Vegetation transformation in ecotone forest areas of Southwestern Yakutia in response to linear infrastructure development

The intensive development of oil and gas fields in the southwestern region of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) has resulted in the fragmentation of previously contiguous forested areas. Prior to the mid-1970s, anthropogenic disturbances in this region were minimal. However, since the mid-1980s, extensive areas of disturbed natural vegetation have emerged, forming a continuous interconnected network over large distances. The extent of forests affected by the  “fringe effect” has more than tripled. Forest-meadow ecotone complexes develop both at the boundaries of natural plant communities and on ecotopes changed by anthropogenic activities. This study used the route method of research, with forestry and geobotanical descriptions conducted in accordance with established classical methodologies. Cartographic materials were derived from publicly available satellite imagery and a 1:200,000 scale topographic map. Analysis of the species composition of vegetation indicates only minor differences between species located deep within forests and those at forest edges, although species abundance varies. Tree species demonstrate the least sensitivity to the “fringe effect.” In contrast, the abundance of typical forest species within the grass and shrub layers declines throughout the extent of the “fringe effect,” while meadow species from adjacent non-forest plant communities infiltrate these areas. Changes in floral composition affect all components of the biocenosis through trophic interactions.

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