Natural Deciduous Forest Research Articles

Assessing Land-Cover Changes in the Natural Park ‘Fragas do Eume’ over the Last 25 Years: Insights from Remote Sensing and Machine Learning

The ‘Fragas do Eume’ Natural Park includes one of the best-preserved Atlantic forests in Europe. These forests are part of the Natura 2000 Network. This scientific study focuses on analysing land-cover changes in the ‘Fragas do Eume’ Natural Park (NW Spain) over a 25-year period, from 1997 to 2022, using machine learning techniques for the classification of satellite images. Several image processing operations were carried out to correct radiometry, followed by supervised classification techniques with previously defined training areas. Five multispectral indices were used to improve classification accuracy, and their correlation was evaluated. Land-cover changes were analysed, with special attention to the transitions between eucalyptus plantations and native deciduous forests. A significant increase in eucalyptus plantations (48.2%) (Eucalyptus globulus Labill.) was observed, while native deciduous forests experienced a decrease in their extent (17.6%). This transformation of the landscape affected not only these two habitats, but also cropland and scrubland areas, both of which increased. Our results suggest that the lack of effective conservation policies and the economic interest of fast-growing tree plantations could explain the loss of native deciduous forests. The results highlight the need to implement pro-active and sustainable management measures to protect these natural forest ecosystems in the ‘Fragas do Eume’ Natural Park.

Construction of Remote Sensing Quantitative Model for Biomass of Deciduous Broad-Leaved Forest in Mazongling Nature Reserve Based on Machine Learning

As an important forest type, deciduous broad-leaved forest is crucial for estimating forest carbon sequestration capacity and evaluating forest carbon balance. This study focuses on the natural deciduous broad-leaved forest of Mazongling Nature Reserve in Jinzhai County of China. WorldView-2 images were selected as data source. 36 candidate factors including vegetation indices, texture features, and topographic factors were used for modelling. Three machine learning algorithms (i.e., random forest, k-nearest neighbor, and artificial neural network) were used to establish the optimal quantitative retrieval model for natural deciduous broad-leaved biomass. Results showed that the ANN model was the best predictor with R2 = 0.69 and RMSE = 31.53 (Mg·ha−1). Combining the ANN model with the complete spatial coverage of remote sensing data, we developed a distribution map of natural deciduous broad-leaved biomass in the Mazongling forest farm. The estimated average biomass of the study area was 90.34 ± 47.96 Mg·ha−1. In addition, the influence of light saturation on model accuracy is also discussed. This study confirms that remote sensing data in temporal and spatial space can improve the model estimation accuracy.

Restoring Subtropical Forests: Alleviating P Limitation and Introducing C Limitation Using Evergreen Broad-Leaved Tree Species

Determining which species to utilize for the artificial restoration of subtropical secondary forests has become a focal point in forestry and ecology. To compare the effects of the subtropical secondary forest artificial restoration model on soil microbial nutrient acquisition and limitation, we examined secondary forests (CKs), evergreen coniferous forests (GCPs), evergreen coniferous mixed broad-leaved forests (GCBMs), evergreen mixed broad-leaved forests (GBMs), and natural deciduous broad-leaved mixed forests (DBMs) as research subjects. Among them, GCPs, GCBMs, and GBMs were dominated by the species of the early, middle, and climax stages of subtropical forest succession, respectively. The activities and stoichiometry of β-1,4-glucosidase (BG), β-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), and acid phosphatase (ACP) in the topsoil were analyzed. The results showed that the forest type significantly affects the activities of BG and LAP rather than NAG or ACP. The BG activity in DBMs was the lowest, while the LAP activity in CKs was significantly higher than that in plantations. Furthermore, the nutrient limitation of microbes was quantitatively analyzed by using the vector analysis of enzyme stoichiometry. The soil microbes in the study area were co-limited by C and P, and the nutrient limitation was in the order of C > P > N. Among the forests, the enzyme stoichiometric ratios in GCPs and DBMs were closest to 1:1:1. From CKs to GBMs, the microbial C limitation was increased, while the P limitation was decreased. The C limitation in DBMs was slightly lower than that in CKs. Overall, the P limitation in evergreen plantations was less than that in CKs. The soil bulk density, C/P, and N/P significantly influenced enzyme activities and stoichiometry. These results suggest that the artificial restoration of subtropical forests using evergreen species alleviated P limitation, while using deciduous broad-leaved species offered potential for alleviating microbial C limitation. Compared with evergreen broad-leaved species, employing pioneer and mid-successional or deciduous broad-leaved species can better achieve balanced microbial nutrient requirements.

