Altitudinal-belt structure of the vegetation cover of the Azas Reserve (North-Eastern Tuva)

Abstract

The paper considers the altitudinal-belt structure of the vegetation cover of the Azas Reserve in connection with the natural features of its territory. As the main unit of the altitudinal subdivision of the vegetation cover, the altitudinal-belt complex of forest types (ABC), traditionally used in the ecological-phytocenotic classification of the forest cover of the mountains of South Siberia, was adopted. The purpose of the research is to identify the structural elements of the altitudinal-belt rank in the vegetation cover to be reflected in the legend of the geobotanical map M 1 : 50 000 of the Azas State Nature Reserve. As a result of the analysis of field research materials 1987-2012 and forest management data of the protected area in 2014-2015, six altitudinal-belt vegetation complexes were identified, forming a full spectrum of the altitudinal vegetation belts of the Eastern Sayan, characteristic of the semi-humid bioclimatic sector of the mountains of Southern Siberia. The features of phytocoenotic diversity and distribution of the ABC in the Azas Reserve are characterized. Humid features of vegetation were noted in the dark coniferous part of the altitudinal-belt spectrum and in the high-mountain belt. The ABC in the legend of the geobotanical map were reflected by color and icon designations through the composition of forest formations and the series of forest types that make up the ABC.