Age structure of coniferous saplings in mountain old-growth forests of the Middle Urals

Abstract

The processes of natural reforestation play a crucial role for the preservation of primary coniferous forests and the success of their restoration after catastrophic impacts. The objective of our research was to identify the features of the natural renewal of the main coniferous forest-forming plants under the canopy of stands in the mountains of the Middle Urals, to establish dependencies on the forest type not only the total number of tree saplings, but also its age structure. The research was carried out in the mountainous part of the Sverdlovsk region (Russia) on the eastern macroslope of the Ural Mountains. We studied old-age pine forests, which belong to the 4 most common forest types. The tree saplings were counted into account on 2-4 subplots with a length of 20 meters and a width of 2 meters. It is established that under the canopy of all types of forest there is a different age coniferous saplings, despite significant differences in habitats. The most abundant pine saplings are found in pine forests with Vaccinium vitis-idaea, and the most abundant spruce saplings is found in pine forest with spruce and moss cover.