Features of the Dynamics of Lichen Pine Forests under Flooding by the Rybinsk Reservoir
Journal Title: Lesnoy Zhurnal (Russian Forestry Journal) - Year 2022, Vol 17, Issue 4
Abstract
The article presents the results of studying the long-term dynamics of the Darwin Nature Reserve’s forests, which turned out in altered environmental conditions due to the creation of the Rybinsk Reservoir. Multi-year reservoir influence has significantly changed the environment of coastal areas, which resulted in necessity of studying the coastal forests state. The lichen pine forest growing in the zone of direct influence of the Rybinsk Reservoir became an object of study. A geobotanical description was carried out and inventory characteristics of the woodland were determined in order to study the direction and speed of growth and development processes at the trial areas. The main focus was on the dynamics of the living ground cover as an indicator of soil and hydrological conditions and the state of the stand, undergrowth, and understorey. The connection of growth and development processes of flooded stands with climatic features of growth periods, relief features and level regime of the reservoir was found. The calculation of the effect of flooding, which characterizes the impulses of deviation of the pine stand productivity indicators, showed that in the conditions of well-defined mesorelief and deep groundwater occurrence in the low-water period, the effect was negative, and in the high-water period – positive. This value was positive for both periods on the slopes of shallow subsurface depressions. A comparative analysis of absolute increments in flooded and reference stands revealed significant differences in the nature of these changes. The average growth tends to increase under flooding, which is not typical for natural stands in ripe age. Sharp peaks of current increment rise correspond to the period with the most well-defined influence of flooding. Significant mobility and variability of the ground cover indicate the dynamism of the studied type of forest, the processes of self-regulation in lichen pine trees are so disturbed by the reservoir influence that even the formed forest type is not able to survive. From the perspective of I.S. Melekhov’s dynamic typology, the studied forest type under flooding should be considered as a type-stage on the way to the accelerated formation of a new type – green-moss pine forest. The findings confirming the provisions of the dynamic typology are important both for forest science and forestry practice, and for monitoring studies in the reserve.
Authors and Affiliations
Andrej K. Mukhin
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP706812
- DOI 10.37482/0536-1036-2022-4-52-69
- Views 90
- Downloads 0
Windproof Role of Birch Crooked Forests on Bolshoy Solovetsky Island
Birch crooked forests, consisting mainly of twisted birch (Betula tortuosa Ledeb.) with patches of downy birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.) and a single presence of spruce, willow, and aspen are windproof natural communities...
Theoretical Studies of Forwarder Productivity with Limited Impact on Soils
Wheeled forest machines currently dominate the logging industry in Russia and in the world. Every year in Russia, the share of machine-made wood harvesting using Scandinavian technology increases, which involves felling...
Plate Dampers in the Tensioning Units of Bandsaw Machines
The article analyses strengths and weaknesses of bandsaw machines. While analysing we have found the relationship between the weaknesses and the tension of a band saw. Its use as a cutting tool leads to a decrease in the...
Influence of Climatic Factors on Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) Growth on the Coast of the Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea
The purpose of this study is a comparative analysis of linear and radial increments of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) as a response to the growing conditions on the coast of the Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea, as wel...
Weather Conditionality of Siberian Stone Pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour) Seeding
The dynamics of Siberian stone pine sexual reproduction in the South-Eastern part of the West Siberian Plain was studied by 13-year stationary observations. The stand age was 160–180 years, the average tree height was 22...