Moskaliuk T.A., Doctor O.B.
Lesnoy Zhurnal (Russian Forestry Journal) 2025; 404(2): 112-127
The condition and ecological-cenotic (parcel) structure of a grove formed by the Japanese pine (Pinus × funebris Kom.) in the Primorski Territory (Ussuri District) are described. Such groves are the residual fragments of a relict pine formation unique not only for the Region, but also for Russia. They are confined to the dry slopes with southern exposures, which are subject to more frequent forest fires than other ecotopes. This creates a real threat of complete extinction of the relict pine forests. The problem of preserving the formation is consistent with the need to study the spatial (parcel) structure and monitor the state of pine cenoses. A sample plot has been laid out on the slope in the grove, where all the layers of vegetation cover have been described in detail and mapped at a scale of 1:100, followed by a pairwise comparison of schematic maps and allocation of parcels (as interpreted by N.V. Dylis). Detailed observations of the grove have been conducted since 1992. Extreme growing conditions have resulted in a low level of species richness of all communities on the studied and adjacent slopes. The composition of species in the lower layers of the pine grove and the oak forest that has replaced the pine one is the same and is represented by xerophytic flora. There are 2 species growing in the undergrowth of both forest types and 19 in the herbaceous layer. In 2003, 5 parcels have been identified in the grove: 3 with pine dominance (pine sedge one, pine sparsely-covered one, pine with oak forb-sedge one) and 2 with oak dominance (oak with pine (xerophytic) one and oak cow wheat-sedge one). The basis of the grove is a pine sedge parcel with the parent tree stand. The stand began to disintegrate in it, although it has not yet reached a mature age. By 2019, there have remained 4 parcels: due to the transition of pine undergrowth to the stand category, the area of the pine sparsely-covered parcel has distributed between adjacent parcels. The presence of trees of pine undergrowth in good vital condition in the “oak” parcels of trees or pine undergrowth allows us to assume a replacement of oak with pine in these parcels in the foreseeable future, provided there are no fires.
