forest forming trees in Primorye region: achievements and prospects

Orekhova T.P., Man'ko Y.I.

Institute of Biology and Soil Science, FEB RAS, Vladivostok, Russia

orekhova@ ibss.dvo.ru

The Primorye region belongs to forest territory of the Russian Far East and has a high level of biodiversity of woody plants in Russia. Coniferous trees growing on the area of 6349.9 ha, which constitutes 56 % of the region’s forest cover (Korijkin, 2004). Spruce occupies most of the forested area, i.e. ca. 2,6 mln ha, Korean pine and larch occupy 2.1 mln ha and 1.2 mln ha, respectively. The prolonged loggings and forest fires resulted in reduced genetic diversity of the main species (Korean pine and Manchurian fir tree). To protect them, any cuttings of the species were prohibited in 1990.

The taxonomy of the coniferous trees (Pinus densiflora, P.funebris, Picea koraiensis, P.ajanensis) of the Far East is discussed below. As to the Larix genus, the situation is more complicated. In general, the coniferous trees of the region have not been properly investigated by the modern genetic methods. However, some such studies have been carried out (Goncharenko and all.,1991; 1992; 1999; Koropashinsky, Milutin, 2006; Potenko and all., 1993, 1999, 2002, 2003; Potenko,Velikov,1999,2001,2003; Velikov, Potenko, 2006; Semerikov, 2007). The selection work is still at its initial stage and focused mostly on the study of Korean pine populations. The permanent seed plantation area of coniferous trees in the region occupies 2000 ha, including: 121 ha Korean pine trees, and some areas of Manchurian fir and Lubarsky larch and Jeddo spruce. Two genetic refuges are currently under registration.

According to the data of the Primorye Forest Department there are 543 selected trees, including 433 Korean pines, 60 Manchurian fir trees, 20 Jeddo spruces, 20 trees of Komarova larch and 10 trees of Korean Dahurian larch. All trees are located in Southern subregion of the Coastal seed plantation region. Unfortunately, there are no selected trees in the Southern Coastal and Amuro-Ussuriisky seed plantation region, where most part of the Korean pine forests are located.

The seed harvesting zone in region is about 670 ha. The seed harvesting of the main coniferous trees is carried out at random. Seeds are harvested from the trees chosen at random, with only 20% collected from permanent seed plantation. In the recent years the increasing portion of the harvested seeds is sold to other countries. On the basis of Artemovsky forestry the Regional Selection Centre was established. The main task of this Centre is to improve seeds production and to promote selection work. The Center has a storehouse for long-term seeds storage. The laboratory of Forestry of the Institute of Biology and Soil Science of the Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences has developed the method of the long-term storage of coniferous trees’ seeds. The stool bed plantation of Korean pine was set up on the area of 1.5 ha. However, due to current reorganization the prospects of the Selection Centre are presently unclear.

We believe that the Russian Far East could be an exporter of the superior Korean pine and Manchurian fir tree seeds from their natural populations to the South Asian countries (China and Korea), where natural forest have been disturbed by human economic activity.