different origins of Pinus sylvestris and Betula pendula seedlings

The chilling requirement of rest completion and the high temperature requirement of growth initiation were determined in three origins of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) seedlings and five origins of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings. In both the pine and birch the chilling requirement was highest in maritime Scottish origins and lowest in the most continental Finnish and Russian origins. The requirement for southern mountainous Spanish and Bulgarian pine origins was in between. In terms of the high temperature requirement, there were no clear differences between origins. These results suggest that owing to their high chilling requirement, which prevents the beginning of growth and the loss of frost hardiness during the frost-exposed season, origins from a maritime climate could be the most tolerant under climatic warming.