OLD-GROWTH SPRUCE-FIR FORESTS IN THE PLAIN AREA OF THE KOMI REPUBLIC
Old-growth spruce and spruce-fir forests can be extremely variable in the composition and diversity of their ground layer of vegetation, sometimes with over 10 times difference in diversity between various forests. What is the reason for such a big difference? Here we propose a hypothesis that the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Penza State University Publishing House
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Russian Journal of Ecosystem Ecology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://rjee.ru/en/rjee-3-4-2018-2/ |
| _version_ | 1819091840908918784 |
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| author | O. V. Smirnova M. V. Bobrovsky L. G. Khanina V. E. Smirnov E. M. Glukhova |
| author_facet | O. V. Smirnova M. V. Bobrovsky L. G. Khanina V. E. Smirnov E. M. Glukhova |
| author_sort | O. V. Smirnova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Old-growth spruce and spruce-fir forests can be extremely variable in the composition and diversity
of their ground layer of vegetation, sometimes with over 10 times difference in diversity between various forests.
What is the reason for such a big difference? Here we propose a hypothesis that the ground layer of vegetation is
most strongly affected by fire history of boreal forest ecosystems. We estimated composition, structure and diversity
of vascular plant and bryophyte species in seven forest types in old-growth forests dominated by either
Picea obovate or Picea obovate together with Abies sibirica, which were located in the plains of the Komi Republic.
All the study areas were either at elevated or hilly plains with good and moderate drainage, or in valleys of small
rivers and streams, away from wets and bogs. We analyzed Landolt’s species ecological values, coverage of vegetation
layers and deadwoods at different stages of decay, bedrock parameters, and soil charcoals in order to explain
differences in the plant species composition and diversity. We showed that there are weak but statistically
significant correlations between the coverage of deadwoods at different decay stages and vascular species composition
and a positive correlation between the total deadwood coverage and bryophyte species diversity. Among
the studied forests, those that are dominated by boreal and nitrophilous tall herbs (located in watersheds and in
river valleys respectively), have no fire scars on stems of Pinus spp. and almost no charcoal in the soil and demonstrate
the highest species diversity. We estimated that these forests have not experienced fires for over 400 years.
In contrast, the diversity of vascular plants in the forests dominated by green mosses, dwarf shrubs, small boreal
herbs and large ferns was low; we evaluated that the last time when these forests suffered intense multiple fires
was at least 150 years ago. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T22:46:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8a22658c23f84538add0662b2a9ea213 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2500-0578 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T22:46:07Z |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | Penza State University Publishing House |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Russian Journal of Ecosystem Ecology |
| spelling | doaj.art-8a22658c23f84538add0662b2a9ea2132022-12-21T18:47:42ZengPenza State University Publishing HouseRussian Journal of Ecosystem Ecology2500-05782018-12-013410.21685/2500-0578-2018-4-2OLD-GROWTH SPRUCE-FIR FORESTS IN THE PLAIN AREA OF THE KOMI REPUBLICO. V. Smirnova0M. V. Bobrovsky1L. G. Khanina2V. E. Smirnov3E. M. Glukhova4Center for Forest Ecology and Productivity of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 84/32 Profsojuznaya street, Moscow, 117997, RussiaInstitute of Physico-Chemical and Biological Problems in Soil Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2 Institutskaya street, Pushchino, 142290, RussiaInstitute of Mathematical Problems of Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences – branch of the M. V. Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 1 Prof. Vitkevich street, Pushchino, 142290, RussiaCenter for Forest Ecology and Productivity of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 84/32 Profsojuznaya street, Moscow, 117997, Russia; Institute of Mathematical Problems of Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences – branch of the M. V. Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 1 Prof. Vitkevich street, Pushchino, 142290, RussiaInstitute of Mathematical Problems of Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences – branch of the M. V. Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 1 Prof. Vitkevich street, Pushchino, 142290, RussiaOld-growth spruce and spruce-fir forests can be extremely variable in the composition and diversity of their ground layer of vegetation, sometimes with over 10 times difference in diversity between various forests. What is the reason for such a big difference? Here we propose a hypothesis that the ground layer of vegetation is most strongly affected by fire history of boreal forest ecosystems. We estimated composition, structure and diversity of vascular plant and bryophyte species in seven forest types in old-growth forests dominated by either Picea obovate or Picea obovate together with Abies sibirica, which were located in the plains of the Komi Republic. All the study areas were either at elevated or hilly plains with good and moderate drainage, or in valleys of small rivers and streams, away from wets and bogs. We analyzed Landolt’s species ecological values, coverage of vegetation layers and deadwoods at different stages of decay, bedrock parameters, and soil charcoals in order to explain differences in the plant species composition and diversity. We showed that there are weak but statistically significant correlations between the coverage of deadwoods at different decay stages and vascular species composition and a positive correlation between the total deadwood coverage and bryophyte species diversity. Among the studied forests, those that are dominated by boreal and nitrophilous tall herbs (located in watersheds and in river valleys respectively), have no fire scars on stems of Pinus spp. and almost no charcoal in the soil and demonstrate the highest species diversity. We estimated that these forests have not experienced fires for over 400 years. In contrast, the diversity of vascular plants in the forests dominated by green mosses, dwarf shrubs, small boreal herbs and large ferns was low; we evaluated that the last time when these forests suffered intense multiple fires was at least 150 years ago.http://rjee.ru/en/rjee-3-4-2018-2/spruce-fir foreststall herb forestsvascular plantsbryophytesdeadwoodcharcoalfire |
| spellingShingle | O. V. Smirnova M. V. Bobrovsky L. G. Khanina V. E. Smirnov E. M. Glukhova OLD-GROWTH SPRUCE-FIR FORESTS IN THE PLAIN AREA OF THE KOMI REPUBLIC Russian Journal of Ecosystem Ecology spruce-fir forests tall herb forests vascular plants bryophytes deadwood charcoal fire |
| title | OLD-GROWTH SPRUCE-FIR FORESTS IN THE PLAIN AREA OF THE KOMI REPUBLIC |
| title_full | OLD-GROWTH SPRUCE-FIR FORESTS IN THE PLAIN AREA OF THE KOMI REPUBLIC |
| title_fullStr | OLD-GROWTH SPRUCE-FIR FORESTS IN THE PLAIN AREA OF THE KOMI REPUBLIC |
| title_full_unstemmed | OLD-GROWTH SPRUCE-FIR FORESTS IN THE PLAIN AREA OF THE KOMI REPUBLIC |
| title_short | OLD-GROWTH SPRUCE-FIR FORESTS IN THE PLAIN AREA OF THE KOMI REPUBLIC |
| title_sort | old growth spruce fir forests in the plain area of the komi republic |
| topic | spruce-fir forests tall herb forests vascular plants bryophytes deadwood charcoal fire |
| url | http://rjee.ru/en/rjee-3-4-2018-2/ |
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