ОСНОВНЫЕ КОМПОНЕНТЫ ИСКУССТВЕННЫХ ЛЕСНЫХ БИОГЕОЦЕНОЗОВ В УСЛОВИЯХ МНОГОЛЕТНЕГО ЭКСПЕРИМЕНТА

Distribution of chemical elements in tree rings bears important information on various biogeochemical processes. In order to achieve a reliable interpretation of the information, it is necessary to know the degree of variation in the content of chemical elements both at the level of the entire species and at the level of individual trees. The research aims to determine which chemical elements have a stable distribution in the trunks of a number of conifers: Siberian spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.), and Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour). The data for the analysis were obtained on the basis of the long-term experiment in forest growing. The experimental site was laid out in 1971–1972 in the vicinity of Krasnoyarsk by the staff of the Sukachev Institute of Forest of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Before planting the seedlings, the soil ground was mechanically levelled, and thus, sufficiently equal growth conditions were created for all plantings. Cores with a diameter of 12 mm were sampled from three normally developing trees of each species and analyzed using modern X-ray fluorescence methods. Content relative values of elements (counts) were obtained with the Itrax Multiscanner (COX Analytical Systems). The content of elements in the tree rings was characterized by the concentration and reserve of elements. Concentration was calculated as the number of counts per 1 mm2 of the ring area; reserve was calculated as the number of counts over the entire ring area. Each of these variables was defined by the parameters of linear slope in the calendar year series and the standard deviation. The cluster analysis was performed in the 4-dimensional space of the obtained parameters. This allowed determining whether the series of element distributions from different trees and species are grouped. Three elements (Ca, Co, and P) show high stability of distribution parameters in tree rings with no regard to tree species. A number of other elements (Mn, Pb, Cl, Cr, Ni, Sr, and W) are stably grouped depending on the species. The results of the research enable to focus on the study of the elements stably distributed in the conifer trunks. For citation: Gavrikov V.L., Fertikov A.I., Sharafutdinov R.A., Vaganov E.A. Variability in Elemental Composition of Conifer Tree Rings. Lesnoy Zhurnal [Russian Forestry Journal], 2021, no. 6, pp. 24–37. DOI: 10.37482/0536-1036-2021-6-24-37

В статье освещены результаты палеоботанического изучения торфяных отложений в бассейне среднего течения р. Котуй (Северная Эвенкия). Базовым материалом для исследования стали макроостатки ископаемых растений. На основании изменения видового состава ископаемых объектов и радиоуглеродного датирования по 14С реконструирована динамика фитоценотической структуры лесных формаций за последние 6000 календарных лет. Дана количественная оценка их климатической обусловленности. В начале рассматриваемого времени в результате потепления и повышения влажности увеличивается биоразнообразие растительного покрова и формируется формация бореальных смешанных лесов с елью сибирской ( Picea obovata Ledeb.) и сосной обыкновенной ( Pinus sylvestris L . ). С нарастанием континентальности и похолодания климата биоразнообразие падает, а доминирующей формацией становится редкостойная лиственничная с лиственницей Гмелина ( Larix gmelinii(Rupr.) Rupr.). Установлена динамика границ ареалов лиственницы сибирской ( Larix sibirica Ledeb.), л. Гмелина и кедрового стланика ( Pinus pumila(Pall.) Regel.) на рубеже климатического оптимума и в позднем голоцене. The article highlights the results of a paleobotanical study of peat deposits in the basin of the middle reaches of the river Kotuy (Northern Evenkia). The macro-remains of fossil plants became the basic material for the study. Based on the change in the species composition of fossil objects and radiocarbon dating by 14C, the dynamics of the phytocenotic structure of changes in the structure of forest formations from 6000 years ago to the present is reconstructed. A quantitative assessment of their climatic conditionality is given. At the beginning of the period under consideration, because of warming and increasing humidity, the biodiversity of the vegetation cover increases and the formation of mixed forests (Siberian spruce ( Picea obovata Ledeb.), Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.)) is formed. With an increase in the continentality of the climate and cooling, biodiversity decreases, and the sparse larch (Gmelin larch ( Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Rupr.))becomes the dominant formation. The dynamics of the boundaries of the ranges of Siberian larch ( Larix sibirica Ledeb.), Gmelin larch, Siberian dwarf pine ( Pinus pumila (Pall.) Regel.) at the boundary of the climatic optimum and in the late Holocene was established.

