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Using nine nuclear microsatellite loci (nSSR), the structure of genetic variability of Scots pine in the Black Sea-Caucasus region, Eastern Europe, the Urals, Siberia and the Russian Far East was studied and the demographic history of these population groups was investigated using ABC-analysis. A significant differentiation between the populations of the Eastern Black Sea region and the main areal was confirmed, while the time of divergence between these groups was estimated at 0.5 million BP. The differentiation of the populations of the Greater Caucasus into western and eastern populations was found, probably due to migrations of Eastern European populations to the Western Caucasus. The nSSR similarity of the populations of the Crimea and Asia Minor is shown, probably as a result of their relatively recent differentiation. The nSSR analysis revealed a significant differentiation between the populations of the Russian Far East and the rest of the populations of the northern part of the range. The divergence time between these groups of populations was estimated using ABC-analysis at 97 thousand BP, which confirms the survival of the scots pine in the Russian Far East during the last glacial maximum.

Results of karyological and cytogenetical studies in populations of conifer species of Pinaceae and Cupressaceae families from extreme conditions are summarized. In conifers growing in southern and northern borders of areas, on ecological limits of distribution, in anthropogenically disturbed ecosystems, at the introduction, chromosome variability is revealed. A high frequency of changes in the number of chromosomes (mixoploidy, aneuploidy and polyploidy) and their morphology were noted. Different types of chromosome anomalies (ring and polycentric chromosomes, fragments, multiple chromosome irregularities), B-chromosomes occurrence, irregularities of mitosis and meiosis are found. Using classical methods and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), studies of the polymorphism of the nucleolar regions of chromosomes were carried out, and features of the loci of the 5S and 45S ribosomal RNA genes were revealed.

A study of morphological traits in populations of R. aureum from the Western and Eastern Sayan and Kamchatka was carried out. The variability of genetic nuclear DNA microsatellite markers (nSSRs) was studied in the same samples. A total of 15 absolute and relative morphological traits of shoots and leaves, as well as 18 polymorphic microsatellite markers in 8 natural populations of R. aureum were observed. It was found that the following parameters were the most variable within species populations: plant size, shoot length, length of the foliated part of shoots and number of leaves relative to shoot length; more stable parameters were relative leaf shape parameters. Reliable division of populations into 3 geographical groups on all set of morphological characters is established. A great contribution to the division of geographical groups of populations and individual populations of an important taxonomic character - the duration of leaf life on the shoot was noted. The revealed structure of morphological differentiation of populations is confirmed by the results of the analysis of genetic variability of the same populations of R.aureum by nuclear microsatellite markers. The greatest genetic distances from other populations are established for Kamchatka populations. There is a tendency to differentiation of populations within the Altai-Sayan mountain country. The results of the study agree well with the information on geography, ecology and biology of the species. The study of intra- and interpopulation morphological differentiation of R. aureum populations in Siberia was conducted for the first time, following the recently initiated studies on genetic variability of the species in Northern Eurasia.

The results of the analysis of nuclear microsatellite loci (nSSR) for studying the genetic diversity of natural populations of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in the southern taiga and forest-steppe of Middle and Western Siberia, affected by fires and logging of different intensity, are presented. Six polymorphic loci suitable for studying the genetic variability of the populations of the species in Siberia were selected. The set of genetic markers used by us has not been studied yet in the Siberian part of the species range. Population genetic studies were carried out in 13 Siberian populations of Scots pine (26 samples) based on selected nSSR markers (psyl57, PtTx2146, lw_isotig04195, lw_isotig04306, lw_isotig10603, lw_isotig21953), containing a total of 62 alleles. 15 of them were found only in any one (two) of the populations, and can be used to study the spatial and population structure of the species and determine the geographical boundaries of the populations. It has been established that their variability is significantly higher compared to isoenzyme markers, they contain a significant number of rare and very rare alleles and are quite informative for the purposes of genetic monitoring and assessment of the impact of forestry activities and other natural and anthropogenic damaging factors on intrapopulation genetic diversity and the sustainability of one of the main forest-forming coniferous species of Siberia. In the process of analyzing the similarity of populations of the species according to the studied markers, a certain relationship was revealed between the genetic differentiation of populations and their geographical location, which is often not detected when using isoenzyme markers.