The interior climate and its microclimatic variation of temperate forests in Northern Patagonia, Argentina

Knowledge on mesoclimatic zonation and microclimatic variations within mountain forest ecosystems is crucial for understanding regional species turnover and effects of climate change on these systems. The temperate mountain forests in the Andean region of South America are among the largest and contiguous natural deciduous forest areas in the world. Due to their pronounced disturbance regime and different successional stages, a climatic zonation combined with the characterisation of its microclimatic variation is important to identify thresholds of species occurrences.We used micro-loggers to measure air temperature and relative humidity for one year at 40 measurement locations along longitudinal and elevation gradients in mountain forests in Northern Patagonia, Argentina. Our results unveil mesoclimatic patterns within these forests characterised by variations in temperature and vapour pressure deficit along the elevational gradient in general, but also at different times of the year. For example, Austrocedrus chilensis and Nothofagus dombeyi forests differed mainly by temperature and its diurnal range in the warmest months of the year. Also, differences between forest stands and gaps were more pronounced in the warmest months of the year and at lower elevations, with up to 2.5 K higher temperatures in the second half of the day in gaps. We found clear indications that shrubland of Nothofagus antarctica representing a successional stage after disturbances alters the mesoclimatic pattern, favouring forest fire ignition. Such mesoclimatic variations have a major influence on tree species turnover and ecological processes within these forest ecosystems.The findings contribute to our understanding of the complex interplay between topography, climate, and vegetation in shaping the spatial patterns of species occurrences.

The effect of riparian forest on landscape connectivity for the EPT community across European regions

AbstractEphemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera are three orders of freshwater macroinvertebrates with a short terrestrial adult life-stage that they use to disperse by flying upstream. This aerial dispersal can be assisted by native riparian forest, but regional variation has not yet been empirically tested. In this study we compared the EPT community of 153 sampling sites located in freshwater streams in four European regions (Central Plains, Central Highlands, Alps, Iberia). In each site, we assessed the EPT community dispersal ability using the Species Flying Propensity index. We also calculated the native deciduous forest cover in the riparian buffer and several environmental stressors such as saprobic pollution or catchment anthropization. Finally, we tested which of these parameters have a significant effect on the EPT community. In the Central Highlands and in Iberia, the share of weak dispersers increased with native deciduous forest cover, indicating a positive effect on dispersal of EPTs. In the Central Plains and the Alps, no such effect was found. We conclude that the effect of native deciduous forest depends on regional landscape characteristics and the regional species pool, but considering the dispersal of the regional EPT communities is needed to create effective river management policies.

Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence detects photosynthesis variations and drought effects in tropical rubber plantation and natural deciduous forests

Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence detects photosynthesis variations and drought effects in tropical rubber plantation and natural deciduous forests

Land use drives detritivore size structure and decomposition through shifts in resource quality and quantity

Land use change and nutrient pollution are two pervasive stressors that can modify carbon cycling, as they influence the inputs and the transformation of detritus. Understanding their impact on stream food webs and on diversity is particularly pressing, as streams are largely fuelled by detrital material received from the adjacent riparian environment. Here we assess how a switch from native deciduous forest to Eucalyptus plantations and nutrient enrichment alter the size distribution of stream detritivore communities and decomposition rates of detritus. As expected, more detritus resulted in higher size-independent, or overall, abundance (i.e. higher intercept of size spectra). This change in overall abundance was mainly driven by a change of the relative contribution of large taxa (Amphipoda and Trichoptera), which changed from an average relative abundance of 55.5 to 77.2 % between the sites compared for resource quantity differences in our study. In contrast, detritus quality modified the relative abundance of large vs small individuals (i.e. size spectra slopes), with shallow slopes of size spectra (proportionately more large individuals) associated with sites with nutrient-richer waters and steeper slopes (proportionately fewer large individuals) associated with sites draining Eucalyptus plantations. Decomposition rates of alder leaves due to macroinvertebrates increased from 0.0003 to 0.0142 when relative contribution of large organisms increased (modelled slopes of size spectra: −1.00 and − 0.33, respectively), highlighting the importance of large sized individuals for ecosystem functioning. Our study reveals that land use change and nutrient pollution can greatly impair the transfer of energy through the detrital or ‘brown’ food web by means of intra- and inter-specific responses to quality and quantity of the detritus. These responses enable linking land use change and nutrient pollution to ecosystem productivity and carbon cycling.

