SUCCESSIONAL STATE OF FORESTS IN THE UPPER PLATEAU OF THE VOLGA UPLAND

Background. Long-term and intense anthropogenic impact on the forest-steppe nature of the Russian Plain has led to destruction of vast areas with natural vegetation and significant reduction in their biological diversity. Forests as a component of forest-steppe complexes have undergone the most si...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: N. A. Leonova
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Penza State University Publishing House 2021-08-01
Series:Russian Journal of Ecosystem Ecology
Subjects:
_version_ 1818589209539117056
author N. A. Leonova
author_facet N. A. Leonova
author_sort N. A. Leonova
collection DOAJ
description Background. Long-term and intense anthropogenic impact on the forest-steppe nature of the Russian Plain has led to destruction of vast areas with natural vegetation and significant reduction in their biological diversity. Forests as a component of forest-steppe complexes have undergone the most significant transformation. Materials and methods. The biodiversity analysis was based on geobotanical descriptions obtained as a result of route and stationary studies of forest vegetation. The structural diversity of communities was assessed by the ratio of ecological-coenotic groups (ECGs) of species in the vegetation cover. To assess the successional state, we used the following parameters: representativeness of potential flora, rate of participation of R-species (explents) in the tree layer, dominance degree, proportion of demographically full-member and immoral populations. Results and conclusions. The modern vegetation cover of the upper plateau of the Volga Upland is represented by four formations (pine, birch, aspen, and black alder forests), one group of formations (broad-leaved forests), 34 groups of associations, and 112 associations. It was revealed that the forest flora includes 423 plant species belonging to 257 genera and 85 families. The maximum species richness is noted in the communities of association groups of all the formations dominated by nemoral species. A distinctive feature of the landscape communities of erosion and denudation plains (EDP) is the high constancy of the nemoral species Convallaria majalis in the herbaceous cover. Formation of modern forests is regulated by human. Their transformations are caused by a complex combination of felling of different types and intensity, plowing, grazing, and fires. The existing differences in the succession status of forests of different formations are manifested in changing species composition of stands and floristic diversity of all community synusiae (trees, shrubs, grasses).
first_indexed 2024-12-16T09:37:01Z
format Article
id doaj.art-7ff2da6baf944a1cb3baefb207b5f2b2
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2500-0578
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-16T09:37:01Z
publishDate 2021-08-01
publisher Penza State University Publishing House
record_format Article
series Russian Journal of Ecosystem Ecology
spelling doaj.art-7ff2da6baf944a1cb3baefb207b5f2b22022-12-21T22:36:22ZengPenza State University Publishing HouseRussian Journal of Ecosystem Ecology2500-05782021-08-01210.21685/2500-0578-2021-2-3SUCCESSIONAL STATE OF FORESTS IN THE UPPER PLATEAU OF THE VOLGA UPLANDN. A. Leonova0Penza State UniversityBackground. Long-term and intense anthropogenic impact on the forest-steppe nature of the Russian Plain has led to destruction of vast areas with natural vegetation and significant reduction in their biological diversity. Forests as a component of forest-steppe complexes have undergone the most significant transformation. Materials and methods. The biodiversity analysis was based on geobotanical descriptions obtained as a result of route and stationary studies of forest vegetation. The structural diversity of communities was assessed by the ratio of ecological-coenotic groups (ECGs) of species in the vegetation cover. To assess the successional state, we used the following parameters: representativeness of potential flora, rate of participation of R-species (explents) in the tree layer, dominance degree, proportion of demographically full-member and immoral populations. Results and conclusions. The modern vegetation cover of the upper plateau of the Volga Upland is represented by four formations (pine, birch, aspen, and black alder forests), one group of formations (broad-leaved forests), 34 groups of associations, and 112 associations. It was revealed that the forest flora includes 423 plant species belonging to 257 genera and 85 families. The maximum species richness is noted in the communities of association groups of all the formations dominated by nemoral species. A distinctive feature of the landscape communities of erosion and denudation plains (EDP) is the high constancy of the nemoral species Convallaria majalis in the herbaceous cover. Formation of modern forests is regulated by human. Their transformations are caused by a complex combination of felling of different types and intensity, plowing, grazing, and fires. The existing differences in the succession status of forests of different formations are manifested in changing species composition of stands and floristic diversity of all community synusiae (trees, shrubs, grasses).upper plateau of the volga uplandforest vegetationsuccession statusfloristic diversitysynusia
spellingShingle N. A. Leonova
SUCCESSIONAL STATE OF FORESTS IN THE UPPER PLATEAU OF THE VOLGA UPLAND
Russian Journal of Ecosystem Ecology
upper plateau of the volga upland
forest vegetation
succession status
floristic diversity
synusia
title SUCCESSIONAL STATE OF FORESTS IN THE UPPER PLATEAU OF THE VOLGA UPLAND
title_full SUCCESSIONAL STATE OF FORESTS IN THE UPPER PLATEAU OF THE VOLGA UPLAND
title_fullStr SUCCESSIONAL STATE OF FORESTS IN THE UPPER PLATEAU OF THE VOLGA UPLAND
title_full_unstemmed SUCCESSIONAL STATE OF FORESTS IN THE UPPER PLATEAU OF THE VOLGA UPLAND
title_short SUCCESSIONAL STATE OF FORESTS IN THE UPPER PLATEAU OF THE VOLGA UPLAND
title_sort successional state of forests in the upper plateau of the volga upland
topic upper plateau of the volga upland
forest vegetation
succession status
floristic diversity
synusia
work_keys_str_mv AT naleonova successionalstateofforestsintheupperplateauofthevolgaupland