Today, the overgrowth of woody and shrubby vegetation on former agricultural lands is a serious problem. The aim of this research has been to investigate age-related changes in the forest inventory indicators of forest stands on abandoned farmlands. Taking into account the temporal factor when monitoring the carbon budget allows identifying a number of processes in the dynamics of carbon sequestration that cannot be estimated in a single study. To address this issue, data from permanent sample plots have been analyzed in 2011 with repeated measurements in 2023. The sample plots are located on the abandoned farmlands on the border of the Krasnoyarsk forest-steppe area. The dynamics of the process of Today, the overgrowth of woody and shrubby vegetation on former agricultural lands is a serious problem. The aim of this research has been to investigate age-related changes in the forest inventory indicators of forest stands on abandoned farmlands. Taking into account the temporal factor when monitoring the carbon budget allows identifying a number of processes in the dynamics of carbon sequestration that cannot be estimated in a single study. To address this issue, data from permanent sample plots have been analyzed in 2011 with repeated measurements in 2023. The sample plots are located on the abandoned farmlands on the border of the Krasnoyarsk forest-steppe area. The dynamics of the process of overgrowth and development of plantations has shown that as the abandoned farmlands form, in addition to the dominant Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) and aspen (Populus tremula L.), Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.), Siberian spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb.) and goat willow (Salix caprea L.) are also found. The dynamic process of pine abandoned farmlands has been established over a period of 15 to 27 years after land abandonment. The mixed plantations of various successional origins have ranged in age from 10 to 30 years old. Various processes have been observed in the research plots in terms of changes in the density of abandoned farmlands (overgrowth, thinning). The reforestation of abandoned farmlands occurs from the forest border and at a distance of up to 50 m continues after 30 years. The abandoned farmlands are characterized by various forms of overgrowth: clumps, biogroups, complete and by single trees. The average quantitative assessment has shown that that the most intense changes in height, diameter, height to the crown base, height to the largest crown width, and crown diameters have occurred in the test area where the minimum density has been observed, which has been decreasing dynamically. In the plot with the maximum density, morphological indicators have been characterized by an average increase. Minimal changes have been recorded in the sample plot where the density has increased significantly over 12 years. The growth rate of trees of the same diameter in height has been greater in 2023 compared to 2011. It is possible that this has been influenced by a combination of external and internal factors, including climate change. To assess the carbon productivity of forest stands growing on the abandoned farmlands, it is advisable to use regression equations developed for a specific area. The results of the study of the dynamics of carbon sequestration by young forests growing on the abandoned farmlands indicate the feasibility of using postagrarian lands for the implementation of forest climate projects.

