Title
Ural open spruce (Picea obovata) and birch woodlands (Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii) with Larix sibirica, Abies sibirica, with mosses, lichens and dwarf shrubs, partly alternating with tall-herb communities or with tundras
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Russia: Ural Mountains from the polar circle to 59° of northern latitude
area frequency
20 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
densely closed open spruce woodlands Gorčakovskij 1975.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Three-layered mountain spruce as well as birch forests at the upper tree line with scattered Larix sibirica, Abies sibirica; locally larch forests. The stands reach 4-6 m, and occasionally 12 m in height; numerous trees feature wind-stunted forms and tree-top desiccation. The herb layer is dwarf shrub-rich. The stands with evergreen conifers (Picea obovata, Abies sibirica) are relatively dense (60-80 % cover). They contain numerous boreal forest species (Vaccinium myrtillus, Linnaea borealis, Trientalis europaea) and a well-developed moss layer. The open birch and larch forests reach 20-30 % coverage and feature many meadow and mountain tundra plants in the herb layer as well as a weakly developed moss layer.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Picea obovata, Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii, Larix sibirica, Abies sibirica
Shrub layer
Juniperus communis subsp. alpina, Salix glauca, Salix lanata, Betula nana
Herb layer
Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Empetrum hermaphroditum, Deschampsia flexuosa, Linnaea borealis, Trientalis europaea
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Pleurozium schreberi, Hylocomium splendens, Dicranum fuscescens, Cladina stellaris, Cladina rangiferina, Cladina arbuscula
Diagnostically important species
Picea obovata, Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii, Larix sibirica, Abies sibirica; Vaccinium myrtillus
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)
subalpine grasslands; tall-herb communities along valley bases wettened by small streams; mountain tundras; small-area incidences of northern Uralian montane open larch forest.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
arctic scrub tundra (B27, B28, B32), alpine grasslands (B37), mountain tundra (B38, B39), open birch and spruce woodlands (C3, C5), spruce forests (D3), pine-spruce and fir-spruce forests (D9, D13, D14), palsa mires (S16).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
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grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Reindeer 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
low mountainous land, foothill plains
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
200-500 m, in the south >500 m
Geology (bedrock)
Palaeozoic (Devonian, Silurian, Ordovician, Cambrian); Precambrian
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
ferrum-humus-podzoles, partly gleyed; (gleyic podzols; dystric podzoluvisols; lithic leptosols; dystric gleysols)
soil texture
sandy-loamy, loamy-sandy, chady
soil moisture, water balance
moist, fresh
soil reaction
acidic, weakly acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VIII1, VIII2, VIII (IX)1, VIII (IX)2
average annual temperature
-6 to 0,5 °C
average annual precipitation
300-500 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
12-15 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-22 to -17 °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)
Forest stands have been degraded by grazing.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Overgrazing and tourism in parts.
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Russia: Pečorsko-Ilyčskij nature reserve, Denežkin Kameň, Jaman-Tau.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Gorčakovskij 1975
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by P.L. Gorčakovskij and S.S. Cholod
