FOREST COVER MOSAICS OF CONIFEROUS-DECIDUOUS FORESTS IN THE VALUEVSKY FOREST PARK

Relevance and purpose. The Russian geobotanical science has a profound tradition of studying the vegetation cover heterogeneities. However, the number of studies on the mosaics in complexly organized coniferous-deciduous forests is very limited, and there is high ambiguity in the obtained results. In addition, there has appeared a need to resolve the “terminological issue”. The aim of this study was to assess the vegetation cover mosaics of widespread forest phytocenoses in the Moskva-Oka Plain. Material and methods. We present a review of publications on the intracenotic heterogeneity of forest cover and make an attempt to systematize the existing terminology. The field studies were carried out on the territory of the Valuevsky forest park (Novomoskovsky AO, Moscow) using classical geobotanical methods. The acquired data was analyzed with various modern methods of statistical data analysis. Results and conclusions. The obtained results indicate that differences in vegetation are much more pronounced at the level of phytocenoses than at the level of microgroups. The most powerful edificatory effect of spruce has been confirmed. We identified the following reasons that determine the weak differentiation of vegetation at the level of microgroups: the co-influence of neighboring microgroups, the lack of individual trees’ impact duration for a noticeable transformation of vegetation, and legacies in the structure and species composition of previous states over a long period of time.

Crop wild relative materials from field research in the Yakutsk vicinity in 2020

The N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) is working on replenishing seed and herbarium collections of cultivated plants and their wild relatives through collection missions in various regions of Russia. The collections are replenished with both live specimens (plantlets, runners, cuttings, bulbs, seeds, etc.), and with herbarium specimens of crop wild relatives (CWR). The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is characterized by a variety of natural conditions and resources, while many territories are difficult to reach by transport. Collection missions were carried out by VIR in the territory of Yakutia from 1972 to 1990. Field research in the territory of the republic is relevant to this day.In 2020, field research in the area of the projected bridge crossing over the Lena River near the city of Yakutsk resulted in collecting 18 samples of wild relatives of fruit, vegetable, essential oil, oil and fiber, forage legume, and cereals crops (live plants and seeds), as well as 45 CWR herbarium specimens. CWR (species of currants, onions, horseradish, water sorrel, tarragon wormwood, etc.) were found in floodplain habitats and on river banks, some were collected in ruderal biotopes, near settlements, less often in forest phytocenoses, and on steppe meadow slopes. All the samples were included in VIR collections. The phytocenoses from which CWR were collected, were comprehensively described.

Relationship of the productivity of forest den-drocenoses with the geomorphological profile of soils and their influence on the ecology

It is well known that there is a relationship between the productivity of forest phytocenoses and soil fertility, which is largely determined by the terrain and soil geomorphology. An important element of assessing the productivity of forests is the substantiation of the methodology for modeling the age dynamics of the growth of forest stands, depending on soil and ground conditions. The solution of this methodological problem is possible only if there is data on forest objects, represented by permanent sample plots and data from a detailed soil survey.

Seed Regeneration of Buxus colchica Pojark. under the Conditions of Epiphytotics of Boxwood Forests

In response to expansion of Cydalima perspectalis Walker, 1859, mass scale drying of Buxus colchica Pojark. resulted in succession of forest communities of the Western Caucasus in 2014–2017. Changes in illumination of the forest low storeys were conducive to intensive growth of such herbaceous plants as Symphytum grandiflorum DC., Asarum intermedium (C. A. Mey. ex Ledeb.) Grossh., Festuca drymeja Mert. & W.D.J. Koch, Allium ursinum L., etc. and Ruscus colchicus Yeo, Geranium robertianum L., Rubus anatolicus Focke, Hedera colchica (K. Koch) K. Koch in the undergrowth. The ground vegetation with total projective cover up to 100 % was formed. Under current conditions the total number of B. colchica seedlings 2–15 cm high is only 10–320 pcs/ha on the southern macroslope and 5–87 pcs/ha on the northern macroslope. It is hundreds and thousands of times less as it was before boxwood forests extinction. The research purpose was to determine the factors effecting seed regeneration of B. colchica in the Western Caucasus under the conditions of succession caused by C. perspectalis expansion and further epiphytotics of boxwood forests. We carried out the studies on the southern and northern macroslopes of the Western Caucasus in the basins of the Khosta, Kurdzhips, and Tsitsa rivers in 2018–2019. The number of B. colchica seedlings was determined by their complete enumeration within 66 sampling plots; the area of each plot comprised 400 m2. When revealing the factors which effect seed regeneration of B. colchica, we analyzed 17 landscape and phytocenotic parameters: altitude above sea level; exposure and slope inclination; crown density of upper storey; parameters of undergrowth, main species stands, and dead boxwood; total projective cover of undergrowth and herbage. The principal factor preventing development of B. colchica seedlings is growthinhibition due to the herb-shrub storey. The total projective cover of undergrowth and herbage are the most important predictors for the number of B. colchica seedlings on the sampling plots. For the mentioned parameters we revealed the maximum regression coefficients b* at the significance level p < 0.05: –0.589 and –0.478 for the southern macroslope, and – 0.667 and –0.954 for the northern macroslope. The maximum projective cover of undergrowth in forest areas with boxwood regeneration is 50 % for both macroslopes. The maximum acceptable herbage cover is 15 % in the basin of the Khosta river, and 40 % in the basins of the Tsitsa and Kurdzhips rivers. Shading from the side of the forest upper storey suppresses growth of ground vegetation, and also prevents the development of B. colchica seedlings. Therefore the crown density, within the complex of factors, has no direct effect on the parameters of seed regeneration of B. colchica. In case of further intensive growth of the herb-shrub storey in forest phytocenoses, natural boxwood forests regeneration is highly improbable in the Western Caucasus. Artificial removal of undergrowth and herbage in forest areas will facilitate seed regeneration of the species. The research results are the basis for further monitoring of the regeneration processes of boxwood forests or their possible aboriginal change in the region.