Сосна сибирская (кедр сибирский) ( Pinus sibirica Du Tour) имеет три экологические формы, определяющиеся условиями возобновления и формирования древостоев: возобновление свежих гарей, возобновление под пологом лиственных пород и формирование кедрового подроста под пологом светлохвойных пород, но не достигающего верхнего полога. Первые две формы возобновления наблюдаются в экотопах соответствующих условиям произрастания сосны сибирской, но сценарии формирования кедровников различны. Исследования проводились в двух типах лесорастительных условий: Западно-Саянский округ горно-таежных и подгольцово-таежных кедровых лесов (Абазинское участковое лесничество) и Южно-Хакасский округ горно-таежных темнохвойных лесов (Матурское и Копьевское участковые лесничества). В Абазинском лесничестве усредненная периодичность плодоношения кедрового насаждения составила 5 лет, а в Кузнецком Алатау - 3 года. Плодоношение кедра - прогнозируемое явление, но разнос и прорастание семян кедра - сложные процессы, связанные с зоохорным распространением и мощным воздействием трофического фактора потребителей орехов. По радиальному приросту деревьев, определенному по пням на лесосеках (санитарные рубки) Абазинского лесничества, кедровники имеют пирогенное происхождение, хороший рост в течение жизни и усыхание без потери прироста. В современной истории лесоведения вспышечная активность корневых патогенов встречается впервые. Прогноз возобновления усыхающих кедровников в среднегорной части Западного Саяна положительный. В Кузнецком Алатау подроста кедра недостаточно и лесовозобновление в крупнотравных типах леса возможно только со сменой пород. Вырубка древостоя, как и его усыхание с последующим разрастанием травостоя, способствует росту плотности населения потребителей кедровых орехов и соответственно исключает возобновление кедра. Сохранение подроста на вырубках 30-летней давности дало положительные результаты формирования плодоносящих кедровников. Организация орехопромысловых зон с запретом рубки кедра и его последующее усыхание привели к экономическим потерям ценной древесины и побочного ресурса прижизненного использования кедровых насаждений. Siberian stone pine ( Pinus sibirica Du Tour) has three ecological forms, determined by the conditions of renewal and formation of forest stands: renewal of fresh burnt areas, renewal under the canopy of deciduous trees and the formation of the Siberian stone pine undergrowth under the canopy of light coniferous species, but not reaching the top canopy. The first two forms of renewal are observed in ecotopes corresponding to the growing conditions of the Siberian stone pine, but the scenarios for the formation of the forests are different. The study was carried out in two types of forest conditions: the Western Sayan district of mountain-taiga and subgoltsy-taiga Siberian stone pine forests Abaza forestry district) and the South Khakass district of mountain-taiga dark coniferous forests (Maturskoe and Kop’evskoe forestry district). In Abaza forestry, the average periodicity of fruiting of the Siberian stone pine stands was 5 years, and in the Kuznetsk Alatau - 3 years. Fruiting of the Siberian stone pine is a predictable phenomenon, but the spread and germination of the Siberian stone pine seeds are complex processes associated with zoochoric distribution and the powerful influence of the trophic factor of nut consumers. According to the radial growth of trees, determined from stumps in cutting areas (forest health felling) of the Abaza forestry, Siberian stone pine forests are of pyrogenic origin, have good growth throughout life and dry out without loss of growth. In the modern history of forestry, outbreak activity of root pathogens occurs for the first time. The forecast for the regeneration of drying Siberian stone pine forests in the mid-mountain part of the Western Sayan is positive. In Kuznetsk Alatau, the Siberian stone pine regrowth is insufficient and reforestation in large grass forest types is possible only with a change in species. The cutting of the tree stand, as well as its drying out with the subsequent growth of the grass stand, contributes to an increase in the population density of consumers of the Siberian stone pine nuts and, accordingly, excludes the regeneration of the trees. Preservation of undergrowth in clearings 30 years ago has yielded positive results in the formation of fruit-bearing Siberian stone pine forests. The organization of nut fishing zones with a ban on Siberian stone pine logging and its subsequent drying out led to economic losses of valuable wood and a by-product resource during the lifetime use of the Siberian stone pine stands.

The study of the quantitative content of extractive substances from various tree organs (wood, roots, bark) of coniferous Siberian specieswas conducted. The larch (Larix sibirica L.), pines (Pinus sylvestris L.), fir (Abies sibirica L.), spruce (Picea obovata L.) and cedar (Pinus sibirica Du Tour) were investigated.
 Samples of coniferous tissues were selected in the Lake Baikal area in September-October 2015. Extractive substances were extracted from the ground raw material by extraction with ethyl acetate at the boiling point of the solvent for 4 hours. The resinous substances were extracted from the obtained ethyl acetate extracts by hexane by the infusion method for 2 days. The raw material samples, after extraction with ethyl acetate, were dried from solvent residues, then water-soluble substances were extracted by extraction with distilled water at 90 °C for 4 hours [1].
 It is established the bark of the investigated coniferous species is most rich in extractive substances. It can contain up to 15% of the mass of absolutely dry matter (a.d.m.) of compounds soluble in ethyl acetate (for example, fir bark). The yield of extractive substances from coniferous wood is comparable with their content in the roots and ranges from 2 to 6% of the a.d.m.
 The greatest amount of resinous substances contain in wood of cedar and pine. This is more than 3% of a.d.m. The highest yield of water-soluble substances was from larch wood (18% of a.d.m.) and fir bark (10% of a.d.m.).
 A generalization and systematization of data on the chemical composition of phenolic extractive compounds of various coniferous tissues was carried out. It is shown that all the species under study contain a variety of biologically valuable polyphenols and have good potential for pharmacology, agriculture and forestry.

