Features of the growth of Pinus pumila (Pall.) Regel communities in the Olekmo-Charsky highlands of Yakutia

Abstract

The study area is located within Olekmo-Charskoye highland, the southern part of the Olekminskiy ulus (district) of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Pinus pumila (Pall.) Regel plantations are considered, both indigenous and serial types, arising as a result of anthropogenic and natural disturbances. Pinus pumila communities in combination with rocky mountain tundra occupy slopes, peaks, flat peaks of low mountains at a height of 1100–1400 m above sea level. In the absence of catastrophic disturbances – fire events or anthropogenic impacts, Pinus pumila forest cover is uniform and forms an independent closed subalpine plant belt.
The generalized characteristics of the prevailing indigenous Pinus pumila communities are presented, geobotanical descriptions of the serial types that arose as a result of anthropogenic impact and wildfires are given. Conclusions concerning the phytocenological and typological proximity to the Pinus pumila communities of the Aldan Highlands are made. The participation of Vaccinium myrtillus in the grass-shrub layer of the Pinus pumila forests was detected, along with the penetration of Alnus hirsute into the high mountain areas. When passing through a low-intensity wildfire, against the background of the deficiency of seed material, the development of reforestation process to the formation of stable dwarf birch cenosis from Betula divaricata is probable. With the development of the succession process through a change of species, the formation of the succession shrub stage from Duschekia fruticosa was detected, with the general direction of the process similar to reforestation processes in other coniferous species. In the grass-shrubbery, in the first years after the violation, the formation of vegetation follows the path of an open grass community.