Lesovedenie

The paper deals with dynamics and development of complex pine forests of the Serebryanny Bor experimental forestry unit of the Institute of Forest Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences at various stages of succession. The origins and future prospects of this group of forest types remain debatable. The subjects of the study were the old-growth pine stands and their natural regeneration after clear sanitary felling. It was found that most of the studied pine forests were of natural origin. At the age of over 150 years, pine stands maintain positive dynamics of growth in terms of wood stock. On average, the growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) over 20 years was 1.7 m³/ha per year, and the average growth was 1.8 m³/ha per year. On all the study sites, the fastest growth under the canopy of pine forests was noted in small-leaved linden (Tilia cordata Mill.), which is omnipresent in the second storey and sometimes even reaches the first storey. The living ground cover is dominated by plants of the nemoral group. The process of nemoralisation occurs in all storeys of phytocoenoses. In case of catastrophic disturbances in clearings, a significant amount of natural regeneration of tree and shrub species can be observed. At the same time, Scots pine prevails quantitatively, but is significantly inferior to deciduous species in the rate of growth height-wise. Despite the participation of meadow species, the grass cover retains a forest appearance with a high proportion of nemoral group species. Scots pine is able to successfully regenerate after catastrophic disturbances, but the formation of pine forests is possible only in case of timely forestry activities.

West Dvina peatland-forest station of the Institute of Forestry Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences is located in the sub-taiga of European Russia. Scientific tasks related to the biogeocoenological study of the nature of swampy forests and swamps are solved at the station. In the period during 1972–1973, forest reclamation works were carried out here. Permanent sample plots were laid on the drained areas, including one in 1974 on a forested oligotrophic swamp. In 2023, the research was carried out again. The purpose of the study was to evaluate changes in the structure of a forest stand on a forested oligotrophic swamp over 50 years after drainage. The objects of the study were the forest inventory data for the tree layer on permanent sample plots in 1974 and 2023. Sample plots were laid in the middle of the space between the drainage channels and near them. The study uses generally recognized field and laboratory inventory methods. Regression equations were constructed to accurately calculate certain indicators. For statistical analysis of the similarity between the diameters on the sample plots that do not obey the normal distribution, the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test, recommended in such cases, was used. The development dynamics of the stands on the sample plots was studied by comparing the inventory indicators for 1974 and 2023. Due to the lack of control for the drained object in 2023, in order to identify the degree of drainage efficiency, tree height was calculated based on an algebraic model of stand growth based on the Mitcherlich function. Comparing the inventory indicators and the intensity of drainage of Pinetum andromedo-eriophoroso-sphagnosum over 50 years, it can be noted that in the process of drainage there was a change in forest types to Pinetum ledoso-sphagnosum turfosum, located in the middle of the inter-channel space and undergoing extensive drainage, and to Pinetum ledoso-hylocomioso-sphagnosum turfosum, located near the channel and being subjected to normal drainage. The yield class has improved from Vb to Va. The inventory indicators characterising the productivity of the stand have changed significantly over 50 years, including the wood stock of the stand that has increased 3.5 and 4.9 times in drained pine forests. The compared stands belong to the age class V, however, older trees died out in the drained stands. Statistical analysis showed minor but significant differences in diameters between normally drained and extensively drained pine forests. The effect of drainage showed there is a significant difference in the average heights in the drained pine forests (more than 36%) compared to the model height of the undrained pine forests. For 50 years after the drainage of oligotrophic pine forests, a certain effect of their drainage can be observed. However, the overall impact of such drainage on forest management is low.

The paper states as increasing influence of forestry and biogenic factors on the degradation of oak forests and the necessity of creating of geographical crops of common oak from climatypes native to different regions of European Russia in the silvicultural areas of the Tellerman experimental forestry unit of the Institute of Forest Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The morphometric features and preservation of oak crops over time were studied in 14 geographical climatypes. The best indicators for survival, growth energy and resistance to biogenic factors for edaphic conditions and, possibly, for the entire region of the southern forest-steppe zone were found in seeds belonging to climatypes from Smolensk, Tula, Belgorod, Orel, Kursk 1, Kursk 2, Tatarstan and Adygea. High-quality forest restoration using acorns of local origin collected in high-standing mountain oak groves is possible only under the condition of removing the pressure of ungulates.

Lichenological studies in the Serebryanoborskoe Experimental Forestry of the Institute of Forest Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences, located in the territory of Moscow and the Moscow region, were carried out in the period from 2010 to 2023 by the route method. Collection and laboratory processing of materials were carried out using generally accepted lichenological methods. The list of lichen biota of the Serebryanoborskoe Forestry includes 115 species of lichens and allied fungi, 15 of which are known only from literature data. 60 lichen species were identified in the urban part, and 98 species in the suburban part. Ecological-substrate analysis of lichen biota showed a significant predominance of groups associated with woody (tree and wood) substrate. The highest species richness is characterized by birch and linden lichen cover. The highest diversity was observed in pine forests prevailing in terms of area (including pine forests with small-leaved species), the lowest number of lichen species was observed in mixed and broad-leaved forests. The surveyed territory contains locations of four protected lichen species listed in the Red Data Books of Moscow and the Moscow Region, as well as ten indicator species of biologically valuable zonal forest landscapes.