Almost half of the territory of Russia is occupied by forests. Most of them are in the European North, in Eastern Siberia and Far East. Less - about 15% - in the black earth regions; 50% of all forests are on the plains. AT steppe zone they are about 2-5%.

The forest zone is heterogeneous and is a colorful mosaic of landscapes: meadows, lakes, rivers, fields, pastures, ravines. Especially often forests alternate with swamps.

fifth of all Russian forests belongs to the most valuable: these are water protection, protective, nut-fishing, near-tundra forests, as well as forests of reserves, sanctuaries and national parks. It is also necessary to treat forests located in densely populated areas with great care. Where there are many forests, they are cut down, using them for various needs of the national economy.

DARK CONIER FORESTS

"Festive spruce forests. For several centuries, spruce has been a symbol of merry new year holiday. But the person makes her beautiful and elegant. In nature, the tree is more gloomy than joyful. No wonder the people said: "Have fun in the forest, get married in a birch grove, and choke in a spruce forest." It is in the spruce forests that such characters of Russian fairy tales as the goblin and Baba Yaga live. Spruce forests are called dark coniferous forests: tree crowns are dense, dark green and give a lot of shade, so twilight reigns in them.

In Russia, two types of spruce are most common: common and Siberian. Norway spruce grows in the European part of the country, Siberian spruce - in the north-east of this region, as well as in Siberia and the Far East.

Spruce is not very durable: its age limit is 250-300 years. In the most favorable conditions, it usually grows up to 30, in rare cases up to 60 m. Spruce can form pure, that is, consisting of trees of the same species, thickets or grow together with other trees: in the north of the forest zone - with birch, aspen and pine, in the south - with oak, linden and aspen, in the North Caucasus - with fir and beech, in Siberia - with fir and cedar.

Depending on the natural conditions spruce forests look different. Greenland spruce forests are found in areas with a dissected relief and podzolic soils that pass moisture well. Powerful dense crowns of thirty-meter firs here practically do not let the sunlight to the ground. Therefore, plants living under a dark canopy must be shade-tolerant, such as green mosses, which cover the soil with a soft carpet up to 40 cm thick. A thick layer of dead plants often lies under it. In some places, bushes of blueberries and lingonberries rise 15-20 cm above the moss. There is little grass: only islets (curtains) of oxalis, wintergreen, northern line, European seven-leafed, two-leafed and other tiny plants that live where a little more light penetrates.

When the crowns of fir trees are completely closed (most often this happens in a young spruce forest), it is so dark under them that not a single grass can grow. The ground is completely covered with fallen needles and twigs, and these parts of the forest are called dead-blooded.

If the soils are a little waterlogged, spruce develops worse: the trees are lower and stand less often. Lichens hang from them like huge gray beards. The ground is covered with a continuous carpet of moss, cuckoo flax, up to 80 cm thick. For its height, the people called the plant long (long) moss; hence the name of the forest - sl-niki-dolgomoshiiki, in some places they are also called equals. The carpet of cuckoo flax is so dense that it does not allow grasses, shrubs, or young Christmas trees to grow. When you walk through such a forest, your feet even get stuck in the moss.

Sphagnum spruce forests grow in swampy areas, where a layer of peat is often very significant. These forests are not dense, since spruce grows poorly and slowly here; the trees are uneven, gnarled. The thickness of the trunk of a two-hundred-year-old spruce is less than 15 cm, and the height is only 10-1 m. This is the kingdom of moss - sphagnum, to which all other inhabitants are forced to "obey". He grows very fast, his lower parts of her; over time they die off and turn into peat, so the green carpet gradually rises higher and higher. Moss, like a sponge, absorbs water, waterlogs the soil, depleting it of oxygen. Therefore, trees, shrubs and grasses have to form new roots every year closer to the surface (like wild rosemary) or lengthen them as much as sphagnum has grown (like cotton grass). In the north, such spruce forests, oppressed by a swamp, are called sogrs or shokhrs.

Marsh-grass spruce forests also grow on swampy soils, but when there is running water: in the valleys of rivers, streams, the bottoms of dens. Among rare trees, instead of moss, a tall and dense cover of grasses spreads.

