REGENERATION OF THE RESOURCES OF WILD FRUIT PLANTS IN THE POST-FIRE BIOGEOCENOSES OF MOUNTAIN URAL

Abstract

Introduction. Forest fires take place in many countries of the world, Russia is not an exception. The necessity to assess the influence of forest fires on the resources of wild fruit and berry plants and the dynamics of their regeneration determined the topicality of the considered problem. The goal of the research is to assess the changes of  stock of  fruit and berry plants of forest live cover and underbrush  taken place because of  sustained brush-wood fire -2010 in the dark needles stands of north-western part of Sverdlovsk oblast. Objects and methods. The research was carried out on seven  sample plots established by common method in the mossy and pleurocarpous moss-fruit spruce forest on the territory of Karpinskiy forestry (North mountain-taiga district, Sverdlovsk oblast). Sustained  brush-wood fire took place on the territory of five sample plots in 2010, two of the considered sample plots (they were the control plots)were not touched with the fire. The index of above the ground phytomass when dry was chosen to be the characteristics of the stock of plants of the forest live cover, number of plants per unit of forest land - for the underbrush species. The account of the stock of small berry plantations (stone bramble, wild strawberry, red bilberry, and bilberry) was  taken on the  grounds of 0,5х0,5 m size, the account of the stock of raspberry and  brier – 2х2 m. The grounds were  diagonally arranged through equal distance in a sample area. The stock of  field-ash was determined by the method of  complete enumeration by 2-cm diameter class. The  total number of branches of each plant was calculated, than the diameter of each the branches was determined at the 1,3 m height. The final biological yield was equal to the sum of mass of mature, immature, overmature, and  bruise fruit. When estimating, the error of less than  10 % was achieved. The obtained results were processed using the methods of mathematical statistics. Result. It was determined that Vaccinium myrtillus L. (it was the major object of harvesting before the fire), was recovering very slowly  during post-fire  succession. Appearance of Fragaria vesca L., growth of stock of Rubus saxatilis L. and Vaccinium vitis-idaea L is observed in 6-7 years after fire on forest live cover. The stock of underbrush fruit species (Sorbus aucuparia L, Rosa acicularis Lidl and Robus idaeus L.) significantly grows, the total density of such species is 12 000 number/ha in moss spruce forest, 5100 number/ha - pleurocarpous moss – fruit spruce forest. Conclusion. Sustained brush-wood fire cardinally changes the resource potential of wild  fruit-berry plants in the dark needle forests of Sverdlovsk oblast, increasing the productivity of one species, but decreasing the productivity of other species. It particularly concerns Vaccinium myrtillus L.