UNLABELLED PREMISE OF THE STUDY A set of novel expressed sequence tag (EST) microsatellite markers was developed in Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica to promote further genetic studies in this species. • METHODS AND RESULTS One hundred seventy-five EST-simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers were designed and synthesized for 31,653 isotigs based on P. tabuliformis EST sequences. The primer pair...

We determined the temporal dynamics of cambial activity and xylem cell differentiation of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) within a dry inner Alpine valley (750 m a.s.l., Tyrol, Austria), where radial growth is strongly limited by drought in spring. Repeated micro-sampling of the developing tree ring of mature trees was carried out during two contrasting years at two study plots that differ in ...

Epicuticular waxes influence leaf reflectance, but the spatiotemporal dynamics in their reflectance properties have not been properly characterized, and its consequences remain unknown. In this study, we analysed the seasonal changes in wax reflectance of Scots pine needles. It tended to decrease with needle age and towards lower positions within the canopy. In addition, we also identified a cl...

The ability of a population to genetically adapt to a changing environment is contingent not only on the level of existing genetic variation within that population, but also on the gene flow received from differently adapted populations. Effective pollen-mediated gene flow among plant populations requires synchrony of flowering. Therefore differences in timing of flowering among genetically div...

The study was aimed at the quantitative evaluation of the temporal and spatial partitioning of non-structural carbohydrates and needle biomass in a canopy of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) growing in a Myrtillus site type forest stand (predominant in Estonia). The tree canopy was divided into ten equal layers and the material for the spatial partitioning of the investigated characteristics wa...

The effects after 25 years of moose browsing on Scots pine stands in Lahemaa National Park were evaluated, emphasizing economic damage. A re-evaluation in 2001 examined stands that had been evaluated in 1975–1976. Moose damage significantly affected the tree species composition which changed over time as pine dominance increased and the number of mixed stands declined. The smaller proportion of...

We determined fine root biomass and production of 15-, 35- and 100-year-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands during three growing seasons. Fine roots were sampled by the soil core method. Mean (+/- SE) annual fine root biomass of Scots pine in the 15-, 35- and 100-year-old stands was 220 +/- 25, 357 +/- 21 and 259 +/- 26 g m(-2), respectively. Fine root biomass of the understory vegetati...

This study was carried out in a clonal seed orchard of scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), to determine the difference and interaction for reproductive and growth characters among clones and its impact on fertility variation and gene diversity Numbers of female and male strobili, and height and diameter at breast height were studied on six grafts chosen randomly in each of the 27 clones for the p...

Global change triggers shifts in forest composition, with warming and aridification being particularly threatening for the populations located at the rear edge of the species distributions. This is the case of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) in the Mediterranean Basin where uncertainties in relation to its dynamics under these changing scenarios are still high. We analysed the relative effect of ...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The date of emergence may have far-reaching implications for seedling performance. Seedlings emerging early in the growing season often have a greater rate of survival or grow better if early emergence provides advantages with respect to an environmental cue. As a result, the benefits of early emergence may be lost if the environmental stress creating the differences among c...