Betula pendula Roth. is tolerant to tehchnogenic air pollutants. However, the viability of pollen decreases under stress conditions, as well as under air pollution. The researches were conducted in Middle Siberia on eight plots of motley birches near industrial city of Krasnoyarsk. In each plot on west side of 15-20 trees, male twigs were cut at pollination time. Pollen was extracted from the male generative organs for size and viability (potential, by starch test, and realized, by in vitro germination) determination. The results were analyzed by statistical methods. The researches have revealed reduction of pollen viability under technogenic pollution and reliable differences in pollen grain diameters under different growing conditions, whereas deformed pollen grain were not revealed. The variability of pollen grains in diameter in the biocenosis did not exceed 9.3-9.9 %. Maximum number of sprouted pollen grains observed under background conditions, and minimum at the eastern border of city in the main direction of the transfer of technogenic aerosols. The length of pollen tubes in trees growing under these conditions decreased by more than twice in comparison to the critical value (namely, pollen grain diameter of 18-20 µm). Regression analysis has shown correlations between pollen germination and accumulation of dust on foliage, as well as of lead and aluminum content in the foliage ( r = - 0.1-0.3, р ≥ 0.05)). In spite of tolerance of the species to air pollution, Betula pendula male generative structures are sensitive to the contamination. Pollen viability can be used as a bioindicator of environmental pollution at monitoring.

The paper presents the results of field tests and chromosome analysis for five micropropagated clones of triploid white poplar (Populus alba L.) and grey poplar (Populus × canescens Sm.), which are of a mixoploid nature. In order to assess ecological and genetic potential of the plants they were tested in different edaphic conditions. It was found that the clones (genotypes) in the age of 2-23 years grown on black soil (chernozem) had better survival index, preservation rate, growth and health state than the same clones grown on poor dry acidic sandy loams. Under conditions of edaphic stress, clones had a higher cytogenetic polymorphism and heterogeneity of somatic cells (compared to chernozem). Apparently, the genetic and presumably epigenetic variability, manifested in a change in the degree of mixoploidy (the ratio of cells of different levels of ploidy) depending on environmental conditions and the nature of gene expression (an increase in the proportion of cells with residual nucleoli in the metaphase of mitosis), can provide the most effective implementation of the functions of genes for the adaptation of clones in adverse conditions. The study demonstrated that the response of clones to adverse growing conditions largely depended on their genotypic characteristics (including characteristics of the species). The clone of the grey poplar had the highest ecological plasticity. This clone has a broad genetic basis (it is a hybridogenic species, mixoploid, allotriploid), which expands the possibilities for its use in various growing conditions. Micropropagated clones of the white poplar execute their production potential (growth) on chernozem or alluvial soils.

DNA polymorphism of cenopopulations Larix sibirica Ledeb. and Picea obovata Ledeb., growing in different ecological conditions of the southern part of the Taimyr Peninsula, was studied, their genetic diversity in nuclear microsatellite loci was estimated: N_a = 3.30, N_e = 1.75, H_o = 0.263, H_e = 0.366 - in L. sibirica and N_a = 2.92, N_e = 1.59, H_o = 0.351, H_e = 0.338 - in P. obovata. In general, a deficiency of heterozygous genotypes (F = 0.177) in the studied populations of Siberian larch, and an excess of heterozygous genotypes ( F = -0.051) in populations of Siberian spruce were noted. The genetic features of these species under the influence of technogenic emissions in the Norilsk industrial region were examined. In L. sibirica, a higher allelic diversity and a higher level of inbreeding were found in the cenopopulation from an ecologically safe area, while a higher level of heterozygosity and a lower value of the inbreeding coefficient were noted in the area with an increased level of pollution. Comparison of the cenopopulation samples of P. obovata showed that the genetic structure of the stand from the ecologically favorable area is practically in equilibrium, while a 10 % excess of heterozygotes is recorded in the more polluted area. Despite certain differences between the two studied species, in general, cenopopulations of L. sibirica and P. obovata growing in the areas with an increased, but acceptable level of technogenic load in the Norilsk industrial region are characterized by higher values of almost all parameters of genetic variability. We suggest that this pattern reflects the activation of adaptive processes in coniferous populations from extreme growing conditions.

