Relations of Phenolic Compounds, Tannins, Lignin, Nitrogen and Carbon in Plants of the Empetro-Piceetum Forests of the Kola Peninsula

Abstract

The study presents an analysis of aging (falling) organs (leaves/needles) of the following plants: Siberian spruce (Picea abies ssp. obovata (Ledeb.) Domin), downy birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh), common cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.), crowberry hermaphroditic (Empetrum hermaphroditum Hager.), blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.), Schreber’s pleurium (Pleurozium schreberi (Brid.) Mitt.), polytrichum (Polytrichum spp.), dwarf cornel (Chamaepericlymenum suecicum (L.) Aschers. Graebn. (Cornus suecica L.)), wavy hair-grass (Deschampsia flexuosa (L.) Trin.). A significant variation in the chemical composition (the content of lignin, phenolic compounds, tannins, nitrogen and carbon, as well as the stoichiometric ratios “C/N”, “lignin/N”, “lignin/cellulose”) was found among plants of the northern taiga forests at the interspecific level. The influx of secondary metabolites with litter depends on the plant communities’ species composition and the contribution of various plant species to the vegetation cover’s composition. At the intraspecific level (for Siberian spruce growing in different landscape positions within empetro-piceetum forests (in automorphic, transit and accumulative landscapes)) an increase in the content of soluble tannins (p 0.05) in spruce needles from the automorphic positions of landscape was determined. Also have been studied some interrelations between secondary metabolites, nitrogen and carbon in the composition of aging photosynthetic organs of dominant plant species in northern taiga empetro-piceetum forests.