The most famous tree species of the Altai forests. Ribbon boron of the Altai Territory. Which breed forms the most valuable plantings in the region

The flora of the Altai Territory is rich and diverse. The vegetation here was influenced by the geological history of the development of the territory, and the climate, and a peculiar relief. In Altai, there are almost all types of northern and Central Asia, East Kazakhstan, the European part of Russia. Forests cover most of the Altai Territory. grow here the only ribbon pine forests in the whole territory of Russia- a unique natural formation, the like of which is nowhere on our planet. Origin ribbon pine forests It has interesting story, which is associated with the period when there was a large sea in the south of the West Siberian Lowland, the flow of water from it passed through deep hollows towards the Aral Basin. The overflowing water carried sand, and when the climate became warmer, and the Ob again flowed into the seas of the Arctic Ocean, pines began to grow on the sand-filled hollows of the ancient runoff.

Thus, five ribbons of pine forests were formed, which stretch parallel to each other from the Ob near Barnaul in a southwestern direction towards the Irtysh and the Kulunda lowland.

Woody vegetable world in the mountainous part of Altai is richer than in the plains. grow here cedar-fir forests with birch admixtures and in large numbers - pines. This so-called black taiga, which is not found in other forest areas countries. In the black taiga grows many shrubs - raspberries, mountain ash, viburnum, currants, bird cherry.

A very common tree in Altai - larch. Its wood is hard and durable, perfectly retaining its qualities both in the ground and in the water. Larch is a valuable building material: it is used to build houses that can stand for centuries, make dams, build bridges, piers, use it to make railway sleepers and telegraph poles.

Larch forests are light and clean and resemble natural parks in which each tree grows apart. The shrub undergrowth in deciduous forests is dense, and the surface of the ground in such a forest is covered with a continuous grassy carpet.

Siberian cedar pine, cedar is a famous tree species Altai forests. This is a mighty tree with a dark green crown, with long prickly needles. Forms frequent, solid cedar forests on mountain slopes or occurs as an admixture in deciduous and fir forests.

Cedar wood is highly valued - light, durable and beautiful, it is widely used in folk crafts for the manufacture of various products. Furniture, food containers, and a pencil board are made from cedar boards. Pine nuts are very popular, from which a valuable oil is produced, which is used in medicine and in the manufacture of high-precision optical instruments. cedar resin is the raw material for the balm.

In the forests of the Altai Territory, from deciduous species, the most common are birch, aspen and poplar. In the flat part of Altai, both birch and mixed pegs are found everywhere - small groves of trees of these species with abundant shrubs.

There are several dozen species of shrubs in the region, many of which give an edible berry - raspberries, blackberries, currants, honeysuckle, blueberries, cranberries. are beautiful in early spring mountain slopes covered with blooming bright raspberry-purple evergreen maralnik (Siberian wild rosemary, Daurian rhododendron).

Weeds are often found juniper, cinquefoil, meadowsweet. The region is famous for abundant thickets of useful shrubs - sea ​​buckthorn, which gives berries from which valuable medicine- sea buckthorn oil. On taiga meadows with mountain forbs, bees collect exclusively fragrant honey, the fame of which is known far beyond the borders of our country. In spring and early summer, the plains and slopes of the Altai mountains are beautiful colorful carpet: bright orange lights, dark blue and pink tulips, blue bluebells, carnations, chamomile, white and yellow buttercups. From medicinal plants on the territory of the Altai Territory, the most famous are maral and golden root (Rhodiola rosea), bergenia and valerian, dandelion and marin root, spring adonis, licorice, etc. Over ten species relic plants grows in Altai. Among them - European hoof, bruner, fragrant woodruff, circe. High on the slopes of the Altai mountains is found edelweiss.

The vegetation of Kamchatka is determined by a number of important factors: geographic location territory, the impact of a humid oceanic climate, predominantly mountainous terrain, the history of landscape development, the strong impact of volcanism and its attendant phenomena.

Corresponding to the latitude of the peninsula coniferous forests from Cajander larch and Ayan spruce so common in the mainland Far East, in Kamchatka were largely destroyed during the glaciation, which ended about 10 thousand years ago. At present, they are distributed mainly in the Central Kamchatka depression, protected from the east and west by high mountain ranges. Here, as an admixture to coniferous forests, grow aspen and white birch .

