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No 1 (2024)
RESEARCH
The nutrient cycle in indigenous polytric-sphagnum spruce forests of Komi Republic
Abstract
The paper presents materials that showcase the local cycle of chemical elements in the soil-phytocenosis system of a mature middle taiga polytric-sphagnum spruce forest on hydromorphic podzolic soils. The structure of organic and mineral matter of plants of different tiers is also presented here. The work also provides a concept for the nitrogen and ash elements migration in the process of phytomass forming and their influx with plant litter. The main role in the structural composition of annual production of organic matter and litter in the ecosystem of an old-growth spruce forest is played by the forest stand. It was established that 1329.84 kg ha–1 of mineral nutrition elements accumulate in plant phytomass. N, Ca, and K are characterized by a greater accumulation capacity. Spruce forest plants remove 136.18 kg ha–1 of mineral nutrition elements from soils with annual production. With annual litter, 107.00 kg ha–1 of nitrogen and ash elements get back to the soil, of which 37.0 kg ha–1 are released in the process of plant litter destruction. The main accumulator of nutrients is the organic soil horizon, where 2421.79 kg ha–1 of chemical elements are concentrated. With atmospheric precipitation, 22.6 kg ha–1 of nitrogen and ash elements enter the soil during the year. It has been shown that the rate of mineral elements leaching beyond the root layer (0–40 cm) with surface waters is 71.78 kg ha–1 per year.
3-15
The balance of the woody fraction of the indigenous spruce forests’ biomass in the European Russia’s taiga
Abstract
The study of the structural features of indigenous taiga’s woody fractions allows us to evaluate the balance process of accumulation and decomposition of woody biomass in forest communities. The purpose of the research is to study, using the example of European taiga’s spruce forests, the processes and organisms involved in forming the balance of biomass of woody fractions in indigenous ecosystems of different ages and with different dynamic characteristics. The research objects were located in the spruce forests of the northern, middle and southern taiga of European Russia. On permanent study plots (PSP), the diameters of trunks and the age of trees were determined, age series were put together by generations, and the total volumes of trees, forest stands and woody waste were calculated. Within the generations of the aforementioned age series and the forest stands overall, infestations by wood-decaying fungi (WDF) of biotrophic and xylotrophic complexes were determined. Indigenous spruce forests of the taiga have a complex multi-aged structure, differing in volume and trees infestation rate by WDF of the biotrophic complex within both the generations and the forest stands as a whole. It determines the different phase position of ecosystems. The trend of increasing tree infestation rate from younger to older generations is interpreted as a pattern. To calculate the balance of woody fractions biomass in a forest ecosystem, it is necessary to combine within a single time process the woody fractions of the forest stand and woody waste — dead wood and the current woody waste. The main factor in the formation of the biomass balance of a spruce community is the rate of wood accumulation and decomposition processes. In native spruce forests of different ages in the taiga zone, the rate of xylolysis of wood waste by WDF is several times higher than the rate of biomass accumulation in the forest stand. The balance of the biomass accumulation and decomposition processes intensity is presented as the balance coefficient of the spruce community’s woody fractions biomass, showing how much does the rate of the woody waste decomposition process performed by the xylotrophic complex fungi exceeds the rate of the biomass accumulation process in the living part of the forest stand. Possessing an enormous xylolytic activity, the WDF of the xylotrophic complex decompose woody waste at a rate exceeding the rate of woody biomass accumulation by the phytocenosis, thereby maintaining the balance of the biomass of the forest community and its stability.
16-25
Half-century dynamics of structure and productivity of forest stands in primeval and first time clear cut middle boreal forests
Abstract
In view of actively discussed intensification of forest management, decreasing areas of natural forests and associated biological diversity, understanding the mechanisms of biogeocenoses recovery after disturbances is becoming more and more relevant. We studied the successional dynamics of middle taiga forest communities after first clear cut as compared to the natural dynamics of primeval forest communities in the control plots. Our specific objectives were to: 1) compare growing stock of forest stands (total values, distribution by tree species, variation during the observation period); 2) identify distribution of trees number and growing stock by diameter; 3) evaluate the indicators of stand productivity (annual growth increment); 4) describe the dynamics of tree species composition in the harvested forest stands. The results rely on the long-term permanent plot records. The growing stock and the number of trees in primeval stands weren’t constant over the observation period. Natural disturbances caused by strong winds contributed to a significant fluctuation in the number of trees and growing stock of some stands. The growing stock of stands recovering after felling in many cases becomes comparable to the stock of primeval forest stands by the age of 50 years. At certain periods, in some primeval and harvested forest stands, there is a similarity in the diameter distribution of growing stock and the number of trees caused by disturbances of similar severity — clear cut or windthrow. The productivity of middle-aged forest stands was significantly higher than that of primeval stands. Many first time clear cut forest stands were characterized by the dominance of deciduous species. Nevertheless, conifers also had a significant share in most tree stands on the account of preserved spruce undergrowth and seeding from the neighboring tree stands. Our results can be used for developing optimal forest management scenarios and restoration programmes for forest ecosystem services in managed forests.
