Quantitative parameters of mountain pine needles during introduction to the Nizhny Novgorod region

Morphometric parameters of 1-year-old pine needles of mountain pine (Pinus mugo Turra.) as an introduced species in the Nizhny Novgorod region were studied in comparison with the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), which belongs to the native dendroflora. The relevance of the work is due to the high demand for representatives of the genus Pine (Pinus L.) when creating artificial plantings for various purposes and structures, including attraction of plants from non-district populations for these purposes. The methodological approach provided for compliance with the principle of the only logical difference and meeting the basic requirements for the formulation of experience – typicality, suitability, expediency and reliability. The object of research was 5-year-old seedlings of Mountain pine and Scots pine, located at the experimental site of the Nizhny Novgorod State Agrotechnological University with geographical coordinates N56°19'43" E44°00'07" and an absolute height of 141 m. The research was carried out by field stationary and laboratory methods. The subject of the study was the ability of individuals of the compared species in the juvenile phase of ontogenesis to form a leaf apparatus during one growing season. The length of the needles was recorded with an electronic vernier caliper FinePower DC0220 with an accuracy of 0.01 mm, the weight was recorded on precision analytical scales Acculab Vicon VIC–300d3 with an accuracy of 0.001 g. The ANOVA was performed according to one-way and two-way schemes. Phenotypic differences in linear parameters and weight of 1-year-old needles were established both between the compared species and between individuals belonging to each of them. The length of the needles of Mountain pine ranged from 5.81±0.129 cm to 8.33± 0.101 cm, of Scots pine – from 3.50 ±0.040 cm to 5.60 ± 0.157 cm. This gave an excess of more over less in the first case by 2.52 cm or 1.43 times, in the second – by 2.10 cm or 1.6 times. The similarity of the morphometric characteristics of the needles of the native Scots pine and the introduced mountain pine indicates the fundamental similarity of their biology.

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