Indicatioon of vegetation site conditions of the park «Sosnovka» using Ramensky’s ecological scales

Abstract

In 2021, geobotanical descriptions were carried out in Sosnovka Park on the same sites where in 1925–1926 Y.Y. Vasiliev and A.G. Gael determined the dominants of the living ground cover, completeness, age and bonitet of plantings. In 1925–1926, lingonberry and blueberry pine forests prevailed in Sosnovka. Over 96–97 years, the vegetation and soils of Sosnovka Park have undergone significant changes. Some of the pine forests were replaced by birch forests. The small-leaved lime, Norway and Tatar maples, common rowan appeared in the stands. There is no pine among young generation, but there are many young broad-leaved trees. To date, a well-defined layer of undergrowth appeared, consisting of 17 species of shrubs and small trees. In the grass-shrub layer, the abundance of blueberries and cranberries, other forest species has decreased, meadow species, weed-ruderal, weed-pascal, weed-subnemoral occurred. There was a strong reduction in the projective coverage of green forest mosses and their partial replacement by Climacium dendroides, Sanionia uncinata, Plagiomnium cuspidatum, representatives of the Brachytheciaceae family. Lichen pine forests have completely disappeared in Sosnovka. Indication of moisture conditions using L.G.Ramensky scales (1956) showed that it remained unchanged (66–71 in 1925-26 and 65–73 in 2022). Indication of soil richness-salinity conditions using L.G.Ramensky scales (1956) showed that soil fertility increased by approximately 1 step (3.6–4.1 in 1925-26 and 4.0–5.0 in 2022).