Identification of Semi-Sibs Progeny of Elite Pedunculate Oak Trees in Tambov Region Using the Geometric Morphometry Methods

The geometric morphometry of leaf blades was evaluated for five families under the conditions of the Kirsanovsky forestry in the Tambov region based on 17 indicators that reflect metric and structural characteristics. A comprehensive assessment of correlations in all groups revealed a direct relationship between indicators that determine morphological features of leaves. Considering the signs that characteristic the length and width of blades, it should be noted that a change in any feature alters the configuration of the whole leaf, necessitating the use of a set of important features rather than a single one. Among these features, LSP, LB2-LB6, and WCB2-WCB6 are the most informative. Values that imply measurements in degrees are unable to produce statistically significant results, so the angle of deviation of blade veins of different orders is not practical for use as an indicator for evaluating intra- and inter-family variability. The main contribution to the total dispersion (80%) is made by the blades of the fifth, sixth, and seventh orders.