Title
North-east European hygrophilous open spruce woodlands (Picea obovata) with Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii, with mosses, dwarf shrubs and sedges (Sphagnum girgensohnii, Polytrichum commune, Ledum palustre, Carex globularis), partly alternating with palsa mires
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Russia: forest tundra along the polar circle from the White Sea to the Ural
area frequency
39 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Picea obovata-Betula nana-Carex globularis+Vaccinium myrtillus-Sphagnum girgensohnii+Polytrichum commune-community; Picea obovata-Betula nana-Vaccinium uliginosum-Sphagnum girgensohnii-community.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Four-layered community with Picea obovata and Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii in the tree layer. The lower layers are built up uniformly and contain many hygrophilous species. In the shrub layer there is only Betula nana, while in the herb layer dwarf shrubs are present; Carex globularis dominates, while Equisetum sylvaticum and Rubus chamaemorus are always present. The moss layer includes numerous peat-moss species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Picea obovata, Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii
Herb layer
Carex globularis, Ledum palustre, Equisetum sylvaticum, Rubus chamaemorus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Vaccinium myrtillus, Empetrum hermaphroditum, Vaccinium microcarpum, Andromeda polifolia
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Sphagnum girgensohnii, Sphagnum angustifolium, Polytrichum commune, Aulacomnium palustre, Pleurozium schreberi, Hylocomium splendens, Dicranum majus
Diagnostically important species
Picea obovata; Carex globularis, Equisetum sylvaticum, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Polytrichum commune
Ecological variants
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Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
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Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Often alternating with dwarf shrub- and moss-rich open birch forests; small-area incidences of hemipsammophytic open spruce forests; open larch forests in the Pečora region; aapa mires in small areas; palsa mires.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
arctic scrub tundra (B25, B26, B27, B28, B32), open birch and spruce woodlands (C3, C4, C6), spruce forests (D1, D2, D3), pine forests (D42, D43), raised bogs (S3, S4), palsa mires (S14), aapa mires (S16), transitional bogs (S18/19), alluvial scrubs (U1), alluvial forest (U3).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
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grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Reindeer winter pasture lands.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Hilly country, at the bases of gentle slopes with stagnating ground water, often with Palsa mires at the edges of depressions.
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland
Geology (bedrock)
glacial (Pleistocene above Triassic, Permin), marine (Pleistocene) and fluvioglacial (Pleistocene above Devonian, Permian, Silurian) sediments
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
humus-ferrum-podzoles; (orthic and gleyic podzols).
soil moisture, water balance
moist, fresh
soil reaction
weakly acidic, neutral
soil fertility
oligotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VIII (IX)2
average annual temperature
-7 to -2 °C
average annual precipitation
300-500 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 11-12,5 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January -22 to -14 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
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Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
The stands have been severely damaged by clearing.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
wood-cutting.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of representative stands is urgently required.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Russia: in between the rivers Oma and Peta and in the spring area of the Tobyš; valley of the Pečora, lower courses of the rivers Rogovaja, Kolva, Laja.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Gribova, Isačenko & Lavrenko (Red.) 1980
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by S.A. Gribova and S.S. Cholod
