The structure of the plant communities in the different environment contact sites on the base of the soil-geobotanic profiling in the changing climate of Lake Baikal region

The results of studies of the peculiarities of formation of phytocenoses in environments contact sites of the western and eastern coasts of the Lake Baikal has been showed in this paper. On the base of geobotanic profiling combined with soil one, the structure and dynamics of phytocenoses forming under the conditions of mutual development of light-coniferous taiga forest and of extra zonal steppes. Edaphic conditions and placement of phytocenoses are main trigger factors determining the ways of plant cover development in this part of Lake Baikal basin. We discuss the characteristics properties inherent in the linkage of the dynamics and spatial variability of the vegetation with the change of climate in the Baikal region. The regional conditions of the physiogeographic environment had given rise to structurally highly contrasting plant communities in this region. The increase in yearly mean summertime amounts of rainfall, combined with the rise of yearly mean winter temperatures over the last years were conducive to changes in the spatial structure of vegetation. The boundary between the types of vegetation undergoes smoothing. The upper boundary of forest is altered because of changes of the environment that are responsible for the zonality and properties of vertical zonality of the vegetation on the mountains surrounding Lake Baikal. Changes in the vegetation serve as indicators of climate change as well as providing diagnostic tools for the genesis of the Baikal region’s natural environment.

Current vegetation dynamics of the “forest-mountain tundra” ecotones of Lake Baikal coastal ranges

During last decades, new trends appeared in the ecotones of the upper boundary of forests at the ridges surroundingLakeBaikal(Khamar-Daban and Baikal’sky Ridge): ones to advance of wood species (Pinus sibirica Du Tour, Abies sibirica Ledeb., Larix sibirica Ledeb., Larix dahurica Lawson) out of timber stands into the area of subgoltsy with Pinus pumila (Pallas) Regel. up to mountain tundras. In average, this is from 100 to 200 - 300 meters (maximum up to500 m) in linear distance from the margin of dense timber stand. A burst of forests renewal occurred in 1989-1995, it resulted probably from a high productivity of the seeds of wood species due to warmer winters in 1980ies-1990ies which favoured the formation of favourable climate-edaphic conditions for the development of forest communities above the forests boundary on the ridges surrounding Lake Baikal.

Paragenese of the vegetation in ecosystems contact zones (in Lake Baikal basin)

Phytocenoses in the ecosystems contact zones are characterized by a rather complex structural and dynamical more than one features and by specific development characters under definite physical and geographical conditions. Unlike zonal vegetation, such phytocenoses respond to all environment changes more rapidly. The structure of such phytocenoses allows to determine the way this or that scenarios of climate change would develop at any level of more than one ecosystems. A possibility to use the notion “paragenese” for characterization of phytocenoses under contrast conditions is considered. Paragenese is the development of phytocenoses which are not related to zonal vegetation types by their composition and structure. Probably, the communities from ecosystems contact zones are to be related to a particular “type” of vegetation. Phytocenoses in the contact of light coniferous taiga and extrazonal steppes, as well as relations between zonal forest-steppe at main areas of Lake Baikal basin served as examples for justification of use of the notion “paragenese” to characterize the development of such communities.