European Taiga Research Articles

Importance of Wood-Decay Fungi in Balance between Biomass Formation and Sustainability of Spruce Stands in the Russian European Taiga

Importance of Wood-Decay Fungi in Balance between Biomass Formation and Sustainability of Spruce Stands in the Russian European Taiga

Juniper-Associated Wood-Inhabiting <i>Basidiomycota</i> in East European Boreal Forests (Republic of Belarus, European Russia)

The paper is devoted to ecological and biodiversity studies on basidiomycetes associated with common juniper (Juniperus communis) from subtaiga zone of Belarus as well as several taiga regions of the European part of Russia, namely, the Leningrad Region, the Republic of Karelia, the Komi Republic, the Arkhangelsk Region, the Murmansk Region. The taiga zone represents an ecological-coenotic optimum of common juniper and the widest spectrum of its fungal consorts is expected to be revealed. A total of 96 species of wood-inhabiting basidiomycetes, both from dead and living wood, were recorded in association with J. communis in the boreal regions of Belarus and the European part of Russia. These species belong to the Pucciniomycetes (Pucciniales, 3 species), Dacrymycetes (Dacrymycetales, 1 species), and Agaricomycetes (Agaricales, Atheliales, Auriculariales, Boletales, Cantharellales, Gloeophyllales, Gomphales, Hymenochaetales, Polyporales, Russulales, Thelephorales, Trechisporales, 92 species). An annotated species list is given, including an expanded substratum and ecology datasets. The ecological and geographical preferences of these fungi and the strength of their connection with juniper were analyzed by thermal map, clusterization, and Sankey diagram methods. The various types of wood decomposition by juniper-associated basidiomycetes were discussed. The global distribution pattern of the species was analyzed. It was concluded that the biota of basidiomycetes associated with juniper in Eastern European taiga forests is a heterogeneous and heterochronous formation, where it is possible to distinguish clearly a florogenetically ancient core of the species specialized on juniper, exhibiting in one or other way biotrophic properties, and several taiga sets of species (suites) connected with pine trees and their litter as well as with spruce-pine-leaved taiga mosaics and boreo-nemoral mosaics typical of the Northern Hemisphere.

Spatial relationships of trees in middle taiga post-pyrogenic pine forest stands in the European North-East of Russia

Information on the structural organization of forest stands obtained on sample plots is the basis for long-term monitoring of post-fire pine forest structure and dynamics in the European North-East. These data can be used as a marker of native pine stands of the European taiga. Here, we studied vertical and horizontal structure in the post-pyrogenic pine forests of Vacciniosum, Vaccinioso-cladinosum and Myrtillosum site types in the boreal forest of the Komi Republic. The type of horizontal structure of uneven-aged forest stands changed with age from grouped to random one. Large trees were randomly distributed on the plot. We observed the weak aggregation of undergrowth trees (natural tree regeneration) in stands at distances of 2–6 m. Undergrowth individuals were characterized by group distribution at smaller distances than 1–2 m. Spatial relationships between large, small and codominant trees demonstrated random distribution in most cases. Undergrowth individuals did not show any competitive relations. However, we revealed a “taking off” effect between mature trees of pine and pine undergrowth. The direction of the displacement of tree crown centre projections relative to the bases of their trunks was ambiguous. The shift of the crown space towards the maximum solar radiation was detected in a thinned stand with old age and big size of trees. In other site types, no one-sided orientation of the tree crown development emerged.

Arboreal Behavior of the Red-Backed Vole of the Genus Myodes (Rodentia, Cricetidae) in the Northern European Taiga

Arboreal Behavior of the Red-Backed Vole of the Genus Myodes (Rodentia, Cricetidae) in the Northern European Taiga

Foraging in Boreal Forest: Wild Food Plants of the Republic of Karelia, NW Russia.

While the current consumption of wild food plants in the taiga of the American continent is a relatively well-researched phenomenon, the European taiga area is heavily underrepresented in the scientific literature. The region is important due to its distinctive ecological conditions with restricted seasonal availability of wild plants. During an ethnobotanical field study conducted in 2018–2019, 73 people from ten settlements in the Republic of Karelia were interviewed. In addition, we conducted historical data analysis and ethnographical source analysis. The most widely consumed wild food plants are forest berries (three Vaccinium species, and Rubus chamaemorus), sap-yielding Betula and acidic Rumex. While throughout the lifetime of the interviewees the list of used plants did not change considerably, the ways in which they are processed and stored underwent several stages in function of centrally available goods, people’s welfare, technical progress, and ideas about the harm and benefit of various products and technological processes. Differences in the food use of wild plants among different ethnic groups living in the region were on the individual level, while all groups exhibited high variability in the methods of preparation of most used berries. The sustainability of berry use over time has both ecological and economical factors.

