Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees with different growth rates in a pine lichen forest stand were studied. Functional (day and predawn water potentials of needled shoots; nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content and ratio in sapflow and needles) and morphometric (trees height and diameter, the length of one-year shoots, mass and length of needles) characteristics for the assessment of vital state were used. Essential differences for morphometric characteristics were shown, while mineral and water status parameters research revealed no significant (p>0,05) difference for the pine trees of different vitality, with the exception of «drought» period, when there's a disturbance of the invariance of exchange processes parameters. It was concluded, that growth conditions have more effect on growth processes, their duration and increment, than on water and mineral status of plants, i.e. the main adaptation strategy of conifer plant to growth conditions is the maintenance of stability of functional characteristics.