Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) is one of the most important commercial tree species distributed naturally in the Boreal and subalpine forest zone of Europe. All parts of spruce trees, including needles, accumulate essential oils with a variety of chemical properties and ecological functions, such as modulating plant-insect communication. Annual needle samples from 15 trees (five from each of three habitats) of 15-17 years old were assayed for essential oils and their major compounds, including α-pinene, β-pinene, (1S)-(-)-α-pinene, and (1R)-(+)-α-pinene across a growing season. Results showed strong positive correlation between percentages of α- and β-pinene isomers (r = 0.69, p < 0.05) and between pinene isomers and essential oils: α-pinene correlated with essential oil stronger (r = 0.62, p < 0.05) than β-pinene (r = 0.33, p < 0.05). Correlation analyses performed with some weather conditions, including average monthly temperature, growing sum of effective temperatures over 5 °C, duration of sunshine, accumulated precipitation, relative humidity, and pressure, showed that temperature is the most important weather condition related to pinene dynamics: negative correlations of moderate strength were established between percentages of α- and β- pinenes and average monthly temperatures (r = -0.36, p < 0.01, n = 75 and r = -0.33, p < 0.01, n = 75, respectively). Out of pinene enantiomers, only (1S)-(-)-α-pinene showed some negative correlation with monthly temperature (r = -0.26, p < 0.05, n = 75). Different patterns of essential oil and pinene dynamics during growing season within separate habitats suggested that some genetic variables of Picea abies might be involved.
Keywords: (−) and (+) enantiomers; Norway spruce; essential oil; α-pinene; β-pinene.