CO2 Efflux from the Stem Surface of Scots Pine under Various Growing Conditions

Evaluating temporal variability of CO2 efflux from the tree trunks of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) are presented. The field measurements were performed by the chamber method in a swampy cotton grassy–sphagnum pine forest in Yaroslavl region and in a highly productive grassy–bilberry pine forest on well drained sandy soils in the Serebryaniy Bor forest service area in Moscow region. Tree trunk respiration was measured during several growing seasons under different weather conditions and groundwater level depths. The results showed that the CO2 emission of living tree trunks in the southern European taiga forests exhibited clear seasonal and diurnal variation and it was a highly sensitive to changing ambient conditions (air temperature and groundwater level). The differences in the trunk respiration rate of trees of various growth classes for a swampy pine forest were also revealed.

Состояние экспериментальных культур сосны скрученной в Республике Коми

Изложены результаты исследования четырех участков экспериментальных культур сосныскрученной в Республике Коми. В эксперименте представлено шесть происхождений сосны скрученной, выращенных из семян, заготовленных на лесосеменных плантациях Швеции, которые заложены по географическому принципу семенными потомствами плюсовых деревьев, отобранных в Канаде. Вкачестве контроля использовали семена сосны обыкновенной местного происхождения. Сосна скрученная превосходила сосну обыкновенную по объему ствола, однако доля стволов с дефектами у нее была выше. Установлена взаимосвязь показателей роста и качества ствола сосны скрученной с географической широтой происхождения материнских плюсовых деревьев в Канаде.

Refugia for the floristic diversity of Northern Ural dark conifer forests as markers of natural vegetation of the eastern European Taiga

New data are presented on unique refugia accounting for the high floristic diversity of dark conifer forests of the Northern Urals, which have some of the highest parameters of species saturation among boreal forests of northern Eurasia. Based on the results of analysis, the most significant biological factors have been revealed and their influence on boreal tall-herb and background plant communities has been evaluated.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of pine marten (Martes martes), mountain hare (Lepus timidus), and red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) trail activity in the European southern taiga

Observations of trail activity of the martens, mountain hares, and red squirrels in winter along fixed routes in the Central Forest Reserve showed its high variability and synchronism in time and space. Polynomial dependence of the trail activity and correlation between spatial distribution of marten, mountain hare and squirrel are detected. The influence of weather on the trail activity is smaller, but statistically significant. It is proved that the space-time dynamics of the trail activity is governed by the Moran effect which is amplified by relations between the predator and prey.

Biogenic fluxes of carbon dioxide in the old-growth spruce forest in the middle taiga: Results of eddy covariance measurements

Fluxes of carbon dioxide in the old-growth bilberry spruce forest in the European Taiga are measured by the eddy covariance technique. A carbon dioxide sink to the ecosystem was observed from April until September; the maximum net-exchange rate of carbon dioxide was recorded in July. During the cold period of the year from October to March, the biogenic flux of CO2 was directed from the forest canopy to the atmosphere. According to measurements at u* > 0.2, the total annual NEE was 219 g C m–2; the annual values of the ecosystem respiration Reco and the gross photosynthesis Pgross were 483 and 966 g C m–2, respectively. The conclusion is that the old-growth bilberry spruce forest in the middle taiga subzone was the sink of carbon from the atmosphere during the year of observation.

Woody debris characteristics in the primary spruce forests of eastern european taiga

The possibility of studying the balance processes of biomass accumulation and decay in forest communities is discussed. Woody debris is considered an important consort of the forest biogeocoenosis in the processes of accumulation and decomposition of biomass in forest communities. In primary forest communities unaffected by anthropogenic impact, the stock of the current woody debris and slash are determined in absolute and relative terms as one of the structures of the overall balance of biomass in evolutionary forests. Their average values are calculated, which are assumed to be typical of primary forest communities.