On the east coast (the mouth of the Semyachik River) there is a small area coniferous forest educated Sakhalin fir .

Basic forest-forming species in mountain forests and on the plains of Kamchatka is Erman's birch also called stone birch . It forms over a vast extent pure sparse birch forests, the so-called "park" forests. At the seashore or on the upper border of the forest in the mountains, they are replaced stone birch crooked forest from low-growing trees with intricately curved trunks.

More diverse in terms of tree species are floodplain forests where they meet hairy alder, fragrant poplar, chosenia , several varieties willows .

In the shrub layer of forests are common mountain ash elderberry, cedar and alder elfin, blue honeysuckle and Shamisso, dogrose blunt-eared, Siberian juniper . IN river valleys, on waterlogged soils, thickets are common beautiful willow Andspear-shaped, meadowsweet willow .

On the slopes of the mountains in the subalpine zone dominate pine elfin and shrub alder (alder elfin) , forming often impenetrable thickets. They are accompanied by shorter shrubs: rhododendron golden and Kamchatka, Bover's meadowsweet, arctic willow .

Even higher, the bushes are replaced mountain tundra belt, which is dominated by flattened low-growing shrubs and shrubs, alpine meadows, interspersed with extensive snowfields, stone screes and placers, rocks, where plants are found in small scattered groups or singly.

meadows to some extent widespread in all altitudinal zones.

One of the characteristic plant groups for Kamchatka are tall grass thickets often reaching 3 m in height. They are usually located along the valleys of rivers and streams, in ravines, along slopes in places where groundwater is located close to each other. Most often these are pure thickets. meadowsweet kamchatka , which is often combined woolly hogweed, Kamchatka ribwort, forest carrot, hemp-leaved ragwort, Kamchatka bodyak and others. Sometimes such tall grass develops under the canopy of a stone birch forest, but here it is usually lower.

Forb meadows widely distributed on river terraces, forest edges, clearings, swamp margins, coastal slopes both in the forest and subalpine zones. Reed meadows prevail in the clearings between the thickets of alder in the subalps. Widespread in the mountain tundra belt low-grass alpine meadows.

Bogs are found along the entire altitudinal profile, but are most common in the forest belt. The swamps are mainly located in the West Kamchatka lowland, in the valleys major rivers Central and Eastern Kamchatka.

A strip of coastal grassy meadows, turning into forb meadows and shikshevniki.

The most complete altitudinal zonality of vegetation is expressed on the volcanoes and mountains of Central Kamchatka: spruce forests found at an altitude of 300 m above sea level (occasionally higher), larch forests and white birch forests- up to 500 m, stone birch forests- from 300 to 800 m.

Higher, up to 1200 m above sea level, dominate shrubbery from alder and cedar elfin that replace mountain tundra, and then - sparse vegetation high deserts.

Zone Average Height eternal snows in the mountains of Central Kamchatka is 2400-3500 m above sea level. In other areas, this border is much lower, and the belt of spruce, larch and white birch forests is completely absent. Quite common in Kamchatka are disturbances in zonation and the placement of plant groups in unusual conditions. Sometimes within the forest belt there are vast areas shrub tundra. Sometimes along the upland terraces in places secluded from the wind, Erman's birch groves are found within the subalpine belt. In South Kamchatka, due to the cross action air masses from the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the ocean, the climate is more humid and cold than in the region of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The snow melts here and the plants develop much later. The boundaries of all altitudinal zones are below.

Influence of volcanism on vegetation is expressed in a variety of manifestations. Thus, as a result of the explosion of the Ksudach volcano in 1907, vegetation was completely destroyed in tens of square kilometers to the north of it. At present, part of this area is occupied by almost lifeless pumice-slag fields, in other areas lichen tundras have developed, alder thickets and (only in river valleys) stone birch forests are being restored. Large disturbances of vegetation occur as a result of large eruptions, outpourings of lavas, mudflows, the activity of dry rivers, etc.

