Modern Analog Assemblages of Phytoliths Under Various Plant Communities of the Middle Volga and their Applicability for Archaeological Reconstructions

The article describes the results of investigations of the sub-recent assemblages of silica phytoliths in top soils of various modern plant communities of the Middle Volga region in Tatarstan, Samarskaya and Ulyanovskaya oblasts conducted in 2017–2020. Counts of various phytolith morphotypes from 40 samples suggest a relatively low level of vegetation community specificity as revealed by multivariate statistical analyses. Nevertheless, coniferous and mixed forests can be distinguished based on the presence of a suite of conifer phytoliths, while steppes can be identified based on high proportion of rondels. Deciduous forests of the region can be detected based on high proportion of straight elongates and acutous bulbosus (trichome) type. Some matchings are made to 10 archaeological samples from various strata and ages across the region. Such samples reveal high proportion of cultured grass phytoliths and are most similar to steppes or agricultural assemblages in the modern dataset.

Assessment of woody plant species composition in secondary deciduous forests of Odisha, India

Plant species composition according to their functional types, distribution pattern are crucial for biodiversity conservation in tropical deciduous forest. The study assessed the woody plant species diversity, stand structure and population density in the secondary deciduous forest of Chandaka wildlife sanctuary, Odisha, India. A total of 70 species belonging to 63 genera and families were documented in this study.The stem density was found to be 1080 stems/ha with reverse J-shaped population structure indicating good regeneration potential of the forests. Shannon diversity Index varied from 0 to 2.31 whereas Simpson's index varied from 0 to 0.85. The correlation study between Importance Value Index and basal area were significant (p=40.63). The present study would be helpful for conservation and management of biodiversity in secondary dry deciduous forests of Chandaka Wildlife Sanctury in particular and tropical dry forests in general.

Warmer spring temperatures in temperate deciduous forests advance the timing of tree growth but have little effect on annual woody productivity

As the climate changes, warmer spring temperatures are causing earlier leaf-out1–6 and commencement of net carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration2,4 in temperate deciduous forests, resulting in a tendency towards increased growing season length1,4,5,7–9 and annual CO2 uptake2,4,10–14. However, less is known about how spring temperatures affect tree stem growth, which sequesters carbon (C) in wood that has a long residence time in the ecosystem15,16. Using dendrometer band measurements from 463 trees across two forests, we show that warmer spring temperatures shifted the woody growth of deciduous trees earlier but had no consistent effect on peak growing season length, maximum daily growth rates, or annual growth. The latter finding was confirmed on the centennial scale by 207 tree-ring chronologies from 108 forests across eastern North America, where annual growth was far more sensitive to temperatures during the peak growing season than in the spring. These findings imply that extra CO2 uptake in years with warmer springs10–12 is not allocated to long-lived woody biomass, where it could have a substantial and lasting impact on the forest C balance. Rather, contradicting current projections from global C cycle models2,3,17,18, our empirical results imply that warming spring temperatures are unlikely to increase the woody productivity or strengthen the CO2 sink of temperate deciduous forests.

Typification and correction of forest vegetation syntaxa of the Western Caucasus

The article presents the typification and correction of mountain forests’ syntaxa established by one of the authors for the Western Caucasus. Unvalid classification units are validated according to the International Code of the Phytosociological Nomenclature (Theurillat et al., 2021): 2 associations of mesophytic deciduous forests of the order Lathyro–Carpinetalia and 3 associations of fir-beech forests of the order Rhododendro pontici–Fagetalia orientalis of the Carpino–Fagetea class, as well as 2 associations of oak pubescent forests and juniper woodland communities of the class Quercetea pubescentis. The main reasons of the invalidity of original publications are the absence of a nomenclature type or the ineffectiveness of the publication.

Forestry and taxation characteristics of Spruce (Piceetum oxalidosum) stands in Udmurt Republic

The results of a forestry and taxation study of spruce stands of the acidic type of two forest districts of the Udmurt Republic are presented. The death of the most productive spruce individuals (productivity class I–II according to B.D. Zhilkin) and pure spruce plantations (acidic forest types, I–II class of bonitet) was noted due to the mass spread of bark beetle typographus (Ips typographus). The most extensive processes of shrinking of plantings were noted in the forest area of coniferous-deciduous forests of Udmurtia. A decrease in completeness in some areas of spruce stands to 0,1...0,3 was revealed, as well as the accumulation of large volumes of dead wood. A change in environmental conditions was revealed due to a decrease in completeness in spruce stands, which led to the development of field grasses and the growth of soft-leaved species. Despite the fact that the peak of the bark beetle development occurred in 2013, a gradual expansion of its range was revealed both in the forest area of coniferous-deciduous forests and in the south taiga forest area of the Udmurt Republic.

Forest Typology and Settlement Characteristics of the Emerald Network “The Lower Part of the Uda River Valley” in the Kharkiv Region

The importance and significance of the conservation of the Emerald Object “The lower part of the Uda River Valley” (UA0000295) in botanical and general ecological aspects is discussed in detail. It is located on the outskirts of Kharkiv with an area of 13,381.0 ha. The studied area combines floodplains of regions occupied by meadows, shrub fragments and forest vegetation, and pine forests with artificial pine plantations. Areas of the loess plateau with arable land and deciduous forests, as well. List of the leading plant species, area's, main ecological and biotic features of identified habitats under Resolution 4 of the Berne Convention, in particular, C1.222, C1.32, C1.33, C3.34, D5.2, E1.2, E2.2, E3.4, F9.1, F3.247, G1.11, G1.21, G1.41, G1.8, G3.4232, G1.A4, G1.A1 for the Emerald Object are presented. The largest areas are occupied by biotops of lowland bogs with sedge and reed thickets without stagnant water (D5.2). There are plain hay fields (E2.2) and wet and moist meadows with a predominance of grasslands (E3.4) and deciduous forests in medium rich and rich soils (G1.A1), fresh and dry forests, and Sarmatian-type forests (G3.4232). The typological diversity of the forest of the territory, the area covered with forest vegetation is 11,585.0 ha, were outlined. Oak (Quercus robur L.) (8,091.5 ha, 69.83%) with a predominance in its plantations of fresh maple-linden oak and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) (2,529.8 ha, 21.84%) with a predominance of fresh oak-pine sedge are the main forest-forming species. Some species have appropriate conservation status in Ukraine (Botrychium lunaria (L.) SW., Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soo s.l., Epipactis palustris (L.) Crantz, Anacamptis coriophora (L.) R.M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W. Chase (Orchis coriophora L.), A. palustris (Jacq.) R.M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W. Chase (Orchis palustris Jacq.), and several species are protected at the regional level (Centaurium erythraea Rafn., C. pulchellum (Sw.) Druce, Dianthus stenocalyx Juz., Inula helenium L., Iris pseudacorus L., Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim., Caltha palustris L., Geum rivale L., Parnassia palustris L., Sanguisorba officinalis L., Valeriana officinalis L.)