Tall herb boreal forests of eastern part of european Russia

Abstract

On a basis of analysis of original and published data collected from north-eastern regions of European Russia, two new associations of tall herb boreal forest communities have been characterized. The first one, named Aconito septentrionalis—Piceetum obovatae Zaugolnova et Morozova ex Zaugolnova et al. hoc loco, was proposed earlier (Zaugolnova, Morozova, 2004). Now it has been validly described. Association is distributed in northern and middle boreal subzones. The second one, named Pulmonaria obscurae—Piceetum abietis ass. nova hoc loco, is specified and validly described for the fist time. It is distributed in southern boreal subzone. These two associations can be considered as a quasi-climax succession stage of spruce forests on their eastern border in the Russian Plain. These communities have the highest species diversity among taiga forests Together with three others forest associations, earlier described from the Southern Urals (Martynenko et al., 2008), the mentioned two belong to a new sub-alliance Atrageno sibiricae—Piceenion obovatae suball. nov. hoc loco within alliance Piceion excelsae Pawłowsky in Pawłowski et al. 1928 (in boreal-forest class Vaccinio-Piceetea). Block of the sub-alliance diagnostic species includes a functional group of boreal tall herb species. Their ecological and geographic characteristics have been described.