When developing promising assortments of forest woody plants, it is important to take into account not only their growth and survival in some particular environment, but also their respond to change in growing conditions. In this regard, the purpose of this work is to evaluate the ecological plasticity and stability of some poplar varieties promising for the southeastern part of European Russia and Ukraine using the Eberhart and Russell method. The research was carried out on three testing sites: upland environment of the forest-steppe zone of the Voronezh region; floodplain environment of the dry steppe zone of the Volgograd region; and floodplain environment of the steppe zone of the Donetsk region. Five promising poplar varieties were identified and studied at each of the experimental sites. The indices of survival, growth in height and diameter, trunk volumes, and productivity by wood stocks and average increments are presented for each variety. Due to the average increments change with age, the ontogeny period from 21 to 30 years was chosen for the study, during which the average survival of poplars varies slightly. It was found that Regenerata, which is characterized by average plasticity and the lowest stability, was the most productive of the studied poplar varieties. It can perform high productivity only in the favorable environment. The poplar variety Pioneer demonstrated the least plasticity. Its productivity did not vary too much with change in growth conditions at average ecological stability. The highest plasticity at average ecological stability was observed in the Vernirubens variety. Average plasticity and stability were observed in poplar E.s.-38. The poplar variety Marilandica was also characterized by average plasticity, and high ecological stability. The research results allow using of the studied varieties more rational in different growing conditions, with regard to their environmental characteristics.

This work presents the results of a research that was conducted in the Donskoy Leskhoz nursery of the Forestry Department of the Lipetsk Region. The purpose of the research is to determine the effectiveness of the influence of a low-frequency electromagnetic field and the hydrogel “Evabiona” on the survival rate of red oak annual seedlings grown in open ground of the nursery. This research presents the technology for creating red oak planting material with increased survival indices of test samples and their biometric parameters: seedling height, seedling diameter at a root collar, weight of roots and aboveground part in the air-dry condition after drying for 15 days. Treatment of red oak one-year old seedlings with a low frequency electromagnetic field was carried out according to the author’s technology POSEP – pre-sowing treatment of seeds and seedlings with an electromagnetic field. The hydrogel, a polymer water-retaining agent that absorbs and retains a large amount of moisture in the rhizosphere of plants, was applied to soil in the experimental research. The ability of the hydrogel granules to swell-compression improves the structure and drainage of soils, boosting the conditions of aeration and filtration of water, and maintains its waterretaining properties for several years. The research results indicate a clear positive effect of treatment with a low-frequency electromagnetic field and the hydrogel, as there was a significant increase in the survival rate of the test samples of oak seedlings in relation to the control samples. Also within the framework of the research a comparative histometric analysis of cross sections of control and test stems of oak seedlings was carried out late in the growing season at the laboratory of the Department of Forest Crops, Selection and Dendrology of the Mytishchi Branch of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University. The results of this research showed that a low-frequency electromagnetic field and the hydrogel can influence on the anatomical structure of seedlings, improving their quality characteristics. Thus, pre-sowing treatment of oak seedlings with a low-frequency electromagnetic field and the use of the hydrogel showed the effectiveness of these techniques in increasing the survival rate of seedlings and obtaining high-quality planting material of red oak in forest nurseries.