Features of forest litters in conjunction with ground cover in the forest ecosystems of Moscow oblast (based on the example of the Chashnikovo Educational-Experimental Soil-Ecological Center)

Abstract

The stocks and structure of forest litters in a typical biogeocenosis in conjunction with the ecological and botanical characteristics of the soil layer have been studied, based on the example of the Chashnikovo Educational-Experimental Soil-Ecological Center, Moscow State University. The most informative characteristics of the soil layer include species diversity, the relative share of oligotrophic boreal and nitrophilous species, and the soil fertility index determined by the Ramensky ecological scale [20]. The total litter stock varies from 1500 to 6000 g/m² in coniferous forests and from 70 to 700 g/m² in small-leaved forests. The highest difference in stocks between the F and L horizons has been established for vegetation microcommunities with the maximum species diversity and highest share of nitrophils. The increase in the portion of welldecomposed fractions in the L piedmont from 5–7 to 27.6% leads to growth in the soil fertility index from 5–6 to 12–13.