THE SPRUCE FORESTS OF THE EASTERN POLESIE DNIEPER PART UNDER A CHANGING CLIMATE

Abstract

Purpose of the work. Establishing the structure, composition and dynamics of spruce communities in the Dnieper part of Eastern Polesie under the influence of anthropogenic pressure under conditions of climate change.

Methodology. The materials for the article were collected during the field research of the Eastern Polesie vegetation in 2002, 2015 and 2023. The field study of the vegetation was carried out by geobotanical methods. The vegetation relevés were taken during the optimum of vegetation period in the areas of 225–625 m². The phytosociological studies were also carried out in the spring period for forest areas with the spring ephemeroids sinuses. The projective coverage of the tiers of the plant group and each species was determined. Syntaxa were identified according to publications on the ecological and floristic vegetation classification. The successional stages of vegetation are named by the dominant species.

Scientific novelty. The syntaxonomic composition of spruce forests of the Dnieper part of Eastern Polesie has been established. The processes of vegetation change that occur at the site of destroyed spruce trees after reforestation works and in their absence have been clarified. The spruce forest formation from the self-seeding Picea abies (L.) Karst. was found in the deciduous forest section.

Conclusions. The spruce forest communities of the Dnieper part of Eastern Polesie belong to the Eu-Piceetum (Cajander 1921) Keilland-Lund 1967 and Querco-Piceetum (Matuszkiewicz 1952) Matuszkiewicz et Polakowska 1955 associations of the Piceion excelsae Pawłowski et al. 1928 alliance of the Piceetalia excelsae Pawłowski et al. 1928 order of the Vaccinio-Piceetea Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl. et al. 1939 class.

The natural spruce forest of the Querco-Piceetum association is formed in an ecotone area with moderately moistened gray podzolic, low-humus, acidic soil. Uneven atmospheric moisture on low-moistened edaphotosoils increases destructive processes in spruce phytocenoses. Anthropogenic and natural successions occur in the direction of the formation of spontaneous semi-natural and anthropogenic vegetation after the destruction of spruce forest plantations: phytocenoses of the Epilobietea angustifolii Tx. et Preising ex von Rochow 1951 and Robinietea Jurko ex Hadač et Sofron 1980 classes are formed on their place.