Home – Home – Jornals – Geography and Natural Resources 2023 number 5S

This paper presents new data on vegetation of the key area in the mid-flow of the Northern Dvina River (Arkhangelsk oblast). Studies of floodplain vegetation and mire vegetaion have been conducted since 2009 and 2013, respectively. Original geobotanical data on floodplain and mire vegetation of the currently established Specially Protected Area, “Zvoz Nature Park”, are provided. The protected area is located in the Zvoz karst region known as a unique landscape of the European part of Russia. Gypsum and anhydrites of the Permian geological period emerge on the day surface and various types of karst such as sinkholes, ravines and silk fields occur there. The floodplain and above-floodplain river terraces were studied and mapped. Two large-scale vegetation maps of the key area were compiled: the vegetation map of the Northern Dvina River valley (at a scale of 1:25 000) with a detailed display of floodplain communities (trees, shrubs, meadows) and communities of above-floodplain terraces; and the vegetation map of the mire massif near the village of Zvoz (at a scale of 1:4 000). The legend to the map of the Northern Dvina River valley is based on the landscape and ecological-phytocoenotic methods. The main divisions of the legend correspond to geomorphological elements (“Vegetation of the floodplain”, and “Vegetation of the terraces above the floodplain”). The lower divisions of the legend are identified on the basis of dominant species and by taking into account the indicator groups of species. The legend divisions of floodplain vegetation are built from pioneer to primary plant communities. The mire map and its legend demonstrate the heterogeneity of the horizontal structure of vegetation and its complexity. The relationship between patterns of formation of the vegetation cover structure and modern karst processes is discussed.