Primary plant successions of forest belt vegetation on the Tolbachinskii Dol volcanic plateau (Kamchatka)

Abstract

Primary plant successions on volcanic deposits of the Tolbachinskii Dol Plateau (Central Kamchatka) were studied. The main factors determining the succession rate were revealed. The peculiarities of plant successions on lava flows and ash–scoria deposits differed significantly. Some common mechanisms for all volcanic regions of the world were revealed. The leading factors of plant succession on lava flows were the type of lava surface, the texture of lava, and the fine tephra accumulation rate. The main factors determining plant succession on ash–scoria deposits were wind and water erosion and the distance to the seed sources. The time of formation of a secondary permanent larch (Larix cajanderi Mayr.) forest should take about 1500–2000 years on lava flows and up to 1000 years (but not less than 300–500 years) on ash–scoria plains.