In the beginning of this century, the cases of invasions of dendrophilous insects becomes more often. The impact of invadors leads to the degradation of forest ecosystems and loss of natural biological diversity. The article discusses the invasion of Polygraphus proximus Blandf. in fir forests of Western Siberia. The aim of the research was to evaluate the potential of natural regeneration of fir forests in Western Siberia, damaged by Polygraphus proximus. Studies are conducted in the southern part of the Tomsk region at 11 test plots. Objects of research were both one breed fir trees, and grass communities of Siberian fir (Abies sibirica Ledeb.) with participation of Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour), Siberian spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb.), silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) and aspen (Populus tremula L.). Surveyed plantations belonged to the ripening or ripe age states. The study of natural regeneration was carried out according to standard procedures. Method of transects was used. Measurements were subjected to basic morphological parameters of the undergrowth. The distribution of the natural regeneration area was estimated by calculating the ratio of occurrence and index of scattering. To assess the affinity of the undergrowth, micromosaic structure of the organization of communities was studied. Analysis of the size and morphological structure of natural regeneration have identified the degree of damage of forest stand and condition of the undergrowth. Dynamics of spatial structure is characterized by heterogeneity (index of dispersion exceeds 1). It indicates group location and its variable density. 82 % of teste plots were recorded with mortality of trees in the impact of Polygraphus proximus. In this case the bulk of the deceased undergrowth is from the major category (95 %), and only 5 % is the average undergrowth. The share of deceased major undergrowth was 9.9-50 %. There was a positive relationship between the number of mortality of trees and status category of fir forest. The number of damaged undergrowth in fir forests varies from 1.2 to 29.6 thousand units/ha. Predominant species is fir. Fir forests of Western Siberia, damaged by Polygraphus proximus, have potential of regeneration. Siberian fir will retain edificatoria value.

The article presents the results of studies conducted in Eastern Siberia, dedicated to determining the amount of force required for detachment of Siberian larch, Scots pine and Siberian pine cones, which is one of the main indicators that determines the parameters of cone collecting machines and mechanisms for coniferous species. The pick-off force for the cones was measured at different collection times in the upper, middle, and lower parts of the crown and at different angles of pull-off force direction. The limits of these forces variability are: for the Scots pine – 23.5–48.1 N, for the Siberian larch – 27.5–42.2 N; for the Siberian pine – 3.9–7.8 N. The data obtained can serve as a basis for calculating the parameters of cone collecting mechanisation tools for the aforementioned species. When designing machines and mechanisms for collecting the coniferous trees’ cones, it is necessary to have initial data that determine the parameters of the working bodies. One of these parameters is the amount of effort required to separate the cones from the branches. The forces of detaching cones from trees in the European part of Russia were determined by a number of researchers. According to I.M. Zima with co-authors (1966), the force of detachment of cones in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) is 41.2 N. According to I.A. Lavrov (1970), pine cones can be torn off with a force of 21.1 N, and the cones of Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb) – with a force of 39.2 N. In Siberia, studies on the cones detachment were first carried out in 1970 by the laboratory of mechanization of the forest seeds collection and processing of the ASRIM forestry enterprise (Orlovsky et al., 2016). The detachment of Siberian larch, Scots pine and Siberian pine cones was studied in the forestry enterprises of the Krasnoyarsk and Altai regions and in the Republic of Tyva. The pull-off forces of Scots pine and Siberian larch cones were measured in the lower, middle, and upper parts of the crowns using dynamometers with a 0.1 N division value and with a maximum force recording device. The measurements were carried out along the branch, at an angle of 40°–50° and at an angle of 90° to the branch.