26-37
Growth and productivity of trees in forest crops of Norway spruce in Smolensk-Moscow Upland
Abstract
The issues of diagnosing tree growth in a plantation are of a significant scientific and practical interest. The purpose of the research was to substantiate the use of the indicator “tree height at 10 years of age” to diagnose their subsequent growth and productivity in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) forest crops. 70-year-old spruce monocultures were chosen as objects for the study. Model trees were chosen on trial plots (TP) using the method of step-by-step proportional representation. After cross-cutting, they were subjected to a complete analysis of the trunk and as a result, the height of the tree at 10 years of age and the height, diameter and volume of the trunk at 70 years of age were calculated. It has been established that with age in spruce forest plantations, some of the trees that started off stronger may eventually lose their ranking positions, while the initially weaker trees, on the contrary, can raise up through the ranks. At the same time, the more average trees in the plantation remain at the centre of such a process; according to all three inventory indicators (height, diameter and the volume of the trunk), their position becomes the most stable with age. Thus, the height at 10 years of age can be considered as a diagnostic sign indicating further growth of trees in forest plantations.
38-42
Landscape Features affecting the dynamics of forest growth on agricultural lands of the Perm Territory
Abstract
The dynamics of forest growth on agricultural lands has been studied since the 1990s, which was the starting point of a massive reduction in their cultivation intensity. The total area of the overgrown agricultural land in the Perm Territory reached 58.8% of the total area of agricultural land as of 1985. The boundaries of the forested lands were recorded using remote sensing methods and the archival satellite images of medium spatial resolution. The dynamics analysis was carried out within the flat part of the Perm Territory, taking into account the soil regions’ boundaries. It has been established that the main natural factors of lands differentiation in terms of the scale and rate of their withdrawal from agricultural use are the small scale or uneven terrain of separate agricultural lands, making it less accessible for the agricultural machines, and differences in soil fertility. The least fertile soils, as well as the most difficult to cultivate, were the first to become susceptible to forest overgrowth. The more fertile soils were reforested later, as agricultural activity declined.
43-51
Natural regrowth of the Norway maple in the Ob forest steppes
Abstract
Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.) is a valuable woody plant of great economic importance. It is decorative and is a source of strong and resilient wood, thus having a good potential for introduction. In this regard, the purpose of the study was to study the process of natural renewal, the growth dynamics and the age structure of Norway maple in the forest-steppes of the Ob region. The material for the study was 6 Norway maple trees and their undergrowth of different ages. An assessment of the natural regeneration, growth dynamics and age structure of the species was carried out taking into account the place of growth, height and age of the plant, using the methods of E.M. Lavrenko with A.A. Korchagin and R.V. Popadyuk with co-authors. The height-age structure of undergrowth and the relative participation of age groups were determined according to the recommendations of A.N. Martynov with co-authors and A.Yu. Kulagin with I.F. Shayakhmetov. It has been established that Norway maple has been successfully introduced and its undergrowth is adapted for growth in the conditions of the forest-steppe of the Ob region. The highest relative participation of age groups falls on plants 1–3 years old, with no significant difference from the place of growth. Then there is a gradual decrease in the amount of undergrowth due to natural mortality.
Age groups of 4–8 years and 9–20 years, growing in favorable conditions, are characterized by more intensive growth with little mortality.
52-59
Comparative assessment of Tree species as ecosystem indicator of heavy metals accumulation in calcic chernozems on the SFU’s botanical garden
Abstract
The article presents data on the accumulation of heavy metals in calcic chernozems, as well as in the leaves and needles of certain woody plant species: white poplar (Populus alba L.) and boxelder maple (Acer negundo L.), Crimean pine (Pinus nigra var. pallasiana D. Don) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.), growing on the territory of the deciduous and coniferous trees nursery of the Southern Federal University’s Botanical Garden. The calculated values of concentration coefficients (Kc) for soils under deciduous and coniferous trees indicate a low level of soil contamination. Both deciduous and coniferous species exhibit a barrier mechanism for the entry of heavy metals, characterized by selectivity with respect to chemical elements, which is shown through the coefficients of biological absorption of heavy metals. According to the accumulation intensity, heavy metals in deciduous species can be arranged in the following series: Zn > Pb > Cu, while in coniferous species the sequence was found to be Zn ≈ Cu > Pb. In the accumulation of metals by deciduous trees, the participation of the leaf surface is more significant, hence the inversion of lead and copper in the series of metals accumulation by deciduous trees, caused by the of lead particles being airborne and partially collected by the leaves’ surface.
