Ecological significance of hellebore growth (Epipactis helleborine) in artificial tree plantations of the Eastern Forest-Steppe forest reclamation area

Abstract

Population growth features of Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz, a rare plant species listed in the Red Book of Ukraine in three new habitats on the eastern foreststeppe forest meleorative area, are presented. Epipactis helleborine is a perennial herbaceous plant, 30–100 cm tall, hemicryptophyte, mesophyte, sciophyte. It blooms in June-September, bears fruit in July-October, propagated by seeds and rhizomes. This species has a fairly wide ecological amplitude. Plants can withstand moderate anthropogenic load. It has the ability to grow in disturbed or even artificially created forest ecosystems. At two location there were artificial forest plantations, in one case with a predominance of Fraxinus excelsior and Acer platanoides, in the other Quercus robur and Acer campestre. The third studied group, which was formed on the site of Pinus sylvestris plantation, is dominated by Quercus robur and Acer platanoides. In general,we can state the increase participation of a tree number and shrub species, and a wide range of herbaceous plants in all locations. «Forest weeds» reduce the participation and species characteristic of deciduous forests increase its participation. This became the basis for classifying the studied groups as different syntaxons of the union Querco roboris-Tilion cordatae of the order Carpinetalia betuli of the class Carpino-Fagetea sylvaticae. The identified new habitats supplement the information on the distribution of the rare species Epipactis helleborine in the eastern part of the forest-steppe zone of Ukraine.