Habitat preferences, genetic isolation and climatic vulnerability of an endangered freshwater crayfish and a widespread freshwater crab in streams of northern Japan

Abstract Stream habitat is distributed discontinuously, which restricts the dispersal of animals among streams. Freshwater decapod crustaceans have poor dispersal ability and thus may suffer high extinction risk in the face of habitat destruction and other forces. Here, the ecological characteristics of two freshwater decapods, the threatened crayfish Cambaroides japonicus (de Haan, 1841) and the widespread crab Geothelphusa dehaani (White, 1847), were compared. The objective of the study was to determine which characteristics are most likely to limit the distribution of C. japonicus. Environmental DNA sampling was conducted to detect C. japonicus and G. dehaani populations, and environmental characteristics were measured to identify suitable stream habitat. Phylogenetic divergence and genetic differentiation among populations were examined. Using species distribution modelling, the future distributions of both species under climate change were predicted. Stream habitats harbouring C. japonicus tended to be supplied with more beech leaves and fewer cedar leaves, whereas those of G. dehaani were relatively wide, indicating that C. japonicus favours upstream areas in natural broad‐leaved forest. The results also showed greater genetic divergence among populations of C. japonicus than those of G. dehaani. Modelling indicated that most areas within the current distribution of C. japonicus were predicted to be areas with low distribution probability under a future climate scenario. To protect C. japonicus, further loss of local populations should be prevented to allow for the maintenance of high genetic diversity among populations, which may provide the evolutionary capability of surviving under future climate conditions. To prevent further loss of C. japonicus populations, natural deciduous forests in mountainous areas need to be preserved. C. japonicus can be the indicator species within the freshwater environment in these forests. Conservation measures for C. japonicus should also be effective for the conservation of the other freshwater invertebrates in upstream areas.

Landscape fires disproportionally affect high conservation value temperate peatlands, meadows, and deciduous forests, but only under low moisture conditions

Landscape fires are a natural component of the Earth System. However, they are of growing global concern due to climate change exacerbating their multiple impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems, carbon storage, human health, economies, and wider society. Temperate regions are predicted to be at greatest risk of increasing fire activity due to climate change, where fires can seriously impact important ecosystems for biodiversity and carbon storage, such as peatlands and forests. There is insufficient literature on the background prevalence, distribution, and drivers of fires in these regions, especially within Europe, to assess and mitigate their risks. Using a global database of fire patches based on the MODIS FireCCI51 product, we address this knowledge gap by quantifying the current prevalence and size of fires in Polesia, a 150,000 km2 area comprising a mosaic of peatland, forest, and agricultural habitats in northern Ukraine and southern Belarus. Between 2001 and 2019, fires burned 31,062 km2 of land, and were most frequent in spring and autumn. Although most fires started in agricultural land, fires disproportionately affected natural and semi-natural land cover types, particularly in protected areas. Over one fifth of protected land burned. Coniferous forests were the most common land cover type in protected areas, but fires mostly occurred in meadows, open peatlands (especially fen and transition mires), and native deciduous forests. These land cover types were highly susceptible to fires under low soil moisture conditions, but the risk of fire was low under average or higher soil moisture conditions. Restoring and maintaining natural hydrological regimes could be an effective nature-based solution to increase the resilience of fire-vulnerable ecosystems and support global biodiversity and carbon storage commitments under the United Nations Framework Conventions on Climate Change and Convention on Biological Diversity.

Moisture, temperature and respiration of two soil classes under pasture and tropical dry forest in the semiarid Brazilian region

Soil respiration (Rs), or soil CO2 efflux, is the largest carbon flux from ecosystems to the atmosphere; it is an order of magnitude greater than that released by human activity, and is a key process in CO2 atmospheric accumulation and climate change. Due to its importance, many studies have investigated respiration in different ecosystems, with studies in tropical dry areas being more scarce. We measured the effects of soil temperature and moisture on respiration from Regosols and Luvisols under pasture and native deciduous forests in the Brazilian Northeast semiarid region. Respiration had a direct relationship with soil moisture and an inverse relationship with temperature in both soil classes and land covers. Respiration was higher under the forest than under the pasture (9.0 and 4.8 Mg C ha−1 y−1) in both wet and dry seasons, probably due to higher biomass incorporation and higher root respiration, but it did not differ between soil classes. These respirations corresponded to high proportions of the soil C contents in the 0–10 cm superficial layer (46.2% in Caatinga and 36.7% in pasture). In the Brazilian semiarid region, soil respiration was controlled by soil moisture (positively) and temperature (negatively), both of which were affected by land-use changes.

