Abstract
Results of a syntaxonomical study of the oligotrophic forests of northern European Russia are presented. The main forest types have been classified into 2 orders of the class Vaccinio-Piceetea, 4 alliances, 6 associations and 1 community. The new alliance Empetro-Piceion all. nov., which includes zonal spruce and birch northern forest association Empetro-Piceetum, has been established. These communities are formed according to cold temperature and high (sometimes temporarily) soil moisture and are characterized by the lower tree canopy, mosaic herb and moss-lichen layers with boreal mosses, sphagnum and lichens. In the middle taiga subzone these communities are replaced by Eu-Piceetum myrtilletosum. The forests with lichens are referred to order Cladonio-Vaccinietalia and divided into 4 associations. Lichen pine forests of the north-west of boreal zone were described as ass. Flavocetrario nivalis—Pinetum ass. nov. This association with a great number of lichens is differentiated by Cladonia arbuscula subsp. mitis, Flavocetraria nivalis, Cetraria ericetorum, Stereocaulon grande, Dicranum fuscescens, D. drummondii, Nephroma arcticum and species of Cladonia. The ass. Cadonio arbusculae—Pinetum (Caj. 1921) K.-Lund 1967 contains lichen pine forests with lower number of lichens and is distributed mostly in middle part of the taiga zone. The spruce-pine forests with mixed moss-lichen cover correspond to ass. Vaccinio-Pinetum. Ass. Hedysaro-Laricetum represents rich and well differentiated larch forests in the east of European Russia.
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