DIFFERENTIATION OF LARCH AND SCOTCH PINE POPULATIONS IN PROVENANCE TRIALS OF KRASNOYRSK AND UZHURSK FOREST-STEPPE

Iroshnikov A.I.

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

In Russia the problem of influence of woody plants origin on the indices of their growth, quality and resistance was charly defined in 1899-1912 in the works of M.K.Turski, M.A.Sivers, A.D.Voeikov, A.N.Sobolev, S.Z.Kurdiani, V.D.Ogievski, N.S.Nesterov. A number of its aspects was studied in the trials established in one of the experimental forest division or in parallel – in their system(the latter was Voeikov’s initiative, supported by the XI - th All- Russian Conference of Forest Owners in 1909). Later on till the 1970s (the beginning of creation of State System of Provenance Trials) some representative experiments with a number of forest forming plants were established by the initiative of A.I.Kolesnikov, M.M.Veresin, R.I.Derjuzhkin, L.F.Pravdin, V.P. Timofeev, A.S.Jablakov, P.I.Voichal and others.

The results of the study of the experiments of 1910-1960 became an important requisite for the development of “Forest-seed Regioning of the Main Forest-forming Species in the USSR”(1982). In the latter the first results of the experiments which were begun in 1964 in 4 places of Krasnojarsk Territory with contrast forest-growing conditions ( Emeljanovsk, Uzhursk and Ermakovsk Forestry Enterprises) were taken into consideration.

The most long lasting (38-43 years) regular observations of Larix sibirica Ledeb. (and L. dahurica Turcz. ex Trautv., L. cajanderi Mayr., L. kurilensis Mayr, L. sukaczewii Dyl., L. czecanovskii Szaf. and L. leptolepsis Gord.) and Pinus sylvestris progenies were carried out in Krasnoyarsk and Uzhursk forest-steppes.

They allowed to revise natural (biotic and abiotic) factors, processes and indices, determining and characterizing specificity and degree of spatial differentiation of a number of population gene pool in the area by the complex of characters. First of all, these are differences in:

- radiation and thermal regime;

- the degree of tolerance of genotypic content to different stresses and aggressive pathogens;

- representation of some contrast phenotypes, caused by the effects of a founder, migration and interspecific hybridization, soil forming bottom and atmosphere circulation.

A deep collection analysis of the results of all investigations of the provenance trials in the country and of their genotypic content will allow:

- to correct the operating forest-seed regioning;

- to specificate the concept, “local seeds” (V.N.Sukachev payed attention to it in 1921);

- to determine standard micropopulations, needing their gene pool protection;

- to work out target-oriental, complex, long-term programme for the further study of phylogeny of the main forest formers for maintenance and rational use of their genetic resources.

In the latter it is necessary to show such insufficiently implemented ideas, projects and proposals as: study of the effect of seed origin must be carried out in the closest connection with the works on genetics of woody species (Sukachev, 1921); investigation of subdivision of subpopulation gene pool in the context of contrast edaphotypes (Kapper, 1946); receiving of the effect of heterosis and fast-ripening forms with valuable characters in distant inraspecific crossings (Kobranov,1925; Samofal, 1936); use it high-informative morphological characters during separation of intraspecific categories and zones of interspecific hybridization (Sukachev, 1921); determination of the systematization with use of a complex of molecular markers (Semerikov, 2007).