TY - JOUR

T1 - Systematics and distribution of spruce species in the North-West of Russia

AU - Orlova, Larisa

AU - Gussarova, Galina

AU - Glazkova, Elena

AU - Egorov, Alexander

AU - Potokin, Alexander

AU - Ivanov, Sergey

N1 - Funding Information: The study was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research under research project no. 14-04-01418a; by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation in 2009–2011 on the project no. 2.1.1/3859 (2.1.1/11545) and in 2014–2016 – no. 2014/181-2220. The field investigations on the islands of the Gulf of Finland and the Vyborg Bay were supported by the Finnish Ministry of the Environment and the Committee on Natural Resources of the Leningrad Region. Also the present study was carried out within the framework of the research project of Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences “Vascular plants of Eurasia: taxonomy, flora, plant resources “(AAAA-A19-119031290052-1).

PY - 2020/11

Y1 - 2020/11

N2 - Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Siberian spruce (P. obovata) are among the most important for-est-forming coniferous species in the boreal part of Eurasia. Despite numerous publications on the taxonomy of Norway spruce and closely related taxa (P. obovata Ledeb. and P. fennica (Regel) Kom.), the problem of their identification, as well as clarification of their taxonomic status, has not been solved so far. Species delimitation is particularly challenging when P. abies, P. obovata and P. fennica occur in sympatry. Our study aims to assess taxonomic value of proposed earlier and search for stable diagnostic characters of cones and their scales to distinguish Picea abies and its sympatric in the North-West of Russia P. fennica and P. obovata. In addition, we analyzed and updated information on geographical distribution and phytocenotic characteristics of the above-mentioned species in the North-West of the European part of Russia. We examined herbarium specimens and cones sampled from 88 trees from 22 Picea stands located through-out the study region. Each tree was represented on average by 5 cones, in total 415 cones were analyzed. Morphometric analyses included 16 morphological characters of cones and their scales selected based on our own observations and published data. Multivariate comparison had shown a large overlap between P. obovata and P. fennica, while individuals of P. abies formed a separate and less overlapping cluster. Among the six qualitative (discrete) characters, shape of seed scale and shape of its upper margin have non-overlapping frequency distributions and can separate P. abies and P. obovata. Several new diagnostic characters are proposed: morphology and size of bract scales and ratio of the size of seed scales and bract scales. Phytocenotic analysis showed that different spruce taxa occupy specific habi-tats, which in their turn connected with the latitudinal gradient: in normally drained habitats, Picea obovata is found mainly in poor shrubby-green-mossy forests, which are typical of the northern and middle parts of the Northern taiga; Picea abies – in richer green-mossy habitats (Vaccinioso-hylocomiosum, Oxalidoso-hylo-comiosum, Hylocomiosum), which begin to occur already from the middle part of the Northern taiga. Picea fennica occupies both habitats.

AB - Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Siberian spruce (P. obovata) are among the most important for-est-forming coniferous species in the boreal part of Eurasia. Despite numerous publications on the taxonomy of Norway spruce and closely related taxa (P. obovata Ledeb. and P. fennica (Regel) Kom.), the problem of their identification, as well as clarification of their taxonomic status, has not been solved so far. Species delimitation is particularly challenging when P. abies, P. obovata and P. fennica occur in sympatry. Our study aims to assess taxonomic value of proposed earlier and search for stable diagnostic characters of cones and their scales to distinguish Picea abies and its sympatric in the North-West of Russia P. fennica and P. obovata. In addition, we analyzed and updated information on geographical distribution and phytocenotic characteristics of the above-mentioned species in the North-West of the European part of Russia. We examined herbarium specimens and cones sampled from 88 trees from 22 Picea stands located through-out the study region. Each tree was represented on average by 5 cones, in total 415 cones were analyzed. Morphometric analyses included 16 morphological characters of cones and their scales selected based on our own observations and published data. Multivariate comparison had shown a large overlap between P. obovata and P. fennica, while individuals of P. abies formed a separate and less overlapping cluster. Among the six qualitative (discrete) characters, shape of seed scale and shape of its upper margin have non-overlapping frequency distributions and can separate P. abies and P. obovata. Several new diagnostic characters are proposed: morphology and size of bract scales and ratio of the size of seed scales and bract scales. Phytocenotic analysis showed that different spruce taxa occupy specific habi-tats, which in their turn connected with the latitudinal gradient: in normally drained habitats, Picea obovata is found mainly in poor shrubby-green-mossy forests, which are typical of the northern and middle parts of the Northern taiga; Picea abies – in richer green-mossy habitats (Vaccinioso-hylocomiosum, Oxalidoso-hylo-comiosum, Hylocomiosum), which begin to occur already from the middle part of the Northern taiga. Picea fennica occupies both habitats.

KW - Diagnostic characters

KW - Geographic distribution

KW - Morphology

KW - Picea

KW - Plant variation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85096654081&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/5408dc68-a7cf-33a5-b9ef-53c6fa60d23d/

U2 - 10.12657/denbio.084.002

DO - 10.12657/denbio.084.002

M3 - Article

VL - 84

SP - 12

EP - 29

JO - Dendrobiology

JF - Dendrobiology

SN - 1641-1307

ER -