The importance of beech forests in the preservation of valuable species of the flora of Dagestan

Abstract

Forests dominated by Fagus orientalis Lipsky play the greatest role in maintaining the ecological balance in the Caucasian Isthmus. Beech, having a high edificatory effect, contributes to the formation of a unique composition of the flora. In Dagestan, beech forests are located at the edge of their range in the relatively arid conditions of the Eastern Caucasus. The studied forests are rich in Hyrcanic and Colchian relict and endemic elements. In this regard, it became necessary to identify the most valuable areas of beech forests and take urgent measures to preserve them. The work is devoted to the study of the importance of beech forests in the preservation of 88 species of relict, endemic and protected species of the flora of Dagestan. Based on the data of geobotanical descriptions of 73 test plots, with a total area of 45625 m2, an environmental assessment of the value of phytocenoses is given. In total, 19 associations have been identified in the beech forests of Dagestan. Disjunctive growth of some species was noted in the beech forests of the republic. The most valuable are beech forests growing in the refugia of Low and Foothill Dagestan, where there is a reduction in areas due to negative anthropogenic impact. In high-mountainous beech forests, no reduction in areas is observed, and forest fires, which have been observed more and more often in recent years, remain the main limiting factor. The data on the inclusion of the most valuable areas of beech forests in the protected areas, and for some areas already included in the protected areas, recommendations are given on the introduction of a special regime of use in them.

Drivers of wood‐inhabiting fungal diversity in European and Oriental beech forests

“…This might indicate more impactful silviculture treatment in European beech than in Oriental beech forests, leading to reduction of functional diversity in the former in terms of deadwood (Gossner et al., 2013 ). However, the highest diversity in old‐growth European beech might be surprising as Oriental beech forests are in generally much older and some of them untouched at least since many centuries (Aliev, 2021 ; Kurz et al., 2023 ; UNESCO, 2013 , 2019 ). Moreover, Oriental beech seems to be the older beech species harboring high levels of genetic diversity and should promote the diversity of its inhabitants (Azaryan et al., 2022 ; Cardoni et al., 2022 ; Kurz et al., 2023 ; Müller et al., 2016 ).…”

“…This might indicate more impactful silviculture treatment in European beech than in Oriental beech forests, leading to reduction of functional diversity in the former in terms of deadwood (Gossner et al, 2013). However, the highest diversity in old-growth European beech might be surprising as Oriental beech forests are in generally much older and some of them untouched at least since many centuries (Aliev, 2021;Kurz et al, 2023;UNESCO, 2013UNESCO, , 2019.…”

“…In the western part of the Palearctic, temperate forests are dominated by two species of Fagus : European beech Fagus sylvatica in the West and Oriental beech Fagus orientalis in the East, ranging from eastern Bulgaria to the Hyrcanian forest in Iran. The latter are often Arcto‐tertiary relicts, harboring many endemic plants and animals (Aliev, 2021 ; Fayvush & Aleksanyan, 2021 ; Goginashvili & Tvauri, 2013 ; Mathew et al., 2000 ). While for European beech the impact of forest management on several taxa has been well studied during the last decades (Brunet et al., 2010 ; Gossner et al., 2013 ; Hagge et al., 2019 ; Morales‐Hidalgo et al., 2015 ; Ódor et al., 2006 ), drivers of biodiversity in Oriental beech are not well understood.…”