COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF COMPETITION INDICES AND GENOTYPE OF SCOTS PINE TREE REACTIONS TO CHANGES IN METEOROLOGY AND AIR POLLUTION

Abstract

Changing climatic conditions, increased length of growing season, competition, genotype and pollution are the most important factors for tree productivity and health. That is why only by knowing the impact of these factors on trees we can evaluate and change sylvicultural treatments that are important for the health and productivity of forest in Lithuania. The aim of the present study was to detect the significance of the competition index vs. genotype of Scots pine trees on their reactions to changes in meteorology and air pollution. Tree health, dendrometric parameters and stem basal area increment were chosen as response variables to meet the objectives of the presented study. The investigation was carried out at Scots pine genetic stand located in Aukstaitija national park, Vaisniunai district. Data on meteorology and air pollutants were obtained from ICP Integrated Monitoring Station located there. Genetically related individual groups in the stand were established by the neutral part of the genome of short repeated DNA sequence length polymorphism markers. Trees of distinctive short repeated sequences allele frequencies were grouped by Bayesian cluster analysis methods. Four genetically similar tree groups were separated in the monitored stand based on significance of ΔK value. Seven competition indices were used to determine the competition intensity effect on the tree increment and their dendrometric parameters including crown condition. The obtained results revealed that trees which demonstrated the most intensive BAI formation, best crown condition and the most significant reaction to changes in meteorology and air pollution comprised one tree genetic group while trees with adverse characteristics the second. Notwithstanding this competition intensity had the most significant effect on BAI formation.

Keywords: Scots pine, dendrometric parameters, radial increment, crown defoliation, competition index, genetic group, air pollution

Article DOI: http://doi.org/10.15544/RD.2017.168