In global change condition of climate in Russia regions with an extended warm period in autumn that registered last years (2000-2008) a removal of microsporogenesis terms in scotch pine is observed. At the end of October - beginning of November at absence of negative average daily temperatures the microsporocytes were differentiated in microsporangiums. They entered to meiosis and overwintered in the early prophase I state. So microsporogenesis started to begin in the autumn of the year preceding pollination, whereas at a norm this process is occurred in the spring of the year of pollination. During “autumn start” of meiosis some disturbances of pollen formation were registered. Pollen grains had a lot of abnormalities and poor viability. Incompletion of gametophytogenesis was the main cause of the pollen sterility. The most part of the pollen grains remained unicellular (37-41 %) or had one or two prothallial cells (18-20 %). Such pollen grains did not germinate and form pollen tubes on a nutrient medium. The low quantity of viable pollen grains resulted in sufficient reduction of cones and seed production (near 20 %).
If the climatic changes will be continue the reduction of Scotch pine natural habitat is possible to expect. At the same time it is possible to hope that the reproductive processes in microsporangiums of the species will be back to norm owing to activity of adaptation mechanisms. Probably the program of “autumn start” of meiosis took place in historical past of Scotch pine. Perhaps the solving of problem of pollen ripening will be in maturation of pollen grain on ovule nucellus like in Juniperus and Taxus baccata. The question in whether the species will have time for realization of “strategic decisions for a survival”.
Under existing conditions it is very perspective to apply and improve modern biotechnology methods for propagation of Scotch pine. And a most perspective method is somatic embryogenesis in vitro. This unique multifunctional tool can successfully be used for preservation of forest genetic resources of Siberia, including Scotch pine. At Krasnoyarsk Institute of forest SO RAS experiments on somatic embryogenesis of Scotch pine and others important conifer species in Siberia are successfully carried out.
Thus, in conditions of global climatic changes the Scotch pine had removal of microsporogenesis terms that was starting ahead of time onto six months. A loss of adaptations of male structures development at the "autumn start" of meiosis caused some negative consequences: formation of sterile pollen and low cones and seed yield.
This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (projects no. 08 – 04 – 00107 č ą 09 – 04 – 98008).
Note. Abstracts are published in author's edition