A comparative allozyme analysis ofPinus sylvestrisL. populations distributed over the entire species range has been performed to estimate Nei's minimum genetic distances among eight phylogeographic population groups (PPGs) from the "glacial" zone and 26 populations from the southern "extraglacial" zone. On this basis, the locations of nine main and eight second-order hypothetical Pleistocene refugia (HPRs) for the species have been determined. Using the conditional "refugium investment index," relative contributions from the gene pools of HPRs to those of PPGs from the glacial zone has been estimated. It is shown that populations of this zone have originated from several refugia. A classification of Pleistocene refugia forP. sylvestrisis proposed, which is based on their location within the range and role in the formation of the current gene pool of the species.

The structure and seed bearing of stands, factors of episoil medium, quantity, vitality and age structure of Scots pine undergrowth 15 years after the disastrous crown and surface fire, which occurred in 2004 in insular pine forest in northern forest-steppe of Western Siberia (Kurgan region), were studied. The studies took place at six sample plots (0.3–0.5 ha) located in two predominant (88 %) types of pine forests – cowberry-short grasses-moss and bilberry-bracken – at four types of burns: 1) «burn under the forest canopy», 2) «thin stand burn», 3) «open burn with peripheral insemination» and 4) «open burn without insemination». The reliable differences in pine regeneration in different types of burns in both types of forests were specified. They were conditioned mainly by differences in their stand density and dissemination levels. The total pine regeneration level in forest-steppe was several times less than in pre-forest-steppe. This was connected with extreme dryness of the studied climate period and low seeding of stands, damaged by the intensive fires. The renewal role of dissemination of 2003 which took place simultaneously with the fire; absence of mouse-like rodents (main seed consumers), as well as sharp change of sex ratio in pine populations (to female dominance) due to intensive surface fire have been shown. On the whole, the total summer precipitation played the main role in pine regeneration of all burn types in forest-steppe zone of Western Siberia.

The dates of appearance of a representative portion of Pinus sylvestris L. pollen in palynospectra (≥20%) have been analyzed as a parameter reflecting the spread of leading-edge pine populations from central and eastern Europe to the Lofoten region via probable alternative routes of population immigration. It has been found that they could reach this region not earlier than 6500–7000 years BP, i.e., 2500–3000 years later than the factual palynological date, even at the maximum possible rate of their spread (300–500 km/1000 years). Therefore, the probability of the origin of Lofoten P. sylvestris populations from adventive populations that migrated to Scandinavia from adjacent European regions is excluded. The generalization of the results of studies on the chronopalynology and rate of Holocene expansion of P sylvestris and data on paleoglaciology, paleomarinology, paleobotany, and modern genogeography and ecology of Scots pine has confirmed the hypothesis about the survival of autochthonous refugial populations of this species on the Lofoten Islands during the last glacial phase and their expansion during the Holocene.

As a result of allozyme analysis, Nei’s genetic distances were determined between the phylogeographic group of seven populations of Pinus sylvestris L. in the “glacial” zone of the range in Central Yakutia and 25 populations of its hypothetical Pleistocene refugia of the southern nonglacial zone within the entire range of the species in Northern Eurasia. The location of the most likely “avant-garde” refugium of the modern yakutian populations of the Scots pine is Northern Priamur’e (Tynda), as well as less likely Siberian (Romanovka, Irkutsk), South Ural (Kryktytau), and Central European (the Czech Republic) refugia.