According to the latest data The flora of Kamchatka includes 90 families, over 300 genera and about 1300 species. The last glaciations led to the extinction of a number of heat-loving species, but they also contributed to the massive penetration of many arctic-alpine and even alpine species into Kamchatka. The modern Kamchatka flora is formed by species with various types distribution, which is dominated by circumpolar, Far Eastern and Asian-American. There is also a small group of endemics - plants found only in Kamchatka.

The most numerous are representatives of three families: Compositae, cereals and sedge . Less rich in number of species pink, ranunculus, clove, cruciferous, rush, willow, heather, saxifrage. Other families contain up to 20 species, and many of them are represented by only one or two plant species.

The Okhotsk region belongs to the forest-tundra zone, the predominant species is larch, forest stands are characterized by uniform composition, light forests. The forests of the Okhotsk region do not form continuous massifs, under the influence of severe climatic conditions they grow in small areas depending on the relief and exposure of the slope. The area of ​​forests is 2500.7 thousand hectares, or 18% of the district, and taking into account the sparse areas with Siberian dwarf pine in the undergrowth, the percentage of forest cover will be 34%. A significant part of the territory is covered with mosses and lichens.

Vegetation

The territory of the region is located in various natural zones. One of its main wealth is forests, which occupy more than half of the area (forest cover of the region is 62.9%) and make up 17% of the forest area of ​​the Far East. The vegetation of the region is rich and varied. Its main features are the abundance of plant species and the contrast of vegetation cover. The flora includes about 2000 species of higher plants, of which 21 rare view listed in the Red Book. Representatives of several floras converge, mutually penetrate and mix here: Manchurian, Okhotsk-Kamchatka, East Siberian, Pacific and Mongolian-Daurian, that is, plants of three climatic zones coexist - subarctic, temperate and subtropical.
In the Quaternary period of geological history, when a significant part of the Eurasian continent was subjected to glaciation, warming breath Pacific Ocean stopped the advance of ice in the Amur region. Thanks to this, such plants of the Tertiary period as Amur grapes, actinidia kolomikta, Chinese magnolia vine, Komarov lotus and many others have been preserved. And from the north, larch, Siberian spruce, and dwarf pine penetrated into the territory of the region. Thus, the plants of the north and south converged with us.
The richest and most diverse Manchurian flora consists of heat-loving plant species, the closest relatives of which are common in the subtropics, partly even in the tropics of East Asia, as well as in the corresponding zones. North America. Representatives of this flora - Amur velvet, Manchurian walnut, Chinese lemongrass, Amur grape, Korean cedar pine, spiny eleutherococcus and many others - are distributed mainly in the east of the Zeya-Bureya and Arkharinskaya plains, along the spurs of the Bureinsky Range and Lesser Khingan and much less frequently on the islands and floodplains of large rivers. The East Siberian flora is poorer and more monotonous, prevailing in the north-west of the region, in the upper and middle parts of the Zeya basin and the upper reaches of the Amur, its main representatives are Gmelin larch (Daurian) and Siberian spruce. Representatives of the Pacific flora are found in the alpine and subalpine altitudinal belts of mountainous regions - cedar elfin, Cassiopeia, several types of rhododendrons, including Redovsky's rhododendron, listed in the Red Book, siversia, chokeberry shik-sha. The Mongolian-Daurian flora is represented by plant species of steppe origin - bicolor lespedeza, Baikal and Far Eastern feather grass, Siberian tansy, Baikal skullcap. They are usually found in the steppe areas of the Zeya-Bureya Plain. Individual representatives of this flora are also found on the southern slopes of the Amur-Zeya Plain. Less diverse is the Okhotsk-Kamchatka flora, which is distributed in the east and northeast of the region. It contains many ancient species - Ayan spruce, white fir, several types of birch, known under the combined name of stone. They form taiga forests similar to the taiga forests of the Pacific coast of North America. There are three natural vegetation zones in the Amur Region: coniferous forests(taiga), mixed or coniferous-deciduous forests and forest-steppe (or East Asian prairies).

In the Altai mountains, cedar forests occupy vast areas in the black, mid-mountain, or mountain-taiga, subalpine and subalpine belts.

The cedar finds optimal conditions for its growth and development in black forests, although it is often forced out to the worst edaphic conditions, giving way to fir. There is a lot of light in the black belt, undergrowth and grass cover of large grasses and ferns are well developed. Plantations are predominantly two-tiered with a constant participation of fir, birch and aspen. Trees reach enormous sizes, have powerful crowns.

