Research was carried out in EMFT, II-G-10 (common oak and common hornbeam zone) and in main EMFT-s on the karst (pubescent oak and oriental hornbeam, and holly oak zones) in which forest fuel loads were determined too. Soil and structure elements were sampled and measured, stand vitality and quality were measured and evaluated. Chemical and physical analyses of soil samples were performed. The samples of precipitation's and plant material were chemically analyzed. It contains the data of normal and changed forest conditions (first measurement 1969-1981, second measurement 1991-1993). In second measurement the research that deals with tree breeding and fructification was added to the project. The aim of this recently introduced research is to determine the dynamics of flowering and phenotype damage degree. Cytogenetic and some biochemical analyses were carried out with the aim of determining and establishing methodology of work. The data base was built up and data search programs were developed. The relations of ecological and structural stand elements for normal and changed stand conditions were determined. The results achieved are the basis for building up the diagnostic stand models and the evaluation model of ecological-environmental ecosystem value. The main purpose is to support decision making on different management levels.

The Forest Research Plot was chosen on a typical site for the Pokljuka plateau. It is covered by a supposedly autochthonous old Norway spruce stand with rejuvenation centres. Data on the physiological parameters can be used as representation values for a subalpine Norway spruce stand. The studies include: standard site and dendrological parameters, physiological parameters (foliar analysis, antioxidants, hormones and aminoacids in spruce needs), genetical and biochemical analysis (isoenzymes and molecular markers), microbiological activity (acid phosphatase, rate of decomposition, number and occurrence of fungal decomposers of wood and litter) and studies of symbionts and pathogens of Norway spruce (mapping of fruitbodies of mycorrhizal fungi, types of ectomycorrhizae, endophytes, epiphytes - lichens and phytopathological surveys). All physiological and ecological studies are planned to be repeated at certain time periods in order to understand better the functioning of the forest ecosystems on Pokljuka.

Mechanisms of air pollution toxicity are very complex and depend on various physiological and biochemical properties of plants. These mechanisms (including formation of free radicals) are still poorly understood. In addition, physiological responses of forest plants to air pollution stress can be modified by various biotic (e.g., insects, pathogens, mycorrhizae associations, genetic variation) and abiotic (e.g., increasing CO2 concentrations, ultraviolet-B radiation, nitrogen desposition, nutrient deficiencies, drought) factors. An example of air pollution effects on forest trees may be responses of ponderosa pine seedlings to elevated concentrations of ozone: various physiological changes in trees (lowered net photosynthesis, altered carbon allocation, deterioration of photosynthetic pigments, etc.) have led to reduced growth and biomass of plants.

Plant hormones play a major role in the development and control of a wide range of plant physiological processes. Here we examine the ways in which they may influence the response of plants to air pollutants both indirectly, for example through the control of stomatal behaviour by ABA and directly, through their reactions with oxidising pollutants, which can lead to the formation of further damaging molecular species.

The evaluation of data on the forest tree condition is weak point in forest decline monitoring as it enables only a very rough estimation of the state of forest health. The paper analyses the interpretation of the forest tree defoliation data in order to estimate their relevance and applicability. Quality control results of defoliation assessment in Slovenia are presented and the state of defoliation with its changes in the year 1987, 1991, 1993, 1994 on the 16 km grid.

We have been isolating AC/GT and AG/CT SSRs from the Norway spruce (Picea abies K.) nuclear genome. We isolated several hundreds positive clones from a small-insert genomic library and following sequence analysis we designed primers for 36 of them, 24 containing AG and 12 AC SSRs. After testing them on a panel of spruce individuals 25 of the primer pairs producted a single-locus hypervariable pattern, with the remaining ones giving either a single monomorphic product (18) or very poor amplification (19) or amplification of multiple bands (38). Segregation in accordance with a simple Mendelian model of inheritance was demonstrated for all the loci amplified with the primer pairs giving a simple variable pattern. We screened a panel of 19 spruce trees at these loci. The average number of alleles per locus was 14 and expected heterozygosity 0.80, with up to 23 alleles per locus and heterozygosities exceeding 0.94. This shows that nuclear SSRs can be very useful markers in the population genetics of trees even though the overall efficiency of the marker identification process is quite low due to the high percentage of primer pairs producting complex or "dirty" patterns. We attribute this phenomenon to the high complexity of the spruce genome. Other methods, including the construction of libraries highly enriched for SSR sequences, that we developed in order to make SSR retrival and typing easier and faster will be discussed. We recently extended the use of PCR amplified SSR markers to the chloroplast genome. We demonstrated that mononucleotide poly(A/T) stretches are frequent in the chloroplast genomes of plants and show high levels of between and within population variation, making them ideal tools for cytoplasmic population genetic overcoming the difficulties in finding within species variation that are frequently encountered when analysing the cpDNA molecule by RFLPs or PCR-RFLPs. We will present results of the analysis of mediterranean pine species populations by using a set of cpSSRs that are distributed over the whole cpDNA molecule and discuss the possible applications of such markers for studying gene flow and for paternity analysis.

Giemsa C-banding method was applied on chromosomes in the female gametophyte tissue of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karesten). A karyogram of one single tree growing in the Botanical Garden of the University of Graz, Austria, was made by using an image analysis system. All chromosomes (n=12) showed pericentic C-bands. Chromosomes II, V and IX possed intercalary C-bands located at secondary constrictions. Telomeric C-bands appeared in chromosomes II and III on both arms.

The ectomycorrhizal biodiversity of selected Norway spruce stands on an Alpine limestone mountain was studied by inventories of occurring fruitbodies and descriptions of new ectomycorrhizal types. Based on fruitbody surveys a total of 137 ectomycorrhizal and 48 saprophytic species was recorded. Dependent on elevations as well as microclimatic, soil, and stand conditions there were significant differences in the fungal composition and number of species between the investigated forest plots.

Preliminary results and methodology related to the use of the fluorescence in situ hybridization technique for detection of plants hybrids are presented. Total genomic DNA probe preparation and the non-isotopic biotin probe labelling technique is presented. The use of an excess of unlabelled competitor DNA from a related plant species gives more constant results in determining whole plant genomes with in situ experiments on plant hybrids. Preliminary results of flourescence in situ hybridization for detecting alien rye chromatin and localisation on metaphase chromosomes and interphase nuclei in the bread wheat cultivar Yugoslavia are described. The methodology for detection of interspecies hybrids of common and sessile oak with flourescence in situ hybridization is given. The advantege of the use of total genomic biotin labelled probes for in situ hybridization is that it requires less effort than preparing species specific probes and the ease of interpretation of the results. The technique of fluorescence in situ hybridization is less species than other cytological techniques for higher plants and almost the same methodology can be used for detection of oak hybrids. The extraction of a high quantity of species specific DNA of high quality and probe preparation and labelling are the most important step.