Elite trees of Scots pine and intra-cenotic factors of their formation

In a 184-year-old stand of Scots pine Рinus sylvestris L. of the 1st class of bonitet on two plots on an area of 2.2 ha with a stand height of 32.1 and 33.5 m, average diameters of 39.8 and 42.1 cm, and a fullness of 0.91 and 0.95, candidates for plus trees (hereinafter referred to as candidates) with an excess of 30 % in diameter were studied. All live (735 pieces), and fall away trees for 14 years were plotted on the plan with an accuracy of ± 10–35 cm. To determine the age, we took cores from 40 trees with diameters of 30–61 cm. On one of the two sites, the feeding area of 326 trees aged ≈ 170 years and the maximum feed area was 79.9, the minimum was 5.1, the average value was (25.8 ± 0.58) m2. The average area of their nutrition was 19.7 % larger in the sample of 18 candidates, than in the sample of ordinary trees, but the difference is not significant. Polygons represented the area that the tree inherited at the age of 170 years and it was used as a factor determining the size of the tree in 184 years. It was found that it affected the diameter of trees with a force of 7.7 % and to the height of the trunk with a strength of 0.0–2.4 %. The age of the trees ranged from 173 to 195 years, candidates were both from 174 years to 193 years. Probably, either they had rapid growth due to genetics, or there are exceptionally favorable places in the biotope, where the pine settled later and not only caught up with its neighbors, but also reached an outstanding size. Perhaps such places may be due to the influence of lithology. It was concluded that for selection purposes, trees of maximum age with the largest feeding area should be rejected from candidates.