Effects of multiple ecological factors on the body mass of small rodents in a forest ecosystem

The body mass of animals is directly or indirectly affected by multiple ecological factors. However, the effects of ecological factors on the body mass are controversial, and a comprehensive study dealing diverse ecological factors is rare. This study was performed to determine the effects of ecological factors on the body mass of small rodents in a natural deciduous forest located on Mt Gariwang, Pyeongchang and Jeongseon, South Korea from May 2019 to October 2020. We classified ecological factors into topographic, climatic, cover and demographic factors. Three forest‐dwelling small rodent species, striped field mouse Apodemus agrarius, Korean field mouse A. peninsulae and red‐backed vole Myodes regulus, were captured using the capture–mark–recapture method. The findings showed that the body mass of three rodent species was not regulated by topographic factors. In addition, a high ambient temperature resulted in a heavy body mass for A. agrarius and A. peninsulae, and the A. agrarius body mass was negatively affected by extreme rainfall. The body mass of each rodent species had a specific response to the cover factors: ground vegetation, understory vegetation or downed trees. The three species showed sexual dimorphism and two Apodemus species competed each other. This study reveals that ecological factors affecting body mass differ among species. Our findings contribute to enhancing the understanding of variation in the body mass of animals, particularly small rodents, in response to diverse ecological factors.

Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence Detects Photosynthesis Variations and Drought Effects in Tropical Rubber Plantation and Natural Deciduous Forests

Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence Detects Photosynthesis Variations and Drought Effects in Tropical Rubber Plantation and Natural Deciduous Forests

Variations in home range and core area of red-backed voles (Myodes regulus) in response to various ecological factors

The characteristics of animal distribution are determined by interactions between the resource requirements of animals and ecological factors. This study sought to evaluate the effects of diverse ecological factors on the home range and core area of red-backed voles (Myodes regulus) in a natural deciduous forest located on Mt. Gariwang, Pyeongchang and Jeongseon, South Korea. Our study focused on four types of ecological factors: topography, climate, cover, and demography. A total of 29 voles were radio-tracked from August to September 2021. Home range (95% utilization distribution; UD) and core area (50% UD) were calculated using the kernel density estimator (KDE). The home range (1659.49 m2) and core area (317.08 m2) were negatively affected by altitude. The lunar phase and temperature negatively and positively influenced the home range and core area, respectively. The home range was positively affected by understory vegetation, whereas the core area was not. The core area increased within microhabitats with a high density of conspecific individuals, with males having a larger home range (2006.19 m2) and core area (375.40 m2) than females (1043.13 m2 and 213.39 m2, respectively). These findings provide a deeper understanding of the diverse ecological factors affecting the distributions of animals, especially small rodents.

Resource preference of two stream detritivores in the laboratory largely differs from the supply of detritus below eucalypt plantations

Detritivores are pivotal in forest streams as they process detritus and promote secondary production. Many studies have addressed the preference of freshwater detritivores towards materials of differing quality. Nevertheless, few studies compare the resource preferences in the laboratory with the availability in the field. In the present study, feeding preferences of two stream detritivores (the caddisfly Sericostoma pyrenaicum and the amphipod Echinogammarus tarragonensis), over three native leaf species (alder, chestnut and oak) and an exotic species (eucalypt) were quantified in the laboratory. Preference for eucalypt leaves conditioned for 1, 2 and 3 weeks was also described. We then contrasted the preference patterns in the laboratory feeding experiments with a 15-month-long benthic standing stock time series of a stream below a native deciduous forest and another below a eucalypt plantation. Both detritivores preferred consuming alder leaves and more conditioned eucalypt leaves, although the amphipod was more selective than the caddisfly. The consumption preference in the laboratory was unmatched by the availability in the field, especially under eucalypt plantations and for the amphipod. Our results show that the strength of the preference for high-quality resources can differ among different taxa, which can modulate their response to land use changes.

Comparison of stand structure and growth characteristics between Korean white pine plantation and oak-dominated natural deciduous forest by thinning treatment

Comparison of stand structure and growth characteristics between Korean white pine plantation and oak-dominated natural deciduous forest by thinning treatment

Do agrosystems change soil carbon and nutrient stocks in a semiarid environment?