The mountain taiga zone is dominated by fir-cedar, spruce-cedar and cedar forests with dense forest stands, sparse undergrowth and herbage and continuous moss cover. Subalpine cedar forests are characterized by the undivided dominance of Siberian pine, well-developed dense forest stands and a variable grass layer, which is due to the dynamics of the upper forest boundary under the influence of constantly changing climatic conditions and ongoing orogeny processes. Subalpine stone pine forests are found at the contact of the forest with the high mountain tundra and are represented by sparse low-productive plantations.

Mature and overmature plantations occupy more than 37% of the area, maturing - 27%, middle-aged - 28% and young stands - 8%. The average stock per hectare exceeds 220 m 3 , in some areas it reaches 900 m 3 /ha. About 34% of the mountain cedar forests are included in the walnut-producing zone, of which 127 thousand hectares (18%) are part of the Gorno-Altai Experimental Timber Enterprise - an integrated economy for the use of the resources of the cedar taiga.

The types of landscapes of the mountainous Altai country are very diverse, anthropogenic impacts of different intensity have left their mark on them, and therefore the distribution of Siberian pine in individual forest-growing provinces is uneven. In the Southwestern Altai, stone pine forests predominate mainly in the upper part of the dark coniferous forest belt and are represented by subalpine and subalpine forest types. In the mid-mountain belt, cedar forests are much rarer, their areas are insignificant. The main massifs of Siberian stone pine forests of the Northern Altai are located in the area of ​​Lake Teletskoye, where Siberian stone pine participates in the formation of the black, mid-mountain, and subalpine belts. In the south and eastern parts cedar provinces are more common in the mid-mountain and subalpine belts.

Stone pine forests of the Central Altai are mainly represented by low-grade plantations of the subalpine belt, and in its southeastern part, at the heights of the upper forest boundary, cedar often forms subalpine forests. Underalpine cedar forests with larch are widespread in the South-Eastern Altai, where they often occupy the slopes of northern exposures at altitudes of 1,600-2,300 m above sea level.

The extraordinary diversity of soil conditions and the exuberant development of multi-species herbaceous vegetation determine the complexity and great typological diversity of mountain forests. Within each climatically homogeneous segment of the forest belt, the presence of many groups of forest types is noted. The structure of subordinate tiers often reveals a greater similarity with edaphic conditions than with a forest stand and altitudinal belt. So, in the low, middle and high mountains, on well-heated gentle slopes, meadow-forest tall grasses develop everywhere. Only in the South-Eastern Altai with its extremely continental climate tall grass forests are receding. Common features in the structure of subordinate layers are observed in green moss and forb plantations.

An interesting description of the types of cedar forests of the Altai Reserve was made by N. S. Lebedinova (1962). The classification is based on the similarity of subordinate vegetation layers and the nature of soil moisture. Forest types are combined into 4 ecological-phytocenotic groups. However, according to T. S. Kuznetsova (1963), A. G. Krylov (1963) and others, the descriptions by N. S. Lebedinova far from exhaust the whole variety of types of cedar forests. A. G. Krylov and S. P. Rechan (1967) divided all Siberian stone pine forests of Altai into 4 classes (black, taiga, subalpine and subalpine), 9 subclasses and 10 groups of forest types. Under the class, the authors understand the totality of groups of forest types that have a similar structure and composition of forest stands, common features of soil formation and reforestation processes. A type class is an association of subclasses of forest types with a common edifier that belong to the same price form.

Low-mountain, black cedar forests are represented by plantations of green moss, broad-herb, fern, large-herb, forb, bergenia and grass-marsh groups of forest types. They are characterized by a high productivity forest stand of I-II quality class, more often two-tiered. The first tier is composed of cedar, often with an admixture of fir, the second - fir with birch and aspen. The undergrowth is dominated by fir. The fir and cedar parts of the forest stand are usually of different ages. In the process of natural development of plantations, the prevalence of fir may periodically occur. After felling or forest fires, black cedar forests are usually replaced by birch or aspen.

