PARASITOLOGY UNIT 



Because of the increasing number of specimens being sub- 

 mitted for examination, material is being prepared for a 

 manual of the common fish parasites found in Ontario. 



PRODUCTIVITY UNIT 



The broad objective is the development of a practical index 

 for classification of Ontario lakes in terms of their potential 

 for producing pounds of fish. Total dissolved solids and 

 mean depth have been established as two main indicators. 



TECHNICAL STUDIES UNIT 



This unit provides specialized services in identification and 

 counting of phyto and zoo plankton organisms and of the 

 identification and measurement of bottom fauna and fish 

 food organisms. 



FORESTRY SECTION 



MAPLE UNITS 



NURSERY AND PLANTATION 



A report is in preparation on the culling and grading of 

 nursery stock based on 10 years of observations on v^'hite 

 spruce planting stock. 



Studies are continuing on "Comparison of Seedlings and 

 Transplants", "Over Winter Storage of Nursery Stock", 

 "Nutrient Coorelations", "Fertilizing at Planting", "Planting 

 Check", "Root Coating" and "Seedbed Densities". 



Frost-hardiness studies to date indicate that, when white 

 spruce and red pine are compared at similar stages of 

 development, the white spruce is somewhat hardier in the 

 summer and considerably hardier in the winter. Most coni- 

 fers begin to increase their frost hardiness in early Septem- 

 ber, but the rate varies with species. 



Preliminary examination of drought-study data shows 

 that red pine is more susceptible to drought than white 

 spruce. Drought rings are not similar to frost rings. 



TREE BREEDING 



Two groups of poplar projects are being carried out — the 

 Aspen group and the Cottonwood group. The primary 

 objectives are to produce strains with improved silvicultural 

 characteristics, suitable for future needs of timber produc- 

 tion under varying conditions in Ontario and to extend the 

 northern range of Cottonwood. 



Many exotic and native poplars have been acquired for a 

 gene pool for development of breeding aboreta and for 

 testing. 



Several experiments on vegetative propagation have been 

 established to study the techniques. Also being studied is 

 the ability of selected native aspens and their hybrids to 

 sucker and root, and to develop superior clones which pro- 

 pagate easily by vegetative means. 



A spruce program to develop hybrids of superior growth 

 form and wood quality, and to develop multilineal synthetic 

 varieties with superior silvicultural characteristics, continues. 



Several experiments were established to determine if 

 there is a practical way to propagate spruce vegetatively. 

 Best results to date were from hard, untrimmed cuttings 

 from lateral branches. 



Emphasis on the white pine program has shifted from re- 

 sistance to blister rust and weevil to improvement of growth 

 form, stem form, branchiness and shade tolerance. Experi- 

 ments on vegetative propagation were started to obtain 

 means of more accurate clonal testing and to prevent the 

 loss of genetic gain achieved in the selection of superior 

 and resistant trees. 



WOOD SCIENCE 



Studies continue to define the specific physical and chemi- 

 cal wood characteristics which contribute to the superior 

 quality of the manufactured product and to relate these 

 characteristics to heritable and environmental factors. 



A method for the assessment of the average specific 

 gravity and compression wood percent, of all the wood in 

 the bole of standing black spruce trees, is under develop- 

 ment. Preliminary statistical analysis indicates that a linear 

 relationship for trees can be established from core samples. 



It has been found that compression wood percent is a 

 better indicator of pulp yield than is specific gravity. 



SITE 



Emphasis is upon research that will provide basic quantita- 

 tive data in areas of nutrient availability, forest humus, 

 moisture availability, water balance and root-soil relation- 

 ships. 



Two studies on site classification are being finalized. 

 They deal with the development of concepts for the classi- 

 fication of ecosystems and the demonstration of broad 

 relationships between physical characteristics of the land 

 and the development of forests. 



MENSURATION 



The measurement and treatment of permanent sample plots, 

 established to furnish data on the yield of plantations in 

 southern Ontario, was continued. 



Studies are continuing to make quantitative determina- 

 tions of the potential of various physiographic sites to 



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