Current State of the Siberian Stone Pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour) Stands in Sayano-Shushensky Biosphere Reserve

Abstract

For the key part of the territory of the Sayano-Shushensky Biosphere Reserve, located in the West Sayan mountains, the results of assessing the current state of natural stands of the Siberian stone pine Pinus sibirica Du Tour and its renewal under the canopy of the mother forests for the period from 1984 to 2015 are presented. Based on remote sensing data, cartographic materials of forest inventory and forest planning, their statistical processing and geoinformation analysis, the regularities of the spatial placement of the Siberian stone pine forests and the Siberian larch Larix sibirica forests with a mixture of the Siberian stone pine were revealed in the basin of the Sanzu River (Khemchik mountain ridge). The description and comparison of the main forest inventory characteristics of the Siberian stone pine from the position of the main and secondary species in the composition of the stands is given. It is noted that the process of regeneration under the forest canopy for different high-altitude belts and types of forest does not proceed in the same way. However, the trend of changing the breed in the forest is also obvious: cedar replaces larch and expands the boundaries of potential growth. It is established that the Siberian stone pine retains a stable position and has even expanded the area of domination over the past 30 years both at the upper and lower limits of growth. This is confirmed by the cartographic materials and tables provided. The priority of the environmental-forming functions of mountain the Siberian stone pine forests over forest-raw is justified.

Keywords

• statistical and cartographic analysis of the siberian stone pine positions in the mountain relief
• western sayan