The relationship of spore (mosses) and seed plants with mesorelief types of oak forests

Abstract

A transect from the watershed to Voronezh reservoir storage has been made to study the influence of geomorphological factors on the biodiversity level of mosses and vascular plants in Voronezh upland oak forest (East of Russia). Taxonomic, ecological, biological, and geographical analyses of flora have been done. Geobotanical research methods have been used to assess phytocoenosis. Certain laws in ecotopic plants distribution and projective covering have been scored; the parameters to assess ecosystem biodiversity have been proposed and used in the studies. The three chosen zones are very different in a number of natural indicators, especially in mesorelief type and moisture degree. Mosses and vascular plants, while developing the habitats, are differently manifested in these areas. Very often they do not reflect landscape and environment peculiarities. But, according to the results, most plant species (over 55.9%), belong to mesophytes no matter which zone they grow. So, the near-valley slope zone of the Voronezh River is poor in species richness and density, genus and family diversity. These parameters increase towards the plateau.