Vegetation recovery in fire-damaged forests: a case study at the southern boundary of the taiga zone

Abstract

Wildfire is regarded as important environmental factor determining the vegetation of the Earth. We analyzed 11 plots at different types of forest affected by fire at the southern boundary of the taiga zone. These differ in structure of the forest stand and herb-shrub layer. Investigated factors included edaphic (moisture, pH, nitrogen) and climatic (light, temperature, continentality) characteristics. Also, projective cover of Epilobium angustifolium L. and undergrowth of secondary growth trees (including forest stand survived after fire influence) were studied. Multivariate data analysis revealed that the rate and character of the vegetation recovery was depended on the ratio of environmental factors and on the species composition of herb-shrub layer. No significant differences were found in Ellenberg’s indicator values between different years of study. All tested forest habitats were distinguished into three main groups: Group I includes broadleaf forests with the forest stand survived after fire influence, Group II includes spruce and birch forests deprived the forest stand due to fire impact, Group III includes more or less dry pine-dominated forests with the forest stand gradually died after fire influence. Two marshy plots have prerequisites to their allocation to a separate group close to the oligotrophic bog forests.

Post-fire fauna of carabid beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in forests of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve (Russia)

“…1). Species composition and structure of post-fire communities were similar to vegetation studied by Khapugin et al (2016) under similar conditions. The sites CF1, CF2, CF3 had a similar vegetation cover.…”

“…It was represented by a dead forest (Pinus sylvestris) stand, scattered undergrowth of secondary trees (Betula pendula Roth, Populus tremula L.), separated herbs (Epilobium angustifolium L., Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn, Convallaria majalis L., Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth). (see also Shugaev et al, 2015;Khapugin et al, 2016). Before the wildfire impact, the SF site was a typical lichen (Cladonia spp.)…”

“…The 2010 fires were especially significant, as their area was 38% of the total area of the Mordovia Reserve. The damage degree of the forest area was unequal in different parts of the Mordovia Reserve (Grishutkin, 2012;Ruchin, 2016;Khapugin et al, 2016). These consequences began to play a certain role in the insect distribution Ruchin & Mikhailenko, 2018;.…”

Fauna of mantids and orthopterans (Insecta: Mantodea, Orthoptera) of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve, Russia

“…and occupy small areas. Plant communities of small-leaved tree species (birch, aspen, alder) are formed on burnt forest areas (Khapugin et al 2016). The main areas of floodplain meadows are located along the Moksha river in the south-west of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve.…”

Discovery of Allonyx Quadrimaculatus (Schaller, 1783) (Coleoptera Cleridae Clerinae) in Russia

“…F. Weber & D. Mohr, and less commonly Dicranum polysetum Sw.), in the ground layer. Most shrub, herb and ground layer plants were damaged by wildfire during in 2010 (KHAPUGIN et al, 2016a). In 2017 an undergrowth of secondary growth trees (Betula pendula Roth, Populus tremula L.) covered most of the study site area.…”