Structural features of forest phytocoenosis formed on rock plants after a fire

Abstract

It has been established that, depending on the forest-forming species and growing conditions, the restoration of the forest ecosystem in the burnt area is extended for a long period. A feature of the formation of a full-fledged forest phytocenosis after the forest fire is the delayed accumulation of organic matter. This is also connected with the time-delayed development of all components of the forest. Under these conditions, 15 years after the fire, young trees with a predominance of pine and birch were formed on the site of the burnt pine forest. The undergrowth of aspen, spruce and gray alder is represented by single individuals. The total amount of undergrowth of natural origin reaches 4.5 thousand trees /ha. The undergrowth with a height of more than 2 m prevails. The undergrowth includes five types of shrub species such as mountain ash, willow, juniper, honeysuckle and juneberry. The total number of understory species is 350 trees/ha. More than 21 plant species have been identified as part of the living ground cover. The occurrence of lichens, heather, polytrichum juniperus, hairy ojica, willow-tea and meandering meadow grass is more than 50 %. Lichens, heather, lingonberry and polytrichum juniperus predominate in the protective coating. The composition of the herbage is polytrichum juniperus — 32 %, lichens — 23 %, heather — 22 %, lingonberries — 15 %, others — 8 %. The purpose of the research is to identify the features of the forest ecosystem regeneration after the forest fire after the burnt lichen pine. The object of research was a 15-year-old young forest after the forest fire in the territory of the Prionezhsky forestry of the Republic of Karelia.