MONITORING OF VEGETATION IN PALUDIFYING SMALL LAKES IN THE LOMONOSOVSKY DISTRICT OF THE LENINGRAD REGION

The results of the vegetation monitoring in two paludifying lakes in the Lomonosovsky District of the Leningrad Region are reported. The paludification is triggered by a decline in the water level provoked by forest drainage melioration in the late 20^th century. The vegetation of the lakes was first studied by V.А. Smagin in 1982–83, and was re-examined in 2004, 2014 and 2020. The composition of the bryoflora in the descriptions of 2014 and 2020 was determined by М.А. Boychuk. During the period of research, the successions were noted in lakeside mires, which led to the formation of the vegetation typical of lakeside mires. The vegetation lost its original mosaic and became more or less uniform throughout the profile, hardly distinguishable from “natural” lakeside mires. Meanwhile, in a number of places, the formation of a tree layer was noted. Beavers settled along the shores of the studied lakes, with various consequences. At one lake, the settlement of beavers turned out short-term and had no consequences, at the second one it was longer and affected the direction of successions and changes in the surrounding landscape.