60-69
Mechanical stability of Virginian juniper trees in steppe zone of the eastern-european plain
Abstract
The paper establishes a relationship between the temperature factor, a physico-mechanical parameter — the modulus of elasticity of the Virginian juniper (Juniperus virginiana L.) wood tissues and its crown architectonics. Thus, with high positive temperatures in summer, a decrease in the elastic modulus leads to slow bending of the skeletal branches, which, in turn, affects the crown projection area, as well as its light permeability and, as a result, the temperature and humidity under the canopy. First of all, the temperature will affect the mechanical stability of trees, which is characterised by a critical ratio of the trunk diameter to its length (coefficient d/l ≤ 0.009) and the lowest range of the trunk’s resilience. The article developed a scheme for the mechanical stability of the Virginian juniper — due to the appearance of gaps and, in general, changes in the architectonics of the crown, uneven heating of the trunk occurs, which leads to a disruption of its uniformity in terms of the physico-mechanical properties of tissues. Irreversible deformations and numerous trunk breakages were revealed at an average height of 1.5 ± 0.5 m and in the root collar zone. As a result, the light regime of the forest stand is disturbed, which affects the phytoclimatic and bioecological features of the forest steppe plantations. A change in the phytoclimate under the canopy towards increased illumination due to a change in architectonics leads to a decrease in stability and, as a result, the inability of woody plants to resist the pressure of aggressive herbaceous and tree-shrub vegetation.
70-78
Population structure and phenological patterns of milicia excelsa in moist evergreen afromontane forests of Southwestern Ethiopia
Abstract
Knowledge of population structure and phenological patterns is basic to understanding the biological process, impact of disturbance, and forest successional trend. The main objective of this paper is to investigate the population structure and phenology of Milicia excelsa for seed production area. This study was conducted in Yayu and Bebeka natural forests, South West Ethiopia. Systematic sampling method was used to collect the data. Ten line transects were laid down along the gradient at each 100 m interval. Sample plots of 20 × 20 m for trees and saplings and 5 × 5 m for seedlings were laid down along transects at 50 m interval. Within the main plots, sub-plots for seedlings were laid out at the four corners and centre. A total of 60 quadrats were sampled at the Kebereta (Bebeka) and Dawe (Yayu) sites. DBH and height of trees were measured from each main plot. Data on phenology study was collected from both primary and secondary sources. The results of the distribution of the population of M. excelsa exhibited almost irregular pattern across the selected natural forests. The regeneration status of M. excelsa is ‘fair’ at the Bebeka site and ‘none’ at the Yayu site. M. excelsa has the highest proportion of individuals in natural forest at the Kebereta site than at the Dawe site; thus, it is more favourable to establish a seed production area there.
79-85
REVIEWS
Methodologies оf the forest climatic projects realisation: a review
Abstract
According to various estimates, there are anywhere from several hundred to a thousand initiatives for the protection, planting and reproduction of forests in Russia with a declared environmental effect. Russia has enormous potential for generating carbon units through forest climate projects. However, this opportunity is practically unused. One of the reasons for such low development is the lack of a methodological basis for forest climatic projects. In this regard, the purpose of this study is to analyse the main methodologies used for the calculation, verification and certification of forest management projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon sequestration. This article examined forest management projects that have achieved certification under Verra's Verified Carbon Standard, the world's leading voluntary carbon markets program.
The methodologies classification was carried out according to the types of activities involved in the projects:
1) reforestation and afforestation;
2) forest management improvements;
3) reducing the emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
This paper contributes to a detailed analysis of the methodologies used for calculating the forest climatic projects in the world and identifying the relevant methodologies that can be used to calculate the carbon units for forest climatic projects in Russia. Also presented are the universal recommendations for reporting forest climate projects.
86-100
SHORT COMMUNICATION
Occurrence of inonotus dryophilus and phellinus robustus in coppice oak stands of Ulyanovsk region
Abstract
The purpose of this work is to study the occurrence of Phellinus robustus (Karst.) Bourd.et Galz.) and Inonotus dryophilus (Berk.) Murr. polypores in coppice oak stands with different inventory indicators. The relevance of this topic lies in the fact that the area of oak forests throughout their range has reduced catastrophically due to the degradation and collapse of coppice stands, one of the reasons for which is the infection of oak trees with stem rot. The research was carried out on an area of 194.9 hectares of mature and overmature coppice stands in the Slavkinsky district forestry of the Nikolaevsky district, Ulyanovsk region. The occurrence of polypores was determined by setting up 6 sample plots of unspecified area with 100 trees in each. The highest occurrence of P. robustus was found in the poaceous-small-grass (PSG) oak forests (14%), with slightly lower values in the masterwort-woodruff (MW) type (13%) and the small-grass (SG) type (12%). The occurrence of I. dryophilus is significantly lower compared to P. robustus and is characterized by the following occurrence values: 7% in SG and PSG and 6% in MW oak forest types. On average, for all surveyed forest types, the occurrence value of P. robustus was 13%, and the occurrence value of I. dryophilus was 7%.
In all surveyed forest types, the highest occurrence of P. robustus was observed in pure oak stands. In the SG forest type, as the proportion of oak in the forest stand decreases, so does the occurrence of P. robustus. In other types of forest, no definite dependence of P. robustus on the proportion of the oak in the stand’s composition was revealed. The same goes for I. dryophilus in all studied forest types. The highest occurrence of polypores was observed for the most part in older forest stands. As the stand’s density increases, the occurrence of both polypores in all types of oak forests increases as well.
101-107