Structure of mature mixed pine-and-spruce stands on postagrogenic lands in Leningrad region, Russia

Abstract

The objective of this study is to assess the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of pine (Pinus sylvestris) and spruce (Picea abies) stands growing on lands that were previously in agricultural use in the Leningrad region. Sample areas of mature mixed pine-and-spruce prevailing stands were studied. The taxation has revealed that the average height and diameter of the stands under study are greater than those in mixed modal stands of these species on forest lands. The analysis of the results of the study was performed by dispersion, correlation and ranking methods. To determine the competitive relationship between species, the coefficients of skewness, and kurtosis were calculated. For coniferous stands growing on former arable lands, the distribution of diameter classes for pine and spruce differ depending on the prevalence of species. The predominance of one of the coniferous species in the stands leads to an aggravation of competition, which manifests itself in positive coefficients of asymmetry. The skewness indicators and the kurtosis of tree trunks distribution clearly demonstrate the strengthening and weakening of competitive relationships in the stand. Competitive relationships between species are more balanced in stand compositions that include more than half of spruce and about 40% of pine, which results in the largest volume of stemwood. A more powerful root zone of trees in the former arable soil allows mixed stands of spruce and pine to produce a larger volume of wood than in pure stands of pine and spruce for the investigated region.

Ecological factors of increasing the efficiency of the use and protection of protective forest strips

“…Areas with strong and weak wind erosion and medium water erosion prevail, occupying 84% of agricultural land, very strong wind erosion occupies 8.5% of the total landscape area. According to the ratio of farmland: arable land: meadows: forests, it was concluded that in the natural landscape there is a large arable land -80%, meadows and forests occupy only 7% [4][5].…”