Vegetation dynamics in the Voronezh Nature Reserve in view of the its landscape structure

We studied 80-years vegetation dynamics of the Voronezh Nature Reserve. Dynamics of vegetation was evaluated by analyzing 1051 phytosociological relevés collected at temporal plots that were located in different landscape units. We found out that meadow — pine forest vegetation was widely distributed in the Reserve in 1930s except the floodplains. It was caused by the intensive human impact before the preservation of this territory. We defined the landscape units, where autogenic succession or allogenic succession has been prevailing since 1930s. It is shown that autogenic succession leads to the increase of the nemoral species abundance in all vegetation layers of plant communities; soil fertility increased and light decreased during the succession. Periodic fires, mass tree-falls, and mowing are the main factors caused the allogenic succession in the Reserve. It is proved that high vegetation diversity of the Reserve is currently maintained by exogenous factors.