The Effect of Different Cuttings on the Ecological-Biological Structure of the Grass-Shrub Layer in the Blueberry Forest

Abstract

We carried out ecological and biological studies in mixed forest stands after different types of cuttings: clearnarrow, long-gradual and thinning. The purpose of the study is to analyze the structure of the grass-shrub layer after cuttings in mixed forest stands. The objects of research are located in the taiga zone in the North taiga region of the European part of Russia. The original forests were represented by mixed pine-spruce-birch stands of blueberry forest type, which grew on light-loamy podzolic soils. We conducted geobotanical descriptions within the accounting sites (size from 25 to 100 m 2) to assess the grass-shrub layer. We made 70 geobotanical descriptions in the field periods 2015-2017. We applied taxonomic, biomorphological and ecological analyses to study the differentiation of the grassshrub layer. The results of the taxonomic analysis showed that in each variant of the study from 5 to 3 leading families were identified. The largest number of species belongs to the families: Poaceae, Asteraceae, Scrophulariaceae. The number of genera and species in absolute numbers is higher in the natural community where cuttings did not carried out. Ecological-cenotic analysis showed that in all the studied areas two groups prevail: boreal (small-grass) from 29 to 50% and boreal (shrubs and evergreen grasses) from 20 to 27 %. The constructed biomorphic spectra indicate that there is a high proportion of turf life form on skidding trails and landing sites, which indicates violations of the forest floor and a certain degree of turfing. The analysis of species ecological strategies according to George Grime showed that Stress-tolerant species (S) are least in variants with clear-cuttings (15 %) and most in uncut forest (33 %). The results of complex research showed that the clear-narrow cuttings affected the conversion and the formation of the herb-dwarf shrub layer, compared to selective logging. The distribution and species diversity of the ground cover depends on the technological element of the cutting area (cutting strip, skidding trails and landing sites), its disturbance and age of cutting.

The natural recovery of disturbed soil, plant cover and trees after clear-cutting in the boreal forests, Russia

“…In some cases, irreversible damage occurs (Hartmann et al 2014, Klaes et al 2016. The effects of selective and smallscale, narrow cuts are much weaker than those of clear-cutting (Pobedinskii 2013, Ilintsev et al 2018, 2019a. Large areas of clear-cutting and harsh climatic conditions often hamper the natural regeneration process (Melehov 2003).…”