Geographic culture of pine in Zelenodol’skoe forestry in the Republic of Tatarstan

Attention is drawn to provenance trial plantations of Scots Pine. The introduction describes the value of provenance trial plantations as a subjects. The purpose of the paper is a comprehensive estimation of provenance trial plantations of Scots Pine in the National Public Institution Zelenodolsk Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan. The relevance of the paper is explained with the fact that the biological age of plants in the provenance trial plantations is 40 years, i.e. the plantations call for a final estimation. The sections “Subjects and Methods” discloses the location of the subject, the history of its establishment, Climatic and silvicultural features of the plot are described, Process peculiarities of creating provenance trial plantations. The estimation of the trial plantations was done using silvicultural methods. Trees were assessed in terms of the diameter, height, straightness of the trunk, presence of irregularity of the shape of the trunk, mechanical damages, category of the technical feasibility. In total, 1020 trees were accounted in 12 units. The dimensions of units are 30 m by 50 m, the planting pitch is 0.8 m by 2.5 m, the number of plants is 750. The results of the research represent the preservation of plants in trial plantations as of 2015. The preservation in the units ranges from 6.5% to 16%, which amount to 11.3% for the subject in general. The primary causes of the poor preservation and the poor condition of the trees in the trial plantations are as follows: damages of the plants when treated mechanically, drought of 1980-1981. The decline in the preservation from 1999 to 2014 is related to the natural selection of the plants in the trial plantations, the performance of silvicultural treatments. Basic taxation indices of provenances were identified in the units of the trial plantations. The most productive and quality provenance (No. 47) was identified. The prospective genotype of Scots Pine can be used as grafters to create units of a unified genetic and selection complex. The material can be applied in the forest industry.