Influence of Ecological and Biological Features of Tree Species on successions in the Forests Succession in of the Ukrainian Carpathians

Abstract

The paper presents the data related to the ecological and biological features of tree species which determine the dynamics of forest-dependent processes and influ-ence the course of forest successions. The patterns of forest stand formation with the participation of pioneer, post-pioneer, and dryad tree species were analysed. The succession forest groups formed by the tree species participation are char-acterized by different dynamic properties. In particular, pioneer tree species (Betula pendula Roth., Alnus incana (L.) Moench, Populus tremula L., Salix caprea L.) can improve quickly the forest environment, therefore it is recommended to restore the forest stands on the sites of derivative spruce monocultures in accordance with the model of natural forest-dependent successions through the stage of the pioneering tree species. Alnus incana, as one of the main pioneering tree species in the Carpathian forests, in the lowlands are able to form forms fairly stable rare groups with domi-nation in the grassy tier of Scopolia carniolica Jacq., Allium ursinum L., Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Todaro. Post-pioneer tree species (Acer pseudoplatanus L., Quercus robur L., Pinus syvestris L., Fraxinus excelsior L, Carpinus betulus L., Pyrus pyraster (L.) Burgsd, Tilia cordata Mill. T. platyphyllos Scop, Sorbus aucuparia L.) can form a durable forest successional group. The rare sycamore coenoses with domination in the grassy tier of Lunaria rediviva, Scopolia carniolica, Allium ursinum found in small frag-ments. The Sorbus aucuparia groups forming the upper limit of the forest zone re-vealed on the territory of National Park «Skolivski Beskidy» (mountain ranges Pa-rashka and Zelemini Pinus syvestris L. are the typical post-pioneer tree species and it establishes the natural relict forests on upper swamps and rocky scatterings in the Ukrainian Carpathians. After the Second World War pine was massively used for the afforestation of agricultural land, where it is currently actively spreading to the wildland. Pinus syvestris grows intensively on rich soils but is heavily damaged by snow and wind. Dryad tree species (Fagus sylvatica L., Abies alba Mill., Taxus baccata L., Picea abies [L.] Karst. (at the upper altitudes of mountains) form the stable forest stands, which, without human intervention, can function for a long time, maintaining a certain level of balance between all the constituent elements of forest ecosystems. There are rarely found coenoses of Fagus sylvatica with the participation of Red list and regionally rare species, for example, Taxus baccata, Allium ursinum, Scopolia carniolica, Lunaria rediviva, Phyllitis scolopendrium (L.) Newman. Undoubtedly, pedunculated oak and silver fist forests stands are extremely interesting from the coe-nobitic and forestry point of view. They are formed by various ecological-cenotic fea-tures of the dominant tree species. There is also a group consisting of Pinus cembra L. and Pinus mugo Turra. in the belt of natural spruce forests. In general, rare forest coenoses require measures protection to maintain their stability, taking into account the direction and nature of forest-dependent successions. Iit is necessary to focus on the formation of different age forest stands with the participation of the indigenous species and with a predominance in their composition of long-lived dryad tree species such as Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba and Picea abies at higher altitudinal levels of the mountains. That’s will help to transmit the principles of close to nature into the forest management on the territory of the Ukrainian Carpathians.

Keywords

• pioneer
• post-pioneer and dryad tree species
• biological features of tree species
• reforestation successions
• rare forest communities