Kudryavtsev А.Yu. Transformation Forest Ecosystems of Middle Volga Forest-Steppe // Ecosystems: ecology and dynamics. 2021. Vol. 5. No 2. P. 57-85. | Abstract | PDF | Reference |

 

 

At the forest-steppe zone unbroken forest cover are absent. Typical islands massifs of the forests different sizes, which related with different elements of the relief. Therefore, forest massif one can considered like one from basic units for investigation forest ecosystems, especially at the forest–steppe and steppe zone. Reduction of the forest areas and connected with him fragmentation forest cover at the forest–steppe zone demanded necessity distinguishing types of the massifs, which formed as a result fragmentation of the more large complex.

Territory of investigation located at the Central Russia in the central part of the Volga Upland divided by main watershed Volga and Don. North of forest–steppe at the Volga Upland territory passed to watershed Volga and Don. Investigations embraced left coastal of Sura river, upper part of the basin Khoper river and upper part of the basin river Mocsha. General area of the territory are composed more 1.7 million hectares. Object of our investigation is characterized spatial structure of the forest cover at middle Volga forest-steppe.  Described different types forest massifs in the forest-steppe zone.

As units of the classification considered forest massifs different size. Distinguished of the massifs carry out with used plans of the forest implants S 1:25000 and topography maps S 1:100000. By help topography, maps definite belonging every massif to elements of relief. Forests massifs belong to definite forms of relief united to types.

For identification the spatial structures of the ecosystems application morphometric method basis at analyze of frequency-spatial characteristics different scale level. This method include numbers presentation drawings of ecosystems and statistical analyze data lineal scanning theirs images. With dependence from area, woods parts may be combination of different-ranked ecosystems.

We described following types of the forest massifs, characteristic for forest-steppe zone of the Central Russia: plakor, nagornue, bajrak, massif on the slope, floodplain, arena (terraces), and complex forest massif. Species composition of timber stands marked 12 basic forest forming breeds of the forest massifs grouped at sizes and different types of the forest massifs analyzed.

Forest ecosystems transformation reflected to the reduction of the forest areas, fragmentation forests massifs, composition and structure alteration. А forest massifs was considered like complex different-ranked ecosystems.  The data on the composition of the forest-forming trees species in the different types forest massifs are given. The current mosaic pattern of the forest ecosystems reflect realistic vegetation, the degree of it transformation and possible ways of regenerating the forest under certain landscape conditions. Degree of disturbance of the forest cover for investigated territory is extraordinary high. Fragmentation forests as result of the human activity changed natural character not only composition and structure of the forests phytocoenoses, but and morphological characteristics of the wooden massifs. Different categories of the wooden massifs enough clear differenced to species composition of the basic forest forming breeds.

Degree of disturbance of the forest cover for investigated territory is extraordinary high. At now time wood-cover of region composed 13.4 percent. That is considerable smaller of necessary minimum (“optimum wood-cover”), which by A.A. Molchanov (1973) due composing 26 percent as minimum. Quantity little paths of the kolki forests are large, though basic area occupied big wooden massifs. Fragmentation forests as result of the human activity changed natural character not only composition and structure of the forests phytocoenoses, but and morphological characteristics of the wooden massifs. Many of they disintegrated at separated parts.

Key words: forest-steppe zone, Volga Upland, forest cover, forest ecosystems, types of the forest massifs, species composition, degree of the transformation.

DOI: 10.24411/2542-2006-2021-10084