Morpho- and pheno-variability of Picea pungens Engelm.: analysis of the species plasticity in the Voronezh urban environment

Abstract

In the Central Chernozem region of the Russian Federation, since 2010, the gap between the phenological development of plants and abiotic environmental factors has been increasing. In order to increase the biodiversity of the flora of megacities, the question of selecting an assortment of plant species that are resistant to a complex of natural and anthropogenic changes at the same time remains relevant. One of these species is the prickly spruce (Picea pungens Engelm.). The diameter of the trunk at chest height, the height of the tree, the number of macrostrobes, the length and color of the needles of specimens (N = 50) growing in urban plantations of Voronezh were studied. The length of the needles of the studied trees is identical to the length of the needles of trees in the natural range. In 20-30-year-old trees, blue-coniferous forms predominate, there is a fairly strong positive correlation between the diameter of the trunk and the height of the tree (r = 0.65).The beginning of growth and the end of shoots were recorded, the timing of the laying of wintering buds in prickly spruce trees (Picea pungens Engelm.). The vegetation period of the studied species is comparable with the phenorhythmics of the local (aboriginal) species of European spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). The data indicate a sufficiently high adaptability of the prickly spruce (Picea pungens Engelm.) to the expansion of its potential range. We believe that this species is promising for widespread use in various recreational areas of megacities. In the future, it is necessary to answer the question: how will the phenorhythmics of the studied species affect vegetative reproduction to form the basis of the local phenotype?