Spatial Organization of the Vegetation and Landscapes of the Sub-Mediterranean Forest and Woodland Belt on the Abrau Peninsula (Northwestern Caucasus)

Abstract

The article describes patterns in the spatial organization of landscapes and vegetation on the Abrau Peninsula within the Utrish State Nature Reserve and the adjacent territory. The use of ecological and topological profiling and large-scale mapping of the vegetation and landscapes made it possible to evaluate the spatial diversity of unique sub-Mediterranean ecosystems with respect to geological and geomorphological conditions, including the elevation, exposure and steepness of the slopes, as well as climate and sea effects. The specificity of the environmental conditions at different altitudes is reflected in the structure of phytocenotic diversity, which leads to the formation of two altitudinal sub-belts of the coastal belt and a change in typological composition of forest, woodlands, and shrub communities at different levels of phytocatenas.