In the south of the forest zone, where there are rich and rather dry (drained) soils with a layer of limestone close to the surface, there are complex spruce forests. With spruce in them, linden, oak, maple, ash, elm, related to broad-leaved species, adjoin, and from shrubs - euonymus, honeysuckle, buckthorn, wolf's bast, red elderberry. Herbs are also plentiful: oxalis, lily of the valley, two-leaved mullet, European hoof, crow's eye.

Bread cedars. Cedar in Russia is called one of the types of pine - Siberian pine. This plant is very unpretentious: it endures and very coldy, and sharp fluctuations in temperature, and spring frosts - in general, everything that is "famous" for continental climate Siberia and the Far East. Cedar is also undemanding to soils: it grows on mountain slopes, stony placers, dry sands, sphagnum bogs, even on permafrost. Depending on the habitat conditions, the appearance of the cedar also changes. It can be both a tall, slender tree, and a shrub that creeps up to the rocks - cedar dwarf (it is found on the upper border of the forest in the mountains).

AT southern mountains Siberia has a lot of cedar forests - cedars. They are dark coniferous, like spruce and fir. On the plains, cedar often grows next to spruce, fir, pine and birch, but pure cedars can also be found around many Siberian settlements. The fact is that the migrant peasants quickly appreciated this tree, so they cut down larch, fir and other species around the housing, and left the cedar. The cedar forests were looked after as if they were their own vegetable garden.

Cedar lives for 600 years or more, grows up to 40 m, its trunk diameter reaches 1.5-2 m. A beautiful, majestic tree gives excellent wood and very tasty, nutritious and healthy nuts. Siberians sometimes equate a hectare of cedar forest with a cow - in terms of useful return on the farm. Collect nuts as follows. One or two people hit the barrel with a very heavy (30-60 kg) hammer. In a harvest year, from one skillful blow to the ground, up to a hundred cones with nuts fall.

Since ancient times, cedar has been cultivated in the European part of Russia. The first cedar grove was grown in the Tolgsky monastery near Yaroslavl in the 17th century.

LIGHT CONIFEROUS FORESTS

Openwork larches. In light coniferous larch and pine forests there is no solid shade. Light green openwork crowns of trees let in a lot of light.

It is larch forests that are the most in Russia. Larches grow from Arkhangelsk to Pacific Ocean. They are even more unpretentious than ate and cedars. The only thing they can't stand is the lack of light. In harsh conditions in the north of Siberia and the Far East, mainly larch forests grow, or foliage trees, as they are sometimes called. locals. Larch occupies such vast spaces because it is able to grow where it has no competitors: 80% of the area occupied by it is located in the permafrost zone. Forests are formed, as a rule, by two types of trees: Siberian and Dahurian larch.

Like cedar, different conditions larch has a different appearance. In the mountains, on the upper border of the forest, or in the north, it is a creeping shrub - dwarf; in the foothills of the Urals - a tall tree with a spreading crown. Much in the nature of the forest determines the fertility of the soil and its moisture content. Under the openwork canopy, many plants feel good, especially herbs.

In Transbaikalia and Yakutia, on moist sandy soils, long-moss foliar forests are widespread, in which there are a lot of low marsh shrubs - wild rosemary and blueberry. In complex larch forests, on lime-rich soils, there is often an undergrowth of rhododendron, juniper, and wild rose bushes. Cowberries, wild rosemary, bearberry and herbaceous plants grow abundantly under them. Sphagnum larch forests dominate on swampy flat interfluves. Powerful permafrost thaws no more than 30 cm even in summer, and the lower part of the peat-moss cover remains frozen all year round. Therefore, larches are oppressed and, although they grow here for a very long time (300-400 years), they are not more than 8-10 m high and 10 cm in girth.

Larch is the pioneer of the forest. It easily settles in bare areas after fires or clearings. Young trees grow quickly and are not afraid of frost. But if the former owners appear under their canopy - spruce and fir, then over time they will force out the light-loving larch.

Human economic activity has affected larch forests less than other forests. They are located most often in hard-to-reach areas, where the only transport routes rivers serve. But larch wood is heavy, so the logs sink when rafting.

On the Karelian Isthmus a 250-year-old larch forest grows near the village of Roshchino, planted at the direction of Peter I. The tsar considered larch a very important and valuable tree for Russia and recommended planting it around new capital. Now these 40-meter trees can barely wrap around two people.