Semi-free ranging ungulates in European taiga

The paper describes an attempt to breed semi-free ranging red deer and wild boar in the Republic of Karelia. The paper provides data on natural food sources, the diet of both species, trophic relations, and the damage red deer made to trees during the first year of their stay in the enclosure. The rowan was found to be a very important component in the red deer winter diet (58.8% of all browsed shoots), whereas pine and spruce were of low importance (0.5 and 0.1% of all browsed shoots, respectively). Intensive supplemental feeding of wild boars significantly reduced their digging activity and its negative impact on forest stands. The keeping of a large number of wild boars in a 400 ha enclosure for five years resulted in the damage of 20.7% of spruces and 3.7% of pines larger than 20 cm in diameter by partial baring of their roots. Straipsnyje aprasomas bandymas veisti pusiau nelaisvės sąlygomis gyvenancius tauriuosius elnius ir sernus Karelijos Respublikoje. Pateikiami duomenys apie natūralius maisto sal...

(Рецензия) Е. Д. Лапшина. Растительность болот юго-востока Западной Сибири: Монография. Новосибирск, 2010. 186 с.

Progress floristic classification of the vegetation of Russia is obvious (Mirkin, Ermakov, 2010; Mirkin, Naumova, 2011). However, in the vast territory of the country are still many «white spots», vegetation which syntaxonomically not been studied. One of these large «white spots» — the vegetation of the bogs. For years, the «monopolist» in ecologo-floristic classification of wetlands was V. A. Smagin (student major Soviet bolotoved M. S. Boch). He studied the vegetation of wetlands of the Northern regions of the European taiga and the basin of Myriagon Surgut Polesie (Smagin, 1998, 2000, 2003, etc.). Peer-reviewed monograph on the vegetation of mires in Western Siberia can be considered as a breakthrough in the syntaxonomy of this type of vegetation. Moreover, as a result of the work of E. D. Lapshina picture of syntaxonomy of bog vegetation has changed so much that one can speak about a kind of «syntaxa of the revolution».

The Response of Coniferous Trees to Industrial Pollution in North- Western Russia

The response of two dominant coniferous species (Picea obovata Ledeb. and Pinus sylvestris L.) of east- European taiga to industrial pollution in the impact zone of the Severonickel metallurgical combine (Murmansk Region, Kola Peninsula) was investigated. The water deficit of the needles and shoots described by shoot water potential () was used as indicator of the pollution level in the area. The vitality status of the trees was assessed by visual traits (crown shape, life span and degree of needle damage). It was shown that industrial pollution results in injuring the spruce and pine trees, damaging their conducting system and increasing the water deficit of the needles. Correlation between the visually determined health status of the trees (including needle yellowing and die-back) and their water deficit was higher for spruce than for pine trees. High sensitivity of spruce trees to air pollution may be used in forest ecology for e.g. remote detecting the forest areas with high levels of industrial pollution.

Modeling carbon dynamics in two adjacent spruce forests with different soil conditions in Russia

Abstract. Net ecosystem carbon exchange (NEE) was measured with eddy covariance method for two adjacent forests located at the southern boundary of European taiga in Russia in 1999–2004. The two spruce forests shared similar vegetation composition but differed in soil conditions. The wet spruce forest (WSF) possessed a thick peat layer (60 cm) with a high water table seasonally close to or above the soil surface. The dry spruce forest (DSF) had a relatively thin organic layer (5 cm) with a deep water table (>60 cm). The measured multi-year average NEE fluxes (2000 and –1440 kg C ha−1yr−1 for WSF and DSF, respectively) indicated that WSF was a source while DSF a sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) during the experimental years. A process-based model, Forest-DNDC, was employed in the study to interpret the observations. The modeled multi-year average NEE fluxes were 1800 and –2200 kg C ha−1yr−1 for WSF and DSF, respectively, which were comparable with observations. The modeled data also showed high soil heterotrophic respiration rates at WSF that suggested that the water table fluctuation at WSF could have played a key role in determining the negative carbon balance in the wetland ecosystem. A sensitivity test was conducted by running Forest-DNDC with varied water table scenarios for WSF. The results indicated that the NEE fluxes from WSF were highly sensitive to the water table depth. When the water table was high, the WSF ecosystem maintained as a sink of atmospheric CO2; while along with the drop of the water table the length of the flooded period reduced and more organic matter in the soil profile suffered from rapid decomposition that gradually converted the ecosystem into a source of atmospheric CO2. The general effect of water table variation on wetland carbon balance observed from this modeling study could be applicable for a wide range of wetland ecosystems that have accumulated soil organic carbon while face hydrological changes under certain climatic or land-use change scenarios.

