Tree plant organic matter stocks in spruce green moss Piceetum hylocomiosum and pine lichen Pinetum cladinosum forest communities after windfall

Abstract

Accumulation of organic matter in spruce green moss Piceetum hylocomiosum and pine lichen Pinetum cladinosum forest communities after windfall was investigated. Phytomass of Piceetum hylocomiosum stand is 51.8 t • ha-1, and Pinetum cladinosum stand is 7.5 t • ha-1. Phytomass in the disturbed stands is 3.5 times less than in undisturbed spruce forest and 15 times less than in undisturbed pine forest. The undergrowth accumulates 2.8 t • ha-1 in spruce forest, and 0.9 t • ha-1 in pine forest after windfall. Number of trees, volume of wood, stock of organic matter was determined in coarse woody debris subject to decay class. Most of the dead trees (77–97 %) belong to the second decay class. Reduced competition for light and mineral nutrients influences the intensity of organic matter accumulation by tree plants. We detected that increasing radial growth of spruce and fir began before windfall. This demonstrates the stand drying. However, maximal rate of annual ring increment (2.03–2.17 mm for spruce and 3.98–4.07 mm for fir) was observed in 2009–2010 years. After windfall radial growth of undergrowth increased 2 times in Piceetum hylocomiosum and 7.7 times in Pinetum cladinosum. Height increment of spruce and fir understorey increased 2.2–2.6 times in spruce forest. As compared with undisturbed ecosystems height increment of pine understorey is 1.2–2.0 times higher on windbreak in Pinetum cladinosum.

Keywords

• windfall
• increment
• phytomass
• dead fallen wood
• undergrowth
• taiga zone
• Komi Republic