Low-mountain broad-grass stone pine forests found on the slopes of eastern and western exposures with thin gravelly brown heavy loamy fresh soils. Two-tier stand, II-III quality class with stocks from 260 to 650 m 3 /ha. The undergrowth is dominated by fir and cedar, up to 1000 ind./ha. The undergrowth is sparse of oak-leaved spirea and bristly currant. The herbage is dense, composed of oxalis and broad herbs, among which forest fescue and Amur omoriza dominate.

Fern cedar forests low-mountain distributed on gentle and steep slopes of shady exposures. The soils are brown, often podzolized, coarse humus. The stands are high-density, II or III class of bonitet with stocks up to 500 m 3 . Undergrowth is sparse with a predominance of fir. In the undergrowth there are spirea, mountain ash, less often viburnum, red elderberry and bristly currant. Despite the thin soils and the large density of forest stands, the grass cover is dense with an abundance of ferns and taiga forbs. Spots of trihedral moss are observed on microelevations and old wells. After felling or fire, fern cedar forests are replaced by stable or long-lived birch forests.

Large-grass low-mountain plantations occupy gentle slopes of all exposures with brown granular well-developed soils. Bunk stands, class I, density 0.7-0.8, stock 310-650 m 3 /ha. Undergrowth is sparse, associated with microelevations and patches of green mosses; only in the vicinity of settlements in the areas where cattle grazing is carried out, one can observe a significant number younger generation cedar and fir. The undergrowth is dense, consists of mountain ash, yellow acacia, spirea, viburnum, bird cherry, Siberian elderberry, wolf's bast and Altai honeysuckle. Herbaceous vegetation is very diverse species composition and strong development. The moss cover is weakly expressed.

Drained terraces, steep and moderately steep slopes of light expositions of the black belt often occupy cedar forests of forb group of types. The soils are brown granular or sod-weakly podzolic, fresh loamy. Plantations are two-tier, II-III classes of bonitet with stocks up to 400 m 3 / ha. Renewal is good from fir and cedar, up to 7 thousand pieces/ha. The undergrowth is sparse, represented by spirea, mountain ash, honeysuckle and goat willow. The herbaceous cover is dominated by sedges, reed grasses, iris, stone berries, strawberries, female fern, etc. Mosses are absent. After a fire, recovery takes place through a short-term change of rocks.

Badan cedar forests low-mountain in the black belt they are rare and only in the upper part of the slopes of northern exposures on underdeveloped stony soils. Tree stand III-IV classes of bonitet, with the participation of fir and birch, stocks up to 300 m 3 / ha. Undergrowth is rare, from fir and cedar. The undergrowth with a density of 0.3-0.4 is represented by mountain ash and spirea. In a continuous herbage of bergenia, ferns and taiga forbs. Moss cover is absent.

Low mountain green moss stone pine forests are rare. They occupy shaded terraces with well-developed sod-podzolic soils. The productivity of plantings is determined by the II class of bonitet, the stock at the age of ripeness is up to 400 m 3 /ha. The undergrowth numbers up to 15 thousand specimens/ha, including up to 5 thousand Siberian pine. The undergrowth is sparse, but rich in species composition. The grass cover has two sublayers. Rarely scattered in the upper part: needle shield, horsetail, wrestler, reed grass. The lower one is composed of taiga forbs and shrubs. The moss layer consists of undulating hylocomium with an admixture of Schreber mosses, trihedral, storied, and others. Sphagnum and cuckoo flax are observed in microdepressions.

The bottoms of poorly drained hollows with drained forests, gleyed wet soils are occupied grass-marsh low-mountain cedar forests III-IV classes of bonitet. Plantations are complex, two-tiered with spruce, fir and birch. The undergrowth is sparse, the undergrowth is uneven, of bird cherry and bristly currant. The grass cover of reed grass, meadowsweet and some other hygrophytes is dense. Clearings of grass-marsh cedar forests quickly become waterlogged and can be overgrown with derived birch forests.

In the mid-mountain belt, the cedar often dominates the composition of the forest cover, and the cedar forests are the most common forest formation. Subclasses of fir, spruce, and larch stone pine forests from the class of taiga cedar forests are widely represented here (Krylov and Rechan, 1967).

