Dispersal distance of anemochorous tree seeds in Yakutia

This article presents the results of an experimental study on the flight characteristics of seeds from the primary
anemochorous tree species of Yakutia—larch, pine, andbirch. Experiments were conducted under controlled laboratory conditions, where seeds were released from a height of 3.6 meters in calm, windless conditions. The parachuting speeds of the seeds were measured, enabling the calculation of flight performance coefficients for seeds of Pinus sylvestris, Larix gmelinii and Larix cajanderi, and Betula pendula ssp. platyphylla Sukacz., collected at various times and locations across Central Yakutia. The study confirms that the derived formula for anemochorous conifers applies to all tree species possessing winged, flight-capable seeds. Furthermore, the seeds with the lowest flight performance among the studied species were those of larch, followed by pine and birch (flight performance coefficients of 1.01±0.03
for larch, 0.61 ± 0.01 for pine, and 0.50 ±0.01m/sforbirch). The percentage of anemochorousconifer seeds dispersing at various distances from the parent tree under different wind speeds was calculated. Based on these calculations, tables were compiled showingthe distribution of the majority of seeds and the maximum seed dispersal distances for the main tree species of Yakutia from different release heights (ranging from 10 to 30 meters) and at varying wind speeds. Therefore, the compiled data provide a basis for the objective assessment of seed dispersal ranges for nearly any forest stand. As a result, this facilitates more accurate planning of felling area dimensions and orientation according to site-specific conditions and supports the informed selection of appropriate silvicultural measures

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