The analysis of environmental space conditions for bryoflora forming in artificial pine communities of the Buzuluksky pine forest and the Krasnosamarsky forest

The paper deals with ecological conditions and peculiarities of bryoflora of artificial pine communities of the Buzuluksky pine forest and the Krasnosamarsky forest. The authors have revealed that the pine plantings of the Buzuluksky pine forest are characterized by a lower soil moisture and nitrogen supply than similar communities of the Krasnosamarsky forest in accordance with the criteria of D.N. Tsyganov scales. In addition, all communities belonging to the same territory show differences in the acidity and salt regime of soils as well as in moisture contrasts. The differences seem to be the result of a specific manifestation of parallel multidirectional successional processes (afforestation and steppe formation). For the bryofloras of the studied artificial pine communities, a significant similarity level (Czekanowski-Sörensen index of 0,7) and close values of the projective cover and vitality of bryophytes have been shown. However, the substrate preferences of bryophytes are significantly different: 85% of the species grow on soil in the Buzuluksky pine forest, while 52% of the species grow on soil and 39% of the species grow on decaying wood in the Krasnosamarsky forest. In addition, more intensive sporulation of bryophytes has been noted in artificial pine communities of the Krasnosamarsky forest and the share of dominant species in the projective cover is 47,7% there, and their share is 83,4% in the Buzuluksky pine forest. The authors have suggested that genetic polymorphism should underlie the revealed differences in the species similarity of bryofloras. Its manifestation is influenced, among other things, by the stage of ecological succession of plant communities in which bryophytes grow. It is the result of the implementation of strategies for bryophytes adaptation to existing conditions and reflects the stage of bryoflora formation.