In the humid regions of the North-Eastern Altai, on mountain taiga acidic humus-hidden podzolic soils, cedar-fir forests are common, sometimes with spruce admixture. Bunk stand, II-V quality class. On shady slopes and watersheds, green moss stone pine forests are most widely represented. Steep eroded slopes are occupied by bergenia forest types, and on the light side, plantings of a forb, sometimes grass-bog group, predominate. On the plumes of the slopes of light exposures, reed pine forests are found, in contrast to similar types of forests in the black belt, plantings of medium mountains have a slightly lower productivity.

After fires, mid-mountain cedar forests are replaced by pure cedar forests. Pyrogenic forest stands are usually single-tiered, even-aged and high-density. At a ripe age, their reserves reach the maximum values ​​noted for the cedar formation - 900 m 3 / ha.

In the central part of the mid-mountain belt, where the humidity of the climate decreases, cedar-fir forests are replaced by pure cedar forests. Here the stand is single-tiered, with a productivity of П-V classes quality. Plantations of the green moss group of types typical for the region are widespread, they express all character traits cedar forest belt. In terms of the structure and structure of the subordinate layers, they are identical to similar types of forests in the low-mountain belt and fir-cedar forests in the middle mountains, but they are inferior to them in terms of productivity and the number of species participating in the composition of the undergrowth and herbage. Steep slopes are occupied by bergenia cedar forests. Large-grass plantations are found on gently sloping areas with light, non-podzolized taiga soils. On the slopes of the light exposures, forb and reed forest types are observed.

Mid-mountain reed grass pine forests are formed on the site of reed larch forests during a long fire-free period. Distributed along hollows and upper parts of light slopes on soddy weakly podzolic loamy moist soils of medium thickness. Bunk stand, III-IV quality class. The first tier is dominated by larch (8Lts2K), its fullness is 0.3-0.6. In the second, cedar dominates (7K3Lts - 10K), the fullness is 0.3-0.4. Undergrowth with a predominance of stone pine up to 2 thousand pieces/ha. Undergrowth with a density of 0.4-0.5, mainly from Altai honeysuckle. The grass cover is closed, with the dominance of reed grass. A significant role is played by synusia of taiga grasses and large meadow-taiga grasses. Spots of brilliant hylocomium are marked on the elevations.

On the bottoms of the river valleys of the North-Eastern Altai and the northern slopes in the Central Altai, spruce is often mixed with Siberian pine as a sub-edificator. Mixed cedar forests are predominantly single-tier, II-V classes of bonitet, are represented by green moss and green moss-berry forest types. Less common are bergenia, forb and large-grass plantations. Along the plumes of shady slopes on peaty-podzolic soils of loamy mechanical composition, mid-mountain long moss cedar forests III-IV classes of bonitet. Plantations are two-tiered, with cedar in the first tier and spruce and birch in the second. They are weakly renewed, the number of undergrowth rarely exceeds 3 thousand pieces/ha. The undergrowth is sparse and oppressed, of honeysuckle and mountain ash. The herbage is uneven, composed of Ilyin's sedge, annual club moss, northern linnaea, Langsdorf's reed grass, forest horsetail. The moss cover is dominated by cuckoo flax, triangular mosses, Schreber and sphagnum mosses.

The northern, and sometimes western and eastern slopes of the middle mountains of the Central Altai with mountain taiga soddy-hidden podzolic soils are occupied by middle mountain taiga cedar forests with larch. Plantations are one or two-tiered, with productivity from II to V class of bonitet, mainly green moss, forb and reed groups of forest types. Everywhere there is a tendency to increase the participation of Siberian pine in the composition of plantations due to the displacement of larch. This process is hindered by forest fires, after which the shaded slopes are actively renewed by larch.

Subalpine stone pine forests are characterized by dense forest stands and inconstancy of the ground cover; they are represented by a subclass of subalpine stone pine forests. Plantations are predominantly pure in composition, sometimes with a small admixture of larch, density 0.4-0.8, productivity class IV-Va. Within the boundaries of the Southwestern and Southeastern Altai, spruce is a constant sub-edificator in cedar forests, and in areas with high humidity, fir, which penetrates into the subalpine zone here and reaches the upper forest boundary. Forest types are combined into large-herb, mixed-herb and green-moss groups.