The artificial forest communities as an environmental factor of ecological safety at Kryvyi Rih ore-mining and metallurgical district

It is shown that the finding environment importance artificial forest communities are an important prerequisite for optimizing the state environment in the industrialized regions of Ukraine. The aim of this work is to analyze from the point of ecosystem approach to analyze artificial forest communities as a promising factor of ecological safety of the Kryvyi Rih mining and metallurgical region. The materials of the work were scientific publications and the results of their own field studies, which were performed during 2013-2019 on the territory of natural and artificially created forest phytocenoses, located in contrasting ecological conditions and representing the main varieties of tree plantations. It is proved that in the forest cultivar phytocenoses of the region tree species of plants are in a stressful state, because they are constantly affected by adverse environmental factors of natural and anthropogenic genesis. We have made the assumption that the artificial forest communities of the Kryvyi Rih region should become one of the key environmental factors that determine its ecological safety, both individually in this region and in Ukraine as a whole. To solve this problem, it is necessary to achieve optimal forest cover of Kryvyi Rih region (8-10%) by creating new plantations and taking into account scientific prerequisites and ordering existing ones. To solve this problem, it is necessary to achieve optimal forest cover of Kryvyi Rih region (8-10%) by creating new plantations and taking into account scientific prerequisites and ordering existing ones. To resolve this issue, it is necessary to achieve optimal forest cover of the Kryvyi Rih region (8-10%) by creating new forest plantations and arranging existing trees, taking into account the scientific prerequisites.

Paeonia caucasica (Schipcz.) Schipcz. in phytocenoses of the Republic of Adygea

Populations of Paeonia caucasica (Schipcz.) Schipcz., 1937 growing in various forest phytocenoses were discovered and studied during the monitoring of protected plant species in the Republic of Adygea. The allocation of the species to a certain range of altitudes above sea level and types of communities were defined. The ontogenetic structure and states of plants were identified, and the state of P. caucasica populations was assessed.

Transformation of cenomorphs of grass-dwarf-shrub layer of forest phytocenoses of Zhytomyr Polissya after surface fires

Transformation of cenomorphs of grass-dwarf-shrub layer of forest phytocenoses of Zhytomyr Polissya after surface fires was analyzed in forest ecological types A2, A3, B2, B3, B4, C2. It was shown that the cenomorph spectrum of grass-dwarf-shrub layer after surface fires essentially transforms. In all investigated forest ecological types after forest fires number of cenomorphs increased.It was made a conclusion that the general regularity after surface fires in this layer was an essential decreasing of part of typical forest species — sylvants and sylvants-pratants in species composition of the layer, and increasing of relative part of pratants, entering of ruderants.

UNDERGROWTH PHYTOMASS IN THE SECONDARY DECIDUOUS STANDS OF THE MIDDLE TAIGA

The determination of organic matter reserves by forest phytocenoses is important in assessing biological produc-tivity of deciduous plantations formed at felling. As a rule, phytomass of the stand and soil cover is given when assess-ing forest productivity. This indicator is rarely determined for the undergrowth. The deciduous phytocenoses of the middle taiga, formed at the cutting of spruce of myrtillus type, have been studied. The undergrowth of the studied phy-tocenoses is represented by six species of woody plants: Salix caprea L., Sorbus aucuparia L., Rosa acicularis Lindl. and Lonicera pallasii Ledeb. Besides the mentioned species, Salix pentandra L. and S. philicifolia L are found in birch and spruce young growths. The method of “model trees” using allometric equations and the method of the “middle tree” for estimating the mass of individual species were used to determine the undergrowth phytomass. The specifics of the undergrowth phytomass dynamics in the studied after-cutting phytocenoses is associated with the overgrowing of felling by forest-forming and undergrowth species at the same time. It subsequently leads to competition between them. According to the studies in birch and spruce young forests, the undergrowth phytomass of decreased from 8.8 to 4.7 t/ha over 10 years; in aspen-birch stands - from 4.0 to 3.8. Throughout the entire studied period, fractions, accumulating organic matter (trunks and branches) for a long time, prevail in the undergrowth phytomass. The mass of leaves is 6-8% of the total undergrowth phytomass. The dynamics of the accumulation of organic matter by undergrowth is determined by biological characteristics of the species that form it, their abundance, natural thinning, and succession stage of the secondary stands.