ABSTRACT
Domestication of forest trees is still in its beginnings. In the majority of cases, forest tree populations still maintain their unimproved, wild condition; this provides a comparatively wide adaptability to the diverse site conditions encountered in forestry. With the widespread use of commercial tree species outside their natural range, however, forest stands became more susceptible to environmental extremes and changing ecological conditions. Mass mortality experienced (e.g., in artificially established Norway spruce forests of Central Europe following a prolonged drought period in the 1990s) directed the interest of ecologists and foresters alike in the ability of forest tree populations to adjust to changing conditions, that is, to their adaptation potential.