Large-grass subalpine stone pine forests occupy gentle slopes of light exposures with soddy loamy moist soils. Tree stand IV-V classes of bonitet, density 0.4. The undergrowth is rare, found on microelevations near the trunks of old trees. The undergrowth is insignificant of honeysuckle and mountain ash. Grass is mosaic. Under the crowns of the trees, synusia of the reed grass predominate, and in the gaps - meadow-forest tall grasses. Leuzea safflower-like dominates in the transition zone, which often creates single-species thickets. Mosses cover up to 30% of the soil surface and are represented mainly by Rhytidiadelphus triguetrus. After the fire, they are replaced by large-grass subalpine meadows.

Mixed herb subalpine cedar forests are represented by snakehead-sedge, geranium-sedge and sedge-geranium forest types. Forest stand V-Va of quality classes, in which trees are located in groups of 4-6 specimens. Undergrowth is rare, 0.5-0.7 thousand units/ha. Undergrowth with a density of up to 0.3, from Altai honeysuckle and rare creeping fir bushes. The grass cover is composed of sedge big-tailed, Siberian bluegrass, etc. In the shade of trees, a moss layer develops from shiny hylocomium and trihedral moss. After a fire, mixed herb cedar forests are successfully restored by the main breed.

Green moss subalpine stone pine forests are rare on gentle shady slopes with soddy-weakly podzolic heavy loamy gravelly moist soils. Productivity of plantings of IV-V classes of bonitet. The undergrowth is represented by Siberian stone pine, up to 1000 ind./ha. The undergrowth consists of Altai honeysuckle, mountain ash and bristly currant. The moss cover evenly covers the soil, is composed of trihedral and comb mosses, as well as shiny hylocomium. The herbage is closed up to 0.7, it consists of numerous types of forest forbs.

Subalpine cedar forests found at the contact of the forest with the high mountain tundra, occupying small areas with humus-podzolic thin soils. Plantations of V-Va quality classes, within the South-Eastern Altai with a significant participation of larch. Fullness 0.3-0.6. Restoration is rare. The undergrowth and ground cover are dominated by boreal and tundra synusia. The typological diversity is low, green-moss and long-moss groups of types dominate, bergenia and lichen plantations are fragmentarily observed. In areas with a pronounced continental climate, cedar gives way to larch.

In the subalpine belt of the southeastern Altai, on concave areas and plumes of slopes of shady exposures with high humidity of peaty-humus long-seasonally frozen soils grow stone pine forests aulakomnia subalpine. This group is not found in other belts of Altai. Stand with constant participation of larch, sometimes with an admixture of oppressed spruce, V-Va quality classes. Undergrowth is dominated by cedar, spruce and larch are noted, the total number is up to 10 thousand pieces/ha. In the undergrowth there are alpine spirea, Altai honeysuckle and round-leaved birch. The herbaceous-shrub layer is mosaic of representatives of high-mountain herbs, the moss cover is powerful, spotty of brilliant hylocomium, Schreber moss, etc.

On the whole, in the cedar forests of Altai, the dependence of groups of forest types on climatic and edaphic factors is clearly expressed. Pine forests of the black belt, developing in a mild low-mountain climate with moist brown soils, are distinguished by a well-developed grass cover, which prevents the renewal of Siberian pine and fir, as a result of which the stands usually do not close. In the middle mountains, on the slopes of shady exposures and on terraces in the river valleys, green moss stone pine forests dominate. All forest types of this group are characterized by closed forest stands, reduction of subordinate layers, and podzolic type of soil formation. The southern slopes are occupied by mixed-grass and tall-grass forest types, which, by the structure of the undergrowth and grass cover, resemble similar forest types of the black belt, and by the structure of forest stands and the course of restoration processes, they belong to taiga associations. In the highlands of the subalpine and subalpine belts, most groups of forest types characteristic of taiga conditions are repeated, but their height and density are sharply reduced. Lichen and aulacomnia stone pine forests are specific.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

The nature of the region fascinates with its beauties, attracting tourists from all over the world.

Let's understand the concept of "Altai"

Geographically, Altai is a large territory in the very center of Asia. It is located on the territory of 4 states at once (Russia, China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia). The common name is Altai Krai. The nature of the region is very diverse, contains such climatic zones like taiga, forest, forest-steppe, steppe and mountains.