Bird communities in European taiga forest: A comparison between a large forest block in Archangelsk, Russia, and some small-grained old-growth fragments in central Norway

The large intact areas of old-growth forest of the Archangelsk oblast represent today a possibility of studying taiga ecology in ecosystems that we do not find in Fennoscandia. They are to be regarded as the sources for the taiga-elements in our own coniferous forests. This study of bird communities was done in the core of one of the old remaining, intact forests of Archangelsk, alongside the Yula river in Pinega and Vinogradovsky rayons («regions»). Bird communities in mature spruce and pine dominated forests were studied in spring 2005. These communities from the core area of the taiga are compared with coniferous forest in the rural municipality of Lierne in eastern central Norway, studied in 2004. This latter area should be representative for the westernmost parts of the taiga. Due to extensive forestry exploitation and natural heterogeneity it is heavily fragmented, leaving behind only smaller fragments of more or less coherent old-growth stands. Findings in our comparison: • Species dependent on sufficient amount of dead wood, e.g. woodpeckers, comprise far less of the bird communities within the small-grained old-growth fragments in Lierne compared with the situation in the virgin taiga at Yula. • The abundance of all hole-nesters (including those using snags and cracks in the trunks) is considerably diluted in the bird community within the old-growth forest in Lierne compared with those found in the coniferous forests at Yula. • The assemblage forming the old-growth bird guild (predominately passerines) is still almost as abundant in the remaining fragments in Lierne as in the large block of taiga at Yula. As high abundance of hole-nesters might reflect the occurrence of several other vulnerable forest species among insects, vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens, our findings from the bird survey should also indicate a more general high conservation value of this large block of taiga at Yula.

Wintering of Finnish Taiga Geese Anser f. fabalis in Skåne, South Sweden: time-budget differences among age groups

European Taiga Geese Anser fabalis fabalis, wintering in Skåne, South Sweden, were studied while grazing winter wheat seedlings. The activities of individually marked birds were continuously observed from the time they left their night roost in the morning until they returned in the evening. Each time the bird changed from one activity to another, the change was noted on a continuously running cassette tape recorder. In autumn and early spring, adults allocated an average of 40% of their time to grazing, 27% to staying alert, and 25% to resting/sleeping. In winter, adults increased the proportion of the day devoted to grazing to 52%, whereas the time spent staying alert decreased correspondingly. Adults, subadults, and juveniles devoted similar proportions of the average day to grazing in winter, whereas juveniles spent less time staying alert and more time to resting/sleeping compared with adults. In autumn and winter, the geese grazed 4.0–4.1 hours/day.

Seasonal variability of greenhouse gases in the lower troposphere above the eastern European taiga (Syktyvkar, Russia)

A three year long record of regular vertical aircraft profiling for continuous atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio measurements as well as for flask sampling to derive the climatology of other greenhouse gases (CH4, SF6 and N2O), is presented. Measurements were undertaken in the lower troposphere between 100 and 3000 m over the eastern European taiga about 100 km south east of the city of Syktyvkar(61°24′N, 52°18′E). From the continuous profiles mean CO2 mixing ratios were calculated for the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and for the “free troposphere” up to 3000 m. The amplitudes of the respective seasonal cycles are 22.1 ± 3.5 and 14.0 ± 2.1 ppm. ABL mixing ratios are generally larger than free tropospheric values during the winter period, and smaller during the summer due to the change of the continental biosphere from a source to a sink. The phasing of the seasonal cycles is slightly different between the two height intervals (by about 30 days), with the ABL extremes occurring earlier. Very abrupt concentration changes up to 8 ppm are observed in the free troposphere associated with changes in air mass origin. Mean CO2 mixing ratios derived from flask samples at 3000 m compare well with the respective integrated values measured in the continuous profiles above the ABL (ΔCO2 = 0.3 ± 1.6 ppm). CH4 mixing ratios also show a pronounced seasonality, and winter time vertical gradients correlate well with those of CO2. Similarly, SF6 vertical gradients are correlated with CO2 gradients possibly pointing to some anthropogenic origin of the boundary layer CO2 signal during winter. N2O and SF6 also show a slight seasonality with almost the same phasing. The main reasons for the seasonality of both gases are probably transport processes with a possible contribution from stratosphere/troposphere exchange.