At present, Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) is widely used in the landscaping of industrial cities, despite the fact that, according to its physiological characteristics, it is not resistant to intense technogenic pollution. Thus, the study of radial growth dynamics of Scots pine trees under the influence of technogenic pollution of different composition and intensity is greatly important. The purpose of this article is to use the dendrochronological method to answer the question of whether pollution modifies the climatic response of the annual ring width of Scotch pine in the green plantations of Krasnoyarsk. The objects of the study were trees growing on three test sites (TS) exposed to the negative effects of atmospheric toxicants: 2) TS «E. Stasova str.» (pollution from vehicles, the main pollutants are CO, NO, NO₂, SO₂, benzo(a)pyrene, etc.); 3) TS «Park «Gvardeisky» (emissions from industrial enterprises of non-ferrous metallurgy and heat and power complex; the main pollutants are CO, NO, NO₂, SO₂, soot, fluorine compounds, benzo(a)pyrene, hydrogen sulfide, etc.); 4) TS «9 Maya str.» (total impact of emissions from motor transport and industrial enterprises of non-ferrous metallurgy and heat and power complex) and on one conditionally 1) clean test site - TS «Arboretum of IL SB RAS». Based on the annual ring width data obtained in the first article of the cycle (Klad’ko, Skripal’shchikova, 2021), we calculated indexed radial increment curves for each site. To identify the climatic signal in indexed chronologies, we used the method of sliding correlation climatic response functions. At the TS 2, in comparison with the conditionally pure TS 1, an increased sensitivity of Scots pine to the temperature of middle-July, at the TS 3 an increased sensitivity to temperature of one-half of August, at the TS 4 an increased sensitivity to temperature and precipitation of middle June. The results showed that climate signal in dynamics of the radial growth of Scotch pine modified by the influence of technogenic pollution in relation its properties.

Here we report about notable damage on the leaves of Tatar maple ( Acer tataricum L.) in the arboretum of V. N. Sukachev Institute of Forest Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (IF SB RAS) in the city of Krasnoyarsk and the Central Siberian Botanical Garden, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (CSBG SB RAS) in the city of Novosibirsk. In 2008-2009 and 2023, on average up to 70 % of the apical leaves of Tatar maple were gnawed. At the same time, the damaged caused to Amur maple ( A. tataricum subsp. ginnala (Maxim.) Wesm.), which grew next to Tatar maple in both arboreta, did not exceed 35 %. Insignificant characteristic damage (no more than 5 % of leaves in the lower part of the tree crown) was documented on the European maple ( A. platanoides L.) in the IF SB RAS arboretum. There were no signs of damage on the European field maple ( A. campestre L.) and the North American maple ( A. negundo L.) in the IF SB RAS arboretum and CSBG SB RAS. According to characteristic features, in particular, tight trophic association with Tatar maple (main host), damage type (spunning leaves in early summer and noticeable nibbles on leaves by mid-summer), life cycle (larval development from about the mid May to the end of June, leaving leaf shelters before pupation), the presence of an alien species Ypsolopha chazariella (Mann, 1866) (Ypsolophidae, Lepidoptera) is suspected in two Siberian arboreta. The paper discusses the prospects of using arboreta and botanical gardens for the timely detection of alien insect pests.

The review of the book by Allison J. D., Paine T. D., Slippers B., Wingfield M. J. (Eds.). Forest entomology and pathology. Vol. I. Entomology. Springer Nature: Cham, Switzerland, 2023. 810 p. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11553-0