Forest ecosystems in the upper reaches of the Malka River (Central Caucasus): typology, floristic composition, current state

Tembotov Institute of Ecology of Mountain Territories of Russian Academy of Science, 360051 Nalchik, Russia

^* Corresponding author: maratshabatoko@mail.ru

Abstract

According to the results of the study, it found that in the upper reaches of the Malka River, the most common is the group of birch forests with tallgrass vegetation cover, including Betuletum calamagrostioso-herbosum. Smaller areas occupied by group of complex herbaceous birch forests, represented by Pineto-betuletum calamagrostioso-herbosum and a group of pine forests with herbrich vegetation cover, including Pinetum calamagrostioso-herbosum. Forest stands are mainly singlestorey, medium and low-density, bonitet classes II-IV. The floristic composition of the Malka River basin forests includes 101 species from 68 genera and 38 families. Forest ecosystems of the study area are home to four species of vascular plants included in the list of protected taxa of the KabardinoBalkarian Republic: Betula raddeana Trautv, Vaccinium myrtillus L., V. vitis-idaea L., Allium victorialis L. Among protected lichen species, we found – Leptogium burnetiae C. W. Dodge, Letharia vulpina (L.) Hue, Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm.), Lobarina scrobiculata (Scop.) Nyl.), Sticta sylvatica (Huds.) Ach. and Usnea florida (L.) Weber ex F. H. Wigg. The article analyzes the geographic spectrum of the forest flora of vascular plants and lichens, including 12 geographic elements, with the boreal geoelement predominating. The lichen flora dominated by boreal geoelements.