The article discusses the reasons for the low survival capacity of Siberian stone pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour.) crops in the conditions of the West Siberian mid-taiga plain forest region. The field stage of research was performed in the autumn 2020 and the summer 2022. The survival capacity of forest crops was determined on rectangular trial plots covering 1–2 % of the total area of the surveyed plots. The article provides data on the location and description of the studied areas of Siberian stone pine crops, as well as data on the number of surviving plants and the survival capacity of seedlings in these plots. In the course of the research, it was found that the survival capacity of Siberian stone pine crops in the four studied plots was 7,8 (60,3 %) in 2020, and this figure decreased to 3,6 (39,8 %) in 2022. Along with many other possible causes of excessive death of Siberian stone pine seedlings, the most likely reasons for the poor survival capacity are soaking seedlings and suppressing them with unwanted herbaceous and woody vegetation. In the three study areas, it is recommended to write off forest crops and replant seedlings. In one of the studied crop plots, it is necessary to perform silvicultural maintenance in order to remove unwanted hardwoods and supplement forest crops with enlarged seedlings or seedlings of Siberian stone pine. To increase the survival capacity of Siberian stone pine crops, it is recommended to abandon soil cultivation methods in which the upper fertile soil layer is mixed with the underlying levels, as well as to perform agrotechnical and silvicultural maintenance in a timely manner.

The optimal foraging theory, the nutrient balance hypothesis, and the plant association theories predict that foraging decisions and resulting tree damage by large mammalian browsers may be influenced by the species richness and species composition of forest stands. This may lead to either associational susceptibility (increased damage on a focal plant in a mixed stand) or associational resistance (reduced damage in a mixed stand). Better understanding of the mechanisms and the relative importance of tree species richness and composition effects on foraging by mammalian browsers is needed to support sustainable management of forests and mammal populations. However, existing knowledge of forest diversity effects on foraging by large mammalian browsers comes largely from observational studies while experimental evidence is limited. We analysed winter browsing by moose (Alces alces L.) in a long-term, large-scale experiment in Finland, which represents a tree species richness gradient from monocultures to 2-, 3- and 5-species mixtures composed of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies L.), Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.), silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) and black alder (Alnus glutinosa L.). The intensity of browsing per plot increased with tree species richness while browsing selectivity decreased with tree species being targeted more equally in species-rich mixtures. Tree species composition of a plot was also an important determinant of intensity of browsing. The greatest browsing occurred in plots containing preferred species (pine and birch) while intermediate preference species (larch and alder) experienced associational susceptibility when growing with pine and birch compared with their monocultures or mixtures without pine and birch. In contrast, we found no evidence of associational resistance; the presence of a least preferred species (spruce) in a mixture had no significant effect on moose browsing on other tree species. We demonstrate that the presence of alternative forage species allows moose to spend longer opportunistically foraging in a plot, resulting in increased level of damage in species-rich stands and stands containing preferred tree species. Our results highlight the limitations of the optimal foraging theory in predicting browsing patterns and demonstrate the importance of associational effects within mixed stands.

Over the coming decades, climate change can decrease forest productivity and stability in many semiarid regions. Tree-ring width (TRW) analysis allows estimation of tree sensitivity to droughts, including resistance (Rt) and resilience (Rc) indexes. It helps to find adaptive potential of individual trees and forest populations. On a forest stand scale, it is affected by habitat conditions and species’ ecophysiological characteristics, and on individual scale by tree genotype, age, and size. This study investigated TRW response to droughts in forest-steppe and sub-taiga of southern Siberia for keystone species Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.), and silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.). Chronologies reacted positively to the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) of the previous July–September and current April–July. Depressed tree growth across region and droughts lasting over both intra-seasonal intervals were registered in 1965, 1974, and 1999. TRW-based Rt and Rc for these droughts did not reveal age- or size-related patterns. Higher growth stability indexes were observed for birch in sub-taiga and for conifers in forest-steppe. Larch at all sites had disadvantage against pine for 1965 and 1999 droughts aggravated by pest outbreaks, but adapted better to drought in 1974. Site aridity affected both tree growth stability and intensity of climatic response.

Cedar forest is the most complex and dynamic formation of the Siberian Taiga. It clearly demonstrates the processes of natural regeneration dynamics, sustainability, space-time structure and biodiversity of Siberian forests (Drozdov and Grishenkov, 2003). Within its range, Siberian stone pine grows in various environmental conditions, including high mountains and marshland, which led to the formation of various ecotypes, forms, biotypes that has been created by nature for centuries (Nikolaeva and Savchuk, 2013). Much attention is currently being paid to biological and seed productivity of cedar cultures depending on their geographical origin (Bratilova and Kalinin, 2012; Matveeva et al, 2012; Dragavcev, 2008). This study involved research on the growth of the Siberian cedar pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour) in the process of artificial plantation formation. In order to develop methods for the genetic evaluation of plant structures and search for indicators, patterns of growth for 100 model trees were analyzed in the experimental population.

