Dynamics of the Herbaceous Layer of Spruce Forest Phytocoenosis for Nine Years after a Bark Beetle Outbreak

   Aim. Investigation of dynamics of the herbaceous layer of the phytocoenosis of spruce forest after the death of the spruce stand in comparison with the plant community after clearcutting and living spruce forest.

   Methodology. In 2012, three permanent sample plots of 800 m² (20 × 40 m) were established in spruce forest after the death of spruce because of bark beetle outbreak. First plot was set in undamaged spruce stand (control plot), the second one – in spruce forest with dead spruce stand (snag stand), the third one – in a clear-cut sanitary felling of spruce deadwood (clear-cut). Each plot was divided into 8 sites of 10 × 10 m². The studies were conducted annually from 2014 to 2022 using the same methodology. Full species composition of plants and their belonging to coenotic groups was revealed on each site of each plot annually. Statistical processing of the collected data was carried out, mean values of the number of species at three sample plots and mean values of the number of species by coenotic groups were calculated and compared. The significance of differences between samples of the number of species in the sample plots was determined using the Mann-Whitney U test.

   Results. In the plant community with dead and unlogged spruce stands, there is a long-term significant increase in the number of weedy-forest species and a short-term significant increase in the number of meadow species. The coenotic spectrum remains close to the initial forest throughout the entire observation period. The development of the clear-cut phytocoenosis proceeds through the herbaceous and shrub stages, with a significant increase in biodiversity. The number of forest-meadow, grassland, meadow, weeds, weedy-forest, weedy-meadow species increases significantly, and bog species appear. The number of forest species is lower in the first year of the study and higher in the second year than in the control. Since the second year of the study the species diversity surged at the clearcut. In the 7^th year of development of clear-cut and spruce forest communities with preserved spruce deadwood, the coenotic spectrum of the sampled areas becomes close to the coenotic spectrum of the initial forest

   Research implication. To study the natural mechanism of the dynamics of spruce phytocenoses after bark beetle outbreak of spruce stands while preserving the dead stands. At present, there is vast area of spruce stands with dead spruce stands in the Moscow region, and understanding of the dynamics of such communities could allow more effective choice of forest management measures.

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