Ecological processes, such as net primary production, root system development, organic matter mineralization, nutrient removal and fertilizer application interfere in gains and losses of C and nutrients (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) in soils. Herein, we studied how five rainfed livestock and four irrigated agricultural systems affected soil C and nutrient stocks in a semi-arid environment. Soil concentrations, stocks, gains and losses of the nine land-uses were compared to those of the preserved native deciduous forest (Caatinga) along the top 1 m soil layer. Open Caatinga used as pasture, gliricidia and leucaena fields maintained the stocks of most nutrients. The shallower roots of buffel grass and prickly pear led to C (7 and 18%) and N (7 and 20%, respectively) losses, and P, Ca and Mg accumulations in the deeper layers. Irrigated crops reduced soil C and N stocks. C losses in irrigated maize and beans fields (23%) were lower than in rainfed fields in the region, while those in mango fields were large (70 and 66%). Fertilization in beans and grapes increased soil P and K stocks. Knowledge of stock changes allows proper system management to reduce the negative impacts of land-use change and promote sustainable production.

Response of soil microbial community to plant composition changes in broad-leaved forests of the karst area in Mid-Subtropical China.

The rapid growth and expansion ofCryptomeria japonica (Thunb. ex L. f.) D. Don in karst area strongly affects plant composition of native deciduous broad-leaved forest, which seriously threat ecosystem function and service. Given the importance of soil microorganisms in regulating nutrients cycling and plant species coexistence, understanding soil microbial attributes and their relationships with soil and vegetation features in forests harboring different C. japonica abundance will help understanding the drivers of ecosystem function changes. Here we examined the diversity and composition of soil bacterial and fungal communities and their correlations with plant diversity as well as soil physicochemical properties in karst broad-leaved forests with different relative abundances of C. japonica (i.e., a high, moderate, low and no proportion level with a stem density of 1,487, 538, 156 and 0 plant/hm2, respectively) in Mid-Subtropical China. We found that soil pH decreased while soil water content (SWC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and total potassium (TK) tended to increase with the increase in C. japonica abundance. In contrast, soil available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK) content declined by 26.1%∼49.3% under the high level of C. japonica abundance. A gradual decrease in relative abundance of Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi while a pronounced increase in relative abundance of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were observed with increase of C. japonica abundance. Alternations in bacterial composition were closely related to changes in AP and AK, while the change of fungal structure was mainly related to SWC, soil organic carbon (SOC) and pH, indicating that bacterial community was sensitive to declines in soil available nutrients and fungal structure was sensitive to changes in soil physicochemical properties (i.e., pH and SWC) and organic carbon resource. Understory plants had the highest α-diversity in forest containing moderate abundance of C. japonica, which might be related to the high bacterial diversity. Our findings suggest conservation of soil bacterial and fungal taxa that are responsible for nutrients availability and carbon sequestration is of great significance for improving the resistance of natural deciduous broad-leaved forests to the rapid spread of C. japonica in karst areas. Moreover, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota are potential indicators for soil properties changes, which should be taken into consideration in karst forest managements.

Roots alter soil microbial diversity and interkingdom interactions in diversified agricultural landscapes

The complex interactions between plant roots and soil microorganisms are, broadly, well described. Yet the patterns of microbe–microbe interaction and their association with the root functional traits are less known especially in plant communities at the edges of agricultural landscapes. To address this gap, we measured the active soil microbial communities with and without the presence of plant roots, using in situ root exclusions, in four plant communities at the edges of agricultural fields: undisturbed natural deciduous forests (FOREST1), coniferous forests (FOREST2), rehabilitated agroforests (AGROFOREST) and perennial herbaceous grass buffers (GRASS). Amplicon‐based analysis of 16S rRNA and ITS transcripts was used to evaluate soil bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities, and their interactions, with ‘roots' and with ‘no roots'. Plants roots were measured for a suite of functional traits and explored in association with microbial community composition. Significant differences in bacterial and archaeal but not fungal diversity were observed between soil plots with ‘roots' and with ‘no roots'. Network analysis illustrated intra and inter kingdoms co‐occurrence patterns respond to the presence of plant roots, with GRASS exhibiting distinct patterns in comparison to tree‐dominated soils. A shift in microbial hub from bacterial to fungal was observed with the exclusion of roots; Planctomycetes (OM190)_10 was replaced by Archaeorhizomyces in AGROFOREST site. Microbial taxa strongly correlate with root traits especially specific root length, root diameter and root tissue density indicating root traits are predictors of microbial community composition. This study validates the vital role of root traits in predicting plant–microbe interactions and highlights the key role of fungi in microbial interkingdom interactions when roots are absent. These findings have significant ecosystem level implications, with the rising interest in associated biodiversity in and at the edges of agricultural landscapes, this work suggests that plant community selection for specific root traits may drive microbial community structure and ecosystem services.