From the point of view of administrative division in the vastness of our country, this territory is divided into 2 subjects of the Russian Federation - the Republic of Altai with its capital in the city of Gorno-Altaisk and the Altai Territory, whose capital is the city of Barnaul.

Thus, the concept of Altai Krai can mean both an administrative unit of the state and a special natural area on the planet. The article will focus on the natural zone.

Altai region

The nature of the region is very diverse. The terrain is divided into:

• Plains located in its western and central parts, occupying the outskirts of the West Siberian plateau.
• Mountains occupying the north, east and south of the region. The nature of Altai is incredibly beautiful. Russia is a country on whose territory most of the hills are located. The peaks of the mountains along their entire length have a height of 500 to 4500 m.

On the flat part there is forest-steppe and steppe. Coniferous and deciduous forests rustle in the valleys of the mountains and on the plateau.

Many rivers flow throughout the region, most of which are not navigable, but are decorated with picturesque waterfalls. The main water arteries are the Katun (688 km long) and Biya (280 km long) rivers, from which the mighty Ob River originates. Water resources are also represented by numerous lakes, in total there are about 20 thousand of them. The most significant - Teletskoye - a huge repository fresh water, mountain lake Aya, sacred reservoir Dzhulukul.

Altai Mountains - a complex system of ridges, dotted with caves, gorges and rocks with overhanging glaciers. The highest part of the Altai Mountains is the peak of 4506 m.

Flora and fauna

The Altai Territory, the nature of the region amaze with the diversity of the animal world. The territory is inhabited by squirrels, chipmunks, sables, otters, wolverines, foxes, wolves, musk deer, deer, goats, polecats, cat manul, even reindeer and antelopes. There are more than 100 species of mammals and reptiles in total, many of which are protected and listed in the Red Book. More than 260 species of birds live in these parts: tundra partridge, golden eagle, hawk, owl and eagle owl, lark, dancing Wheatear and others.

The fauna is represented by such tree species as larch, spruce, pine, fir, birch, aspen, poplar and others. The pearl of the region is cedar.

In the steppe zone, valuable medicinal plants are common, such as Mary's root, valerian, moralium, spring adonis, Kuril tea, golden root, ginseng, sea buckthorn, horse sorrel, edelweiss.

Sights of Altai

Abound in picturesque places, many of which are unique in nature. Here are the only belt pine forests in the world - a kind of natural monuments of the Altai Territory.

In the Altai Territory, 33 reserves and sanctuaries have been created, which occupy 5% of the territory of the region. They were created to protect unique amazing landscapes and unique biological complexes inhabited by rare animals and unique plants. Many territories have a pristine appearance and are not touched by civilization.

The most beautiful and interesting places Altai Territory declared a UNESCO heritage site. Among them - the reserve "Altai" with Lake Teletskoye, a natural park on the slope of Mount Belukha and the total area of ​​the protected zone - 1.64 million hectares.

Caves of Altai - another amazing creation of nature

Among the most significant:

Geophysical - one of the most beautiful caves in the Altai Territory. It is 500 m long and goes 130 m deep into the rock. The Royal Grotto with 4-meter stalactites and stalagmites is especially impressive.
. Denisova Cave is one of the most interesting from a scientific point of view. It's been going on here for a long time archaeological excavations. 20 cultural layers have already been explored, the oldest of which is about 300 thousand years old.
. Ecological - the cave has the deepest shaft in Siberia - 340 m, the length of the cave is more than 2 km.
. Tavdinskaya - for the unusual beauty of the through corridors and arches, the cave was named a natural monument of republican significance.
. Altai - goes deep into 240 m, its length is about 2.5 km. It is interesting that in the depths of the cave speleologists discovered a lake with unique calcite flowers and cave pearls.

Flora of Altai (flora)

The flora of the Altai Territory is rich and varied. The vegetation here was influenced by the geological history of the development of the territory, and the climate, and a peculiar relief. Almost all types of vegetation of northern and central Asia, Eastern Kazakhstan, and the European part of Russia are found in Altai.

Forests cover most of the Altai Territory. The only ribbon pine forests in the entire territory of Russia grow here - a unique natural formation, the like of which is not found anywhere else on our planet.