The microevolution theory can serve as the theoretical foundation of forest seed zoning and of the population introduction, the subdivision of Pinus sylvestris range in Russia into 10 phylogenogeographical regions – as their genetic-geographical base and climatologic-geographical regularities of the acclimatization of the introduced crops – as the ecological base. As a result of regressive analysis of Pinus sylvestris provenance crops parameters in Russian Plain forest-steppe is was determined the authentic decrease of the parameters of their survival and stands production, according to the increase of gradients of climate limiting factors – duration of vegetative period and photoperiod – between sites of origin and introduction of populations both along of the submeridional transect and of the longitudinal ones. Thus, the hypothesis about the greater adaptivity of the local plant populations by comparison with introduced ones and the correctness of the principle of «climatic topoanalogues» in the acclimatization were confirmed on the quantitative factorial-climatological level. The total net of geographical coordinates and of corresponding elementary forest seed regions measuring 1° in latitude and 5° in longitude formed by it was suggested as the ordination matrix of forest seed zoning within the P. sylvestris areal. The parameters of seed transfer reglamentation in latitude, longtitude and altitude were suggested on the connections base of survival and stands production of introduced Scots pine crops with climatic gradients. These principles can serve as a genetic-climatologic-geographical base for the development of the theory of plants acclimatization and of regional and federal seeds zoning of Scots pine forests for their crops, selection and hybridization.

The investigating results are given in the article on the zirconium nitride powder deriving out of the components in the course of burning in the laboratory reactor. Both optimal mixture composition and initial nitrogen pressure for the zirconium nitride synthesis were defined. The prototype zirconium nitride powder samples were produced with the primary content up to 99,5 % were produced. Ill. 4. Ref. 2. Tab. 2.

The paper is devoted to the analysis and generalization of the results of stationary studies on differentiation of factors of the epi-soil environment, natural forest regeneration, and formation of secondary dendrocenoses on burns and clean cuts in two pine forest types most prevalent in the pre-forest–steppe subzone of Western Siberia (Pripyshmiskian pine forests). It is shown that the same primary forest type (or even biogeocenosis) in burns, on the one hand, and in clean cuts, on the other hand, is replaced by two types of biogeocenoses that are alternative to each other in terms of structure and functions and represent qualitatively different, diverging ecodynamic series of natural regeneration and development of the primary, autochthonous forest type.

Allozyme analysis of 18 Pinus sylvestris L. populations from seven landscape-geographic groups has been performed in the Greater Caucasus, Crimea, and Russian Plain. The results show that populations of the Mt. Elbrus region (isolated by high mountain ridges) are characterized by lower polymorphism and most distinct differentiation (at the level of geographic race) from other populations, which are differentiated from each other at the level of geographic groups. Genetic gradients (boundaries) between populations reach a maximum on transects across the Greater Caucasus Range, and Transcaucasian populations are more similar to populations of the Russian Plain, compared to North Caucasian populations, which confirms the hypothesis of ancestral connections between their gene pools.

Research results from the preparation of zirconium nitride powders from the elements via combustion in a laboratory reactor are presented. The optimal synthetic conditions for zirconium nitride with respect to charge composition and initial N2 pressure are determined. Test samples of zirconium nitride of purity up to 99.5% are prepared.

The article discuss one of the priority security problems in Russia, which is elaboration of the strategic system of the forest and society safeguards from catastrophic forest crown fires in connection with rapid climate warming. It is postulated, that a most effective and reliable barrier for the dispersal of the intensive crown fire in a coniferous forest massive can be a sufficiently wide strip of deciduous tree species – «deciduous forest barrier», which has phytomass capable of absorbing crown fire energy and transforming them to surface fire, which may be extinguished by technical means. The actuality of the natural study of the transition parameters from the crown fire to surface fire has been noted, depending on climate, fire intensity and the deciduous barrier structure. The results of the quantitative natural investigation of the consequences of catastrophic crown fires of 2004 in the island pine forests of forest-steppe zone in Kurgan Oblast, which passed through the belt of 50–70 year-old birch stands of middle density, has been cited and formalized mathematically. It has been shown, that 150 m width of deciduous forest barrier is necessary as a minimum for the reliable transition of the high intensive front crown fire to surface fire in the forest-steppe conditions of the Western Siberia, but this width reduces with a decreasing heating effect. It has been proposed to create the complex fire-prevention forest belts of different construction for the protection of forests, industrial objects and settlements. Besides a basic deciduous barrier, their structure should include technologically necessary buffer zones and zones for the localization and extinguishing surface fire, which stop a crown fire. It has been recommended to use natural regeneration of deciduous tree species, as a most effective and non-deficient method for the creation of deciduous forest barriers in the predominant forest types, except the lichen pine forests, where creating deciduous belts is necessary.

The results are presented of comparative analysis of pathways, rates, and timing of recolonization into Scandinavia, in Holocene, of Pinus sylvestris populations and those of Picea abies and P. obovata. The dispersion rate, starting from 12 thou years before present (BP), is calculated using palynological data from scientific literature on radiometric dating. It is found out that P sylvestris spread into Central Scandinavia from the Alps via the Danish Isthmus about 8.2 thou years BP with the speed of 500-1250 km per 1 thou years. A hypothesis is put forward suggesting that such a fast speed is due to pine seeds hydrochory, which is much faster than anemochory according to our researches. From the northern part of the East European Plain, P. sylvestris spread into Fennoscandia with lower speed (520 km per 1 thou years). Populations of Picea species dispersed from the same regions with speed (131-164 km per 1 thou years) 3-10 times lower than that of P. sylvestris. Therefore, invasion of Picea abies from the Alps into Scandinavia via the Danish Isthmus did not have time to happen before the formation of the Kattegat Strait. By circumferential pathway, through Karelia, both species of Picea reached the northern parts of Scandinavia only 3.5 thou years BP, its central parts - 2 thou years BP, and its southern parts - 1.5 thou years BP, i.e., later than P. sylvestris by 4, 6.2, and 8.5 thou years respectively. Probably, this may be explained by the fact that in pines the time to seeding is twofold shorter, while their sprouts were more tolerant to climatic extremums in periglacial habitats in middle Holocene.

Verification results of one corollary of developing theory of the authors about the coniferous hydrochory (Sannikov, Sannikova, 2007) – a hypothesis of genetic integration of Scots pine Pinus sylvestris L. populations in the direction of rivers flow – have been cited. The average genetic Nei`s distance (Nei, 1978; 0.0024 ± 0.0015) between the 8 adjacent P. sylvestris populations on the transect along all the Ob valley (Lake Teletskoje–Barnaul–Tomsk–Surgut–Khanty-Mansiisk–Geologicheskii–Berezovo–Synja), that is twice time less as between the 14 populations on the Ob`s watersheds with the adjacent rivers (Yenisei, Irtysh, Pur, Konda, Tavda, Nadym) (0.0049 ± 0.0009), has been determined on the basis of comparative allozyme analysis (Nei, 1978; 0.0024 ± 0.0015). Corresponding average gradient of the genetic distances between the population located along the Ob river-bed is also 70 % less (0.66 ± 0.43), than on the transects directed across the watersheds (1.40 ± 0.43). Probably, a lesser genetic distance and its gradients, which revealed between the Scots pine populations along river-bed Ob in comparison with ones on the transects directed across the watersheds, depended on greater rate of its seed hydrochory (up to 800 km/1000 yr) in comparison with the anemochory on the watersheds. As a whole, a hypothesis about more speed (prioritic) hydrochoric dispersal and relative genetic integration of Scots pine populations along the rivers flow in comparison with anemochoric dispersal on the watersheds has been corroborated on the basis of results generalization of the present and preceded research.

Quantitative ecological and genetic studies in the pine forests of North Eurasia based on the example of Pinus sylvestris L. have allowed the constructive population genetic and ecological principles and parameters for selection, assessment, and classification of forest genetic reserves (FGRs) to be grounded. The genetic parameters of FGR populations (the minimum area, disturbance by cutting, and the influx of foreign pollen) are regarded as undoubtedly top-priority factors, as tree-stand vitality and germination capacity are regarded as key ecological factors. We propose to give a general estimate for the class of FGR quality using an integral ranking scale for five genetic and ecological parameters based on the class of the FGR area. This class increases by 0.5 with an increase (deterioration) by one class of any other considered parameter. This system provides the possibility to create a unified system for ecologically and genetically grounded selection of FGRs and assessment of their classes.