Topography is more important than forest type as a determinant for functional trait composition of Collembola community

The relative importance of topography and vegetation in shaping local soil invertebrate communities is poorly understood. We investigated changes in the species and trait compositions of Collembola communities associated with different topography and forest types. Our study sites encompassed various topographies with different slope aspects and forest types; specifically, natural deciduous broad-leaved forests and deciduous coniferous plantations in Japan. The body length and edaphic adaptation score, which are representative of a certain life-form, were used as Collembola traits. Across a topographic gradient from south to north-facing slopes, the total biomass of Collembola was higher in dry plots than in humid plots, and the forest types did not affect either abundance, biomass, or species diversity. Variation partitioning analysis revealed that topography played an important role in determining species composition and functional traits, whereas forest types and spatial distance had minor roles. The responses of community weighted mean traits (CWMs) to environmental change were more pronounced than those of species composition. The CWM and functional diversity of body length were higher in the dry plots than in the humid plots. These changes in traits might be explained by food supply or habitat structure increasing large individuals via topography, rather than by physical stress filtering out intolerant small individuals. These results suggest that slope topography is an important determinant of the Collembola community structure in cool-temperate forest ecosystems.

Biotopic diversity and ecomorphic analysis of the Gryshkiv lis tract (Poltava)

The study of ecosystem and biotope biodiversity of park ecosystems allows to identify the most valuable plant objects in their composition, to assess the degree of stability of existing groups and to identify current threats of anthropogenic impact on them. Gryshkiv Lis tract (Poltava, Kyiv region) is one of the centers of natural phytodiversity conservation and is an array of deciduous forests with an area of ​​about 50 hectares, located adjacent to residential areas of the city. Research materials were collected during field expeditions in August–September 2021 using generally accepted geobotanical methods. The list of higher plants found on the territory of the Gryshkiv Lis tract includes 154 species belonging to 3 classes, 51 families. The most numerous of them are Asteraceae – 19%, Poaceae – 14%, Rosaceae – 11% and Lamiaceae – 10%. There are two species of plants listed in the Red Book of Ukraine and seven species are regionally rare plants. One plant group was identified in the Green Book of Ukraine. Ecomorphic analysis of species showed that mesophytes, sciogeliophytes and mesotrophs predominate in the study area. Thus, the proportions of hygromorphs, heliomorphs and tropomorphs are close to the structure of the typical flora of the forest-steppe zone, which indicates favorable development conditions for zonal forest vegetation. However, in the spectrum of cenomorphs the share of ruderants is quite significant – almost 20%, the percentage of adventitious species is close to 3%. This indicates a significant anthropogenic transformation of the flora of the surveyed object. Habitat classification was carried out in accordance with the structure of the National Catalog of Habitats of Ukraine. Studies have shown that in the tract "Grishkiv Lis" there are at least 7 habitats, including forest (Eastern European mesophilic eutrophic deciduous forests of forest-steppe and steppe zones), swampy (reedbeds normally without freestanding water, beds of large Carex spp.), shrubbery (lowland and collinar riverine willow scrub, Central European subcontinental thickets), grassy (mesophile fringes), synanthropic (ruderal biotops of perennial nitrophilic type grasses). The dominant habitat of the Gryshkiv Lis tract is natural deciduous forests. The studied object represents a characteristic type of vegetation for the forest-steppe zone – maple-linden oak wood (anthropogenically transformed) with elements of waterlogging. Its central areas are represented by stands with a high degree of preservation of the structure and have good prospects for preservation and restoration with moderate efforts. Recommendations for the preservation of floristic diversity and vegetation of the Gryshkiv Lis tract include the introduction of a system of biotechnical measures to support ecosystems, including restrictions and regulation of recreation, elimination of natural landfills, sewage disposal and elimination of unauthorized buildings. The territory has environmental, scientific, aesthetic and recreational significance. Creation here of a protected area will help preserve the coenotic, landscape and biological diversity of Poltava region.