An estimation of formation of soil invertebrate complexes was carried out on a common-garden provenance test with the major Siberian woody species: arolla pine (Pinus sibirica), Scots pine (Pinus silvestris), Siberian larch (Larix sibirica), Norway spruce (Picea abies, =Picea obovata), birch (Betula fruticosa), and aspen (Populus tremula). The experiment was established on a former agricultural field, so the formation of soil communities over the 30 year period combined the effects of both the reestablishment of forest conditions for soil formation and the influence of each tree species.

We studied the chemical composition of the phenolic complex and the structure of oligomeric lignans in Siberian spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb.). We used the wood of Siberian spruce collected near the city of Irkutsk. The extractives were isolated from ground wood (particle size: 10–15 mm; humidity: 5.9%) by three-stage acetone extraction. The extract was separated by consecutive treatment with the solvents with increasing polarity: hexane, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. The main amount of phenolic compounds (lignans) was concentrated in the ethyl acetate fraction and it was 0.7% in absolutely dry wood (adw).

This study examines galactoglucomannan, a well-studied biopolymer isolated from Siberian spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb). Due to its structure, abundant with hydroxyl groups, galactoglucomannan's properties, such as heavy-metal ion affinity, are considered to be mediocre. Nevertheless, there are various ways to enhance its functionality via oxidative TEMPO/NaBr/NaOCl processing. This work is concerned with the determination of the oxidation effect on the structure and performance properties, such as thermal decomposition behavior, antioxidant activity, and selective heavy-metal sorption. In the results, TEMPO-oxidized galactoglucomannan yields vary in the range of 78.3 ± 6.4 wt.%. The carboxylate group in the oxidized derivative represents up to 0.084 g/1 g of the sample. According to antioxidant activity tests, the oxidized galactoglucomannan exceeds the initial sample in terms of hydroxyl radical scavenging ability. The spectral characteristics of the initial and oxidized galactoglucomannan samples reveal the differences in absorption units (1725, 1610, and 1371 cm-1). The preservation of the polymeric structure was confirmed by the gel permeation chromatography analysis results. The heavy-metal ion capacity of galactoglucomannan is higher for the oxidized derivative, which demonstrated Cd2+, Fe2+, Cu2+, and Pb2+ adsorption values of 166.8 mg/g, 142.8 mg/g, 150.0 mg/g, and 199.2 mg/g, accordingly. The obtained result of the competitive heavy-metal ion adsorption of oxidized galactoglucomannan also exceeds its initial form, as characterized by its summary 143.1 mg/g capacity.

The article presents the results of provenance trials carried on the Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), the Siberian spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb.) and hybrid forms of these two species. The trails were laid in 1977-1978 according to wide-scale All-Union program of 1972 year (Prokazin 1972) in the Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Leningrad regions and the Republic of Bashkortostan. The results of the most recent inventory of provenance trials as well as analyses of preservation and growth of spruce progenies with different geographical origin are presented. One of the main factors affecting spruce progeny survival was north-south distance between seed collection locality and test locality. At the time of the study (2010-2012), in the Vologda and Arkhangelsk regions, spruce progeny preservation was higher in the case of mother stands distant to the north. On the contrary, in the Leningrad region and the Republic of Bashkortostan, preservation of northern climatypes’ progenies was lower during the whole period of plantations’ growth. With the change of seed collection locality towards west-east direction, a correlation between progeny preservation and geographical origin factors was non-existent (Vologda, Arkhangelsk regions) or weak (Leningrad region, Republic of Bashkortostan). The most successful growth and the lowest preservation were observed under the conditions of sharp-continental climate, in provenance trials carried out in the Bashkortostan Republic. In the north of Russia, in provenance trials in the Arkhangelsk region there was observed the slowest spruce growth. On the whole, at all the objects under investigation, Norway spruce progenies and hybrid forms with Norway spruce properties showed better growth parameters when compared to those of the Siberian spruce.