Phytoindication assessment of forest communities of the State nature complex reserve of republican significance «Gornoye Zadelye» of the Republic of Mari El

The article presents the results of a study of seven forest communities of the State Nature Complex Reserve of Republican Significance “Gornoye Zadelye” of the Mari El Republic: 1) Pinus sylvestris L. + Picea × fennica (Regel) Kom. ‒ Corylus avellana L. ‒ Oxalis acetosella L. + Mercurialis perennis L.; 2) Pinus sylvestris L. ‒ Carex rhizina Blytt ex Lindblom + Oxalis acetosella L.; 3) Tilia cordata Mill. ‒ Corylus avellana L. ‒ Stellaria holostea L.; 4) Sorbus aucuparia L. ‒ Rubus idaeus L. + Aegopodium podagraria L. + Equisetum pratense Ehrh.; 5) Alnus incana (L.) Moench ‒ Cirsium oleraceum (L.) Scop. + Urtica dioica L.; 6) Abies sibirica Ledeb. + Picea × fennica (Regel) Kom. ‒ Oxalis acetosella L. ‒ Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus (Hedw.) Warnst.; 7) Picea × fennica (Regel) Kom. ‒ Oxalis acetosella L. + Mercurialis perennis L. The characteristics of forest phytocenoses and phytoindication assessment of ecotopes are given according to soil scales and the illumination-shading scale of D.N. Tsyganov. The results showed that the soils of the studied phytocenoses are poor, poor/sufficiently supplied with nitrogen; acidic/slightly acidic/neutral; have dry forest-meadow/wet forestmeadow/damp forest-meadow moisture with relatively stable with slightly variable/moderately variable moisture; prefer semi-open spaces, light and shady forests. Rare plant species were found in the studied phytocenoses: Diplazium sibiricum (Turcz. ex Kunze) Sa. Kurata or (Turcz. ex Kunze) Jermy, Cystopteris sudetica A. Braun et Milde [Rhizomatopteris sudetica (A. Braun et Milde) A.P. Khokhr.], Hieracium sylvularum Jord. ex Boreau, Cypripedium calceolus L., Gymnocarpium robertianum (Hoffm.) Newman, Schizachne callosa (Turcz. ex Griseb.) Ohwi, Actaea erythrocarpa Fisch. and Epipactis atrorubens (Hoffm. ex Bernh.) Besser. The values of potential ecological valences and tolerance indices allow us to assess the adaptive abilities of rare species to environmental conditions. Almost all of them have a narrow distribution range on soil scales and are characterized as hemisthenovalent and stenovalent species, and in relation to a complex of factors they are hemisthenobionts and stenobionts, which emphasizes their vulnerability and the importance of protecting the forest ecosystems of this reserve. 

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