Seasonal variability of greenhouse gases in the lower troposphere above the eastern European taiga (Syktyvkar, Russia)

A three year long record of regular vertical aircraft profiling for continuous atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio measurements as well as for flask sampling to derive the climatology of other greenhouse gases (CH4, SF6 and N2O), is presented. Measurements were undertaken in the lower troposphere between 100 and 3000 m over the eastern European taiga about 100 km south east of the city of Syktyvkar(61°24′N, 52°18′E). From the continuous profiles mean CO2 mixing ratios were calculated for the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and for the “free troposphere” up to 3000 m. The amplitudes of the respective seasonal cycles are 22.1 ± 3.5 and 14.0 ± 2.1 ppm. ABL mixing ratios are generally larger than free tropospheric values during the winter period, and smaller during the summer due to the change of the continental biosphere from a source to a sink. The phasing of the seasonal cycles is slightly different between the two height intervals (by about 30 days), with the ABL extremes occurring earlier. Very abrupt concentration changes up to 8 ppm are observed in the free troposphere associated with changes in air mass origin. Mean CO2 mixing ratios derived from flask samples at 3000 m compare well with the respective integrated values measured in the continuous profiles above the ABL (ΔCO2 = 0.3 ± 1.6 ppm). CH4 mixing ratios also show a pronounced seasonality, and winter time vertical gradients correlate well with those of CO2. Similarly, SF6 vertical gradients are correlated with CO2 gradients possibly pointing to some anthropogenic origin of the boundary layer CO2 signal during winter. N2O and SF6 also show a slight seasonality with almost the same phasing. The main reasons for the seasonality of both gases are probably transport processes with a possible contribution from stratosphere/troposphere exchange.

Observations of atmospheric variability and soil exhalation rate of radon-222 at a Russian forest site. Technical approach and deployment for boundary layer studies

A monitor for continuous observations of the atmospheric 222Rn daughter activity has been improved and successfully implemented in a field study in the European Taiga (Fyodorovskoye Forest Reserve). The α-activity of the short-lived 222Rn and 220Rn (212Pb) decay products, which are attached to aerosols, is accumulated on a quartz aerosol filter and assayed on line by α-spectroscopy. The α-activity from the 212Pb daughters is determined by spectroscopy and corrected for. This monitor is suitable to measure 222Rn activities at hourly resolution down to 0.5 Bq m−3 with an uncertainty well below ±20%. The prototype of this monitor is run in Heidelberg on the roof of the Institute's building about 20 m above ground. For this site, the atmospheric radioactive disequilibrium was determined between the 222Rn daughter 214Po and 222Rn, which has to be known in order to derive the atmospheric 222Rn activity with the static filter method. We derived a mean disequilibrium 214Po/222Rn = 0.704 ± 0.081 for various meteorological conditions through parallel222Rn gas measurements with a slow pulse ionisation chamber. At the Russian field site, continuous activity observations were performed from July 1998 until July 2000 with half a year's interruption in summer/fall 1999. During intensive campaigns, a second monitor was installed at Fyodorovskoye at 15.6 m (July/August 1998), and at 1.8 m (July/August 1999 and October 1999) above ground. As expected, pronounced diurnal cycles of the 222Rn daughter activity were observed at all sites, particularly during summer when the vertical mixing conditions in the atmospheric surface layer vary strongly between day and night. The lower envelope of the continuous measurements at Fyodorovskoye and at Heidelberg changes on synoptic timescales by a factor of 4–10 due to long-range transport changes between continental to more maritime situations. Generally, the 222Rn activity at 26.3 m height at Fyodorovskoye is lower by a factor of 2–3 compared to Heidelberg at 20 m above ground. This unexpected result is due to considerably lower 222Rn exhalation rates from the soils measured in the footprint of the Fyodorovskoye Forest tower compared to Heidelberg. With the inverted chamber technique 222Rn exhalation rates in the range 3.3–7.9 Bq m−2 h−1 were determined at Fyodorovskoye for summer 1998 and autumn 1999 (wet conditions with water table depths between 5 and 70 cm). Only during the very dry summer of 1999 the mean222Rn exhalation rate increased by about a factor of five. All measured exhalation rates at the Fyodorovskoye Forest are considerably smaller by a factor of 2–10 compared to observations in the vicinity of Heidelberg (ca. 50–60 Bq m−2 h−1) and generally in Western Europe.