Geographical variation in the monoterpene composition of red spruce

Monoterpene composition of cortical oleoresin samples was determined for 14 populations of red spruce growing in a replicated plantation in Quebec, Canada. None of the 9 measured monoterpenes differed significantly among geographic seed sources. Individual tree variation in terpene concentration was slight despite the postulated occurrence of natural hybrids with black spruce in many of the seed sources sampled. The seed sources most similar to black spruce in morphology were no more similar in terpene composition to black spruce from Michigan than were sources of pure red spruce.