GEOECOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF LATE TIMBER GROWTH OF SCOTTS PINE (PINUS SYLVESTRIS L.) IN CONDITIONS OF BELARUS

Khokh Anna Nikolaevna, Zvyagintsev Vyacheslav Borisovich

The work carried out a comparative analysis of the dynamics of growth of late wood of pine in the conditions of the most widespread forest formation in the country - mossy pine forests (Pinetum pleurozium), over a 115-year period (1900-2015). Based on the results of cluster analysis of 106 local tree-ring chronologies, 3 dendrochronologically homogeneous regions and 11 subregions were identified. For the selected subregions, regional res-chronologies for the width of late wood were obtained, their main statistical characteristics were analyzed, and the years with minimums and maximums of growth were determined. The dominant climatic factors influencing growth in each subregion have been established. It is shown that the identified relationships between temperature, precipitation and late wood growth are at the level of low (p≤0.05>0.01) or medium (p≤0.01>0.001) statistical significance. The results obtained using the example of late pine wood show a close relationship between the formation of xylem structures and geoecological factors and can be used to assess the dynamics of the state of the environment and conduct forensic dendrochronological examinations, in particular to resolve issues related to establishing (confirming) the location of the felled wood.

Keywords:scots pine, mossy pine forests, late wood, temperature, precipitation, Belarus.