Integrative Biology Journals

JOURNAL OF FORESTRY RESEARCH ›› 2026, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (1): 1-.DOI: 10.1007/s11676-026-02048-5

• Original Paper •    

ChineseFirPedV: a transferable web tool for multi‑generational pedigree and kinship visualization and management in forest tree breeding

Qingwei Meng1, Lei Lyu1, Jiaming Hu1, Zhiqiang Chen1, Huichun Zhang2, Shunde Su3, Jinhua Huang4, Xie Zhang5, Li Li6, Yousry A. El‑Kassaby7, Liming Bian1   

  1. 1State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, People’s Republic of China 

    2College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, People’s Republic of China 

    3Fujian Academy of Forestry, Fuzhou 350012, People’s Republic of China

    4Fujian Yangkou State-Ownd Forest Farm, Shunchang 353211, People’s Republic of China 

    5Hunan Academy of Forestry, Changsha 410004, People’s Republic of China 

    6Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit(AGBU), University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia 

    7Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada

  • Received:2025-10-19 Accepted:2025-12-28 Online:2026-05-23 Published:2026-01-01
  • Supported by:
    This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China 2022YFD2200201 National NaturalScience Foundation of China 32171818, 32471891 and Fujian Forestry Science and Technology project ZMGG 0 8 01.

Abstract: Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.) is a major afforestation species in southern China, currently advancing through multi-objective, advanced-generation breeding. As breeding programs progress, maintaining genetic diversity and minimizing inbreeding depression are critical. Traditional pedigree management, which relies primarily on static documentation, is often inefficient, inaccurate, and non-interactive, making it difficult to support data-driven parental selection. To overcome these limitations, we developed ChineseFirPedV, a web-based system for interactive genealogy visualization and kinship management tailored to Chinese fir breeding. Built with Python, the system uses NetworkX for constructing pedigree graphs and Pyvis for dynamic visualization. It integrates both traditional pedigree records and SNP genotyping data from 174 elite Chinese fir individuals to generate both network-based genealogical diagrams and kinship cluster maps. The system offers interactive tools for exploring kinship networks, customizing node attributes, and designing mating strategies. When molecular data are available, the system computes genomic relationship matrices and visualizes them as clustering graphs to highlight relatedness patterns. The integration of pedigree and genomic information enhances accuracy in identifying optimal parental combinations and detecting anomalies or errors in recorded lineage. ChineseFirPedV effectively supports kinship verification, pedigree reconstruction, and breeding value estimation, improving decision-making in advanced-generation breeding. Its modular design allows for scalability and potential adaptation to other long-cycle, complex-genome tree species. This system provides a centralized, digital platform for managing genealogical and molecular data, facilitating more precise and efficient genetic improvement strategies for Chinese fir and other forest trees.

Key words: Kinship visualization, Chinese fir breeding, Genealogical network diagrams, Information management system, NetworkX and Pyvis