Distribution of intermediate populations of the European and Siberian spruces in the Russian part of the area

The work is devoted to the study of the structure and distribution of intermediate populations of European and Siberian spruce in eastern Europe. Since a sufficiently objective reception of the definition of the region of intermediate populations of spruce has not yet occurred, the metric methods for evaluating the shape of seed scales were used to solve this problem, on the basis of which the corresponding phenotypes of individuals were selected. According to the predominance of individuals of intermediate phenotypes, intermediate populations and their geographic location were identified. In the Russian part of the range, on a wide strip of territory from Karelia to the central bed of the Kama (in the Perm Territory), there are three groups of populations of the intermediate form of European and Siberian spruces. They are characterized by the predominance of individuals of intermediate phenotypes (50% or more), intermediate parameters of many characters, but an increased indicator of the diversity of phenotypes and some genetic characters. The first of the groups of the intermediate form is geographically and in terms of the phenotypic structure of the populations closer to the European spruce, the third to the Siberian spruce, the second occupies the middle position. The results of the study may be useful for solving the issues of population-geographical diversity of spruce and its use in forestry.