Valuable pine forests. Pine forest(pine forest) is often called boron. The bark of the pines is yellowish-brown with a reddish tint, therefore, or perhaps for its beauty, the pine forest is also called red forest. On fertile soils, a tree can live up to 500 years, reach 50 m in height and more than 1 m in diameter. Such pines are called condo or ore. They have a magnificent fragrant yellow-red wood - strong, dense, resinous and durable. Old forests with these tall, slender trees were called ship forests - it was from them that masts were usually made. The wood of the myand pine grown in moist places is completely different - loose and fragile. Like larch, pine is photophilous and very unpretentious: it can grow on dry sands, stony slopes, swampy peat bogs, one of the first to settle on bare lands. The worse the conditions, the less competitors the pine has and the more space for redwoods. But if a pine forest has grown on the site of a burnt or cut down spruce forest, then the former owner will eventually force out the "new settler". Spruce is a shade-loving tree and feels uncomfortable in open space. And under the crowns of pines she is well. And little by little young fir-trees begin to turn green in the pine forest. Little by little they catch up with the pines and block their rivals with a thick dark crown. Sun rays. Light-loving pines in such conditions do not withstand the struggle and sooner or later give way to spruce forests. Mixed pine-spruce forests are one of the stages of such a process.

A significant part of the pine forests was formed on the site of spruce forests after fires. On very poor and dry sandy soils, white-moshniki pine forests grow. The ground in them is covered with a carpet of fruticose lichens (deer and Icelandic moss), through which dry-loving herbs and bushes of lingonberries, blueberries, and crowberries occasionally make their way. In dry weather, lichen branches become so brittle that they crunch and break easily underfoot.

The industry uses not only valuable pine wood, which does not warp and rot, because it is impregnated with resin, but also the resin itself and needles.

SHORT-LEAVED FORESTS

Forests formed by trees with small leaves and soft wood - aspen, birch, gray alder, are called soft-leaved or soft-leaved forests. Most often, these forests are secondary: they appear after cutting down or a fire on the site of pine, spruce, larch, oak forests, and sometimes on abandoned arable land. Human activity, especially active today, contributes to the expansion of their areas. Gradually, such forests can be replaced by indigenous ones, for example, birch forest - spruce forest.

But sometimes small-leaved forests are indigenous - like forests of stone birch in Kamchatka, birch and aspen "pegs" in Western Siberia and "aspen bushes" in the south of the European part of Russia (the so-called small groves that occupy rounded depressions - saucers - on flat treeless terrain).

Birch forests are a symbol of Russia. Birches in Russia paciyr almost everywhere. They are absent, perhaps, only on the polar islands, in the Caspian desert and on the peaks highest mountains. Beautiful, filled with sunlight, birds singing and flowering herbs, birch forests have always been and remain a favorite vacation spot. And the air in them is healing: there is a lot of oxygen in it, killing microbes of phytoncides. In Russia, there are several dozen species of birches, but only two are widespread: warty in the European part and fluffy in Siberia. In the Far East, you can find stone, Daurian, yellow and iron birches.

This tree is unpretentious and grows very quickly: sometimes in the first year it rises to half a meter, and by the age of 70 it reaches 35 m in height and 70 cm in diameter. Birches live 100-150 years, but some even up to 300. Birch is the first settler: it captures any free piece of land, because it is undemanding to the soil, and its seeds are easily nepei yu-sya by the wind.

Birch forests are light, the grass cover in them is dense and varied! 1st. Over time, pines, spruces, larches settle in birch forests. After 50 years, they catch up with the light-loving birch, shade it more and more, and prevent it from growing. And then mushrooms start up on it, and the trunk begins to rot alive. The birches are dying, and coniferous trees continue to gain momentum.

In birch forests there are usually a lot edible mushrooms: white, milk mushrooms, russula, chanterelles and, of course, boletus.

Trembling aspens. Aspen is widespread throughout Russia, but is most often found in spruce forests, birch forests, and oak forests. The northern border of the forests goes beyond the Arctic Circle in places. To the south, this tree grows wherever there is heat and moisture.

Aspen leaf stalks are long! n gye, flattened in the middle. Therefore, even with a slight wind, the leaves tremble, which gives the crowns and the entire forest a characteristic appearance. Osset 1yo leaves are stained in bright colors- from yellow to red; this aspen forests also stand out from other forests. Aspen is very prolific. It reproduces by seeds, and shoots from stumps, and root offspring. It is not surprising that after felling, aspen easily captures the vacated land. In addition, the tree grows rapidly: shoots increase by two meters per year. Under the canopy of an aspen, other trees can also settle, i ia-an example of a Christmas tree. But until the aspen grows old, and this will not happen soon - in 60 years or more, it will not give up its place to anyone. Aspen forests are shady, so the grass cover in them is poorer than in birch forests.

BROAD-LEAVED FORESTS

Trees with large broad leaves and solid wood- oak, linden, maple, ash, beech - form broad-leaved (hard-leaved? She) forests. Oak dominates here; other species, as a rule, are adjacent to it and only occasionally form pure stands. These forests are located in the southern part of the forest zone.

Bogatyr oak forests. Oaks can be found only in the European part of Russia and the Far East. In the north, the boundary of their habitat runs from the shores of the Gulf of Finland through Vologda, Vyatka and Perm ( mean annual temperature along this line approximately +2 °С), and on the western slope of the Urals it turns sharply to the south, where it reaches the Kazakh steppes. In the European part of the country, pedunculate oak grows, in the North Caucasus - rocky and fluffy, in the Far East - Mongolian.

Oaks grown from acorns (seed) live up to 500 (and some up to 1000) years and reach 50 m in height. Trees growing from stumps after felling are low and short-lived; they get sick more often than seeds and become victims of pests. Oak prefers fertile soils, but is not very demanding on moisture, so it can be found not only in the forest-steppe, but also on dry steppe lands.

Several centuries ago there were many oak forests, including around Moscow. And the first walls of the Moscow Kremlin were oak. Now there are few real oak forests left. Forest beauties mercilessly cut down not only for buildings (the oak has strong, hard, decay-resistant wood), but also for firewood. And often they were destroyed when clearing the land for arable land.

Oak forests consist of several tiers. Oak grows in the first of them, often with an admixture of linden, maple, ash, elm (elm) and various small-leaved trees. In the second, there are wild apple and pear trees, bird cherry, and mountain ash. Shrubs are represented by hazel, euonymus, buckthorn, Tatar maple. The grass cover is rich and varied. Some plants bloom in early spring, when the trees and shrubs do not yet have foliage and even the snow has not completely melted. The earth is covered with a carpet of azure snowdrops, yellow anemones and chistyaks, pink teeth, purple corydalis. Then comes the turn of lungwort, woodruff, zelenchuk, hoof, lily of the valley, bluebell, kupena, blooming throughout the summer. On rich soils, gout grows densely, and on those that are poorer, hairy sedge dominates; in damp places there are many ferns.

Honey lindens. In Russia, the most common is small-leaved linden, or heart-leaved, - the only Central Russian broad-leaved tree that grows beyond the Urals. The Siberian linden lives in Siberia, the Amur linden lives in the Far East, less often the Manchurian and the endangered Maksimovich linden. A few more of its species can be found in the North Caucasus.

Linden is cold-resistant, not afraid of frost, very shade-tolerant and able to grow under the crowns of other trees, including even spruce. The maximum age of a linden tree is 600 years; often these trees live up to 300-400 years. Pure lime forests are rare. They can be found in Bashkiria, Chuvashia, Tataria. Usually linden is adjacent to oak and spruce.

AT Ancient Russia linden forests - linden forests were the main places of beekeeping (beekeeping in the forest, obtaining honey from wild bees and caring for them), because wild bees settled in the hollows of old trees. And now linden is one of the best honey plants. About 800 kg of honey can be obtained from a hectare of linden forest. Linden is an excellent ornamental tree, one of the main ones in landscaping. Under the shady crowns it is pleasant to relax on a hot day, especially at the time of flowering. They have long been planted in alleys, boulevards, and parks. 70% of all trees in Russian cities are from the linden family.

forests with a predominance of small-leaved species - birch (birch forests), aspen (aspen forests), gray alder (alder gray), having a leaf plate of small size and a loose crown. Birch forests are the most widespread both in the European and Asian parts of Russia, occupying 25.1 and 11.9% of the lands covered with forest vegetation, respectively; a much smaller area falls on aspen forests - 5.4 and 2.2%. Gray alders mainly grow in the European part of Russia, their area is insignificant - 0.3-0.4% of the land covered with forest vegetation. A distinctive feature of small-leaved forests is that the predominant part of them is derivative forests.

They appear on clearings and burnt areas of coniferous and deciduous forests, in places of windblows, on unused agricultural land. Small-leaved species are renewed both by seed and vegetatively: birch - by stump growth, aspen and gray alder - by root offspring and stump growth. On treeless lands, the formation of small-leaved forests occurs by seed. Small-leaved species are the first to appear in clearings, which is why they are called “pioneer” species. Due to the rapid growth of vegetative shoots, they take the lead, preventing the restoration of indigenous coniferous and broad-leaved species. Over time, small-leaved forests that have arisen are most often replaced by forests of primary species.

However, without appropriate cuttings, the succession process can be very long, measured in many decades.

Birch and aspen forests can be primary forest types under appropriate natural and climatic and soil conditions. Thus, indigenous plantations of downy birch grow on excessively moist and waterlogged soils. Birch crooked forests and light forests are formed both in lowland and mountain forests along the northern (on the plain) and upper (in the mountains) borders of the forest belt with forest tundra and in forest tundra. In the forest-tundra, birch clumps are represented by dwarf species. In the forest-steppe zone of the European and Asian parts of Russia, indigenous birch forests grow in separate small islands - pegs - in saucer-shaped relief depressions. Indigenous aspen forests are found on fertile moist (but not waterlogged) soils, Ch. arr. in the beam forests of the forest-steppe, as well as in pegs, where they can form pure forest stands or mixed with birch

46 Origin of the stand

a collection of trees, sometimes shrubs, the main tree component of a forest plantation, with which it is often identified in forestry practice. The tree stand, as a type of forest vegetation, is divided into native and derivative according to the duration of growth on the site. Indigenous forest stands are the next natural generation of one well-established type of forest vegetation, corresponding to the forest conditions of the site. A derivative forest stand arises on the site of a primary one as a result of human activity or under the influence of natural factors and, over the next few generations, differs from the primary one in tree species and structure. A forest stand is also distinguished by its origin, shape, composition of species, age, density of trees, canopy density, density and productivity. A forest stand can be of natural origin (it has arisen without human intervention or with the help of some measures to promote natural reforestation), artificial (originated as a result of sowing or planting a forest by a person), combined (by combining natural reforestation in one area and artificial in places where there is no natural regeneration , with a share of each method in terms of the number of trees or area of ​​at least 25%), seed (the trees of the stand originated from seeds - see Seed reforestation) or vegetative origin. Most often in the forests there are stands of natural seed origin. A stand of natural vegetative origin usually appears after clear-cutting with sufficient participation of trees that form abundant stump shoots or root suckers. A tree stand of seed origin, compared to a vegetative one, is considered more valuable due to its greater durability, productivity and resistance to fungal diseases. In a forest stand of artificial origin (forest plantations), trees usually have the same age and are evenly distributed over the territory of the site, often there is a large density of crowns and a high population density of the territory

On approval of the list of tree species used in calculating the amount of damage caused by illegal destruction and damage to green spaces and calculating their compensation cost when issuing logging tickets in Moscow

The government of Moscow
STATE COMMITTEE
ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OF MOSCOW

On approval of the list of tree species used in calculating the amount of damage caused by illegal destruction and damage to green spaces and calculating their compensation cost when issuing logging tickets in Moscow

In order to streamline the procedure for applying the "Methodology for assessing the value of green spaces and calculating the amount of damage and loss caused by their damage and (or) destruction on the territory of Moscow" (hereinafter referred to as the Methodology), approved by order of the Mayor of Moscow dated May 14, 1999 N 490-RM, in terms of determining the species of trees growing on the territory of Moscow

I order:

1. Approve the list of main breeds according to the classification given in the Methodology in table 1 (appendix).

2. The Department of State Inspection Control for the Protection of Flora and Fauna (Novikov V.C.) use this list when calculating the amount of damage caused to the environment.

3. The Department of Approvals and Issuance of Felling Tickets (T.G. Kostrikina) should use this list when calculating the compensation cost for felled trees at construction, reconstