HEIGHT GROWTH VARIATION IN A COMPREHENSIVE EURASIAN PROVENANCE EXPERIMENT OF (PINUS-SYLVESTRIS L.)

In the years 1974 to 1976, on the initiative of the Forest Research In stitute in Pushkino, near Moscow, a major Scots pine experiment was es tablished with 113 provenances over 33 planting sites, well scattered over the whole former USSR. Basing on reports from co-operating instit utions information is compiled on the provenances used, on the plantin g sites and on the mean tree height at latest measurement. Interaction parameters are calculated and the data on tree height, converted to u nits of standard deviation ii om location means, is plotted onto maps of the locations demonstrating the extent of genotype environment inte raction. ?Ile range of the species in the former USSR can be divided i nto regions (Northwestern, Baltic, Western Continental, Northern Russi a, Central European Russia, Middle Volga, Central Trans-Urals, Souther n fringe, Eastern Siberia), that have characteristic For them response s to seed transfer in terms of height growth performance at various lo cations. Western populations (Baltic countries, Bielorussia, Ukraine) are clearly superior in height growth at most European locations. This zone with superior populations extends also to the region between riv ers Volga, Oka and Don (Middle Volga region). Scots pine from that reg ion is transferable further east, though not as successfully westwards . Around Moscow (Central European Russia) there is a region with react ive populations that are very successful within the region and they ca n be transferred eastwards to some extent but not in other directions nor over greater distances. Extensive longitudinal transfers of popula tions are possible within two latitudinal zones, Northern Russia and C entral Trans-Urals. The latter is a central zone extending from the Ur als to river Yenitsyei with populations of average growth performance relative to the much poorer growth of the northern, Far Eastern and so uthern populations.