THE PROBLEM OF CONSERVATION OF THE MAIN FOREST-FORMING SPECIES IN RUSSIA AND OF ITS MONITORING

Iroshnikov A.I.,1  Makhnev A.K.2

1Research Institute of Forest Genetics and Breeding, Voronezh, Russia, ilgis@lesgen vrn.ru

2Botanical Garden UO RAS, Ekaterinburg, Russia, letrs@forestin.uran.ru

 

Genetic resources of forest woody plants, which are a part of biosphere diversity, must be conserved according to the current legislation. In Russia systematic works of such kind were begun in 1982 in accordance with the “Regulations about Isolation and Conservation of Woody Species Gene Pool in the Forest of the USSR”.

Acceptance of the federal law “About Especially Protected Natural Territories” (¹33-FZ, 14.03.1995) doesnt settle the matter about expediency of functioning of the “Regulations about Conservation of Woody Species Gene Pool in Russian Forests”, as the available nature reserves and other Especially Protected Natural Territories (EPNT) dont include all the biodiversity and dont take account of intraspecific differentiation of woody plants gene pool with wide area. At the same time the absence in the list of EPNT of such category as “forest genetic reserves”(the main conservation form of gene pool woody plants species in regions where  the corresponding EPNT havent been isolated) is a formal reason for factual stopping of work on gene pool conservation for the last 10 years and delay of approval of a new reading of the “Regulations”, represented to MNR RF in 2005. An author association suggestions about additions to the federal law about EPNT and ”Forest Code” were ignored by State Duma.

Effectiveness of measures on conservation and reproduction of variety of forest ecosystems and forest woody plant species depends on the degree of knowledge  of processes running in their population gene pools under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors (revealed during monitoring within special programmes with use of high-informative markers).

The sphere of genetic monitoring of forest woody plants includes: study of species inhabitant subdivision within their area on some isolated by genotypic content local populations; determination of the centres (refuges) of genotypic and phenotypic polymorphism and regions with heightend frequency of mutant, polyploid and hybrid genotypes; watching a genom reaction and, respectively, phenotype of individuals and their progeny to specific natural and technogenic effects on different ontogenesis stages; examination of “cleanness” of breeding and seed-forming objects and selected material as well as the level of genotype elimination in gene banks; control of population rehabilitation with degenerated gene pool.

Objects of genetic monitoring are: virgin and natural forests, derivative generations of primary forest formers, appeared on felled and fire areas and other disturbed earths from limited number of trees-founders; stands, growing in zones of technogenic, radioactive and invasion species pollution; artificial stands, established both from local seeds and seeds from other regions; forest-seed and mother plantations, clone archives, genotype collections in progeny trials, seed and tissue banks; subpopulations and trees-indicators actively and/or specifically reacting on different effects.

For stopping of biosphere degradation “change of strategy of Man and Nature Interaction” (Altukhov, 2004, p.58) as well as overcoming of  the “tendency to make legislative acts and programmes for effect, ecological incompetentness… of the society,  absence of long-term strategic planning and forecasting” (Chereshnev, 2004, p.279-281) are important