Evaluating Growth and Stability of Nine Poplar Clones for Riparian Afforestation

Poplar (<i>Populus</i>) clones are widely used for riparian afforestation owing to their fast growth and ecological benefits. However, selecting suitable clones for site-specific conditions remains a key challenge. In this study, we evaluated the survival and growth performance of nine poplar clones belonging to three hybrid groups-<i>Populus deltoides</i> (D), <i>P. deltoides</i> × <i>P. nigra</i> (DN), and <i>P. nigra</i> × <i>P. suaveolens</i> (NS)-at two riparian sites in Korea. Significant differences were observed in the survival, height, diameter, basal area, and basal area increment (BAI) among clones and between sites. DN hybrids exhibited superior overall performance in both survival and growth traits compared to D and NS clones. In the DN group, clones Eco-28, I-476, and Dorskamp consistently ranked highest in aggregate performance. Notably, I-476 and Eco-28 demonstrated both high productivity and stability across sites, as reflected in their low coefficients of variation (CVs). In contrast, Dorskamp, while highly productive, showed relatively high variability across environments. These findings highlight DN hybrids-particularly Eco-28 and I-476-as promising candidates for riparian afforestation, offering a balanced combination of high productivity and environmental stability.