Half-Century Monitoring of the Condition of Autochthonic Poplar Tree Stands in the Khopersky Reserve

This paper provides an analysis of the fifty-year dynamics of the main characteristics of white poplar (Populus alba L.), gray poplar (Populus canescens Sm.) and black poplar (Populus nigra L.) stands on the territory of the Khopersky State Nature Reserve based on materials from permanent trial plots established by A. I. Sivolapov in 1972 and 1976 for the purpose of selective selection of the most productive and stable clonal micropopulations of these species. The changes that occur in the sample plots every five years and significant statistical material allow us to carry out with great reliability a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the behavior of the formed associations of white poplar, graying poplar, and sedge. Selected highly productive genotypes were mother trees for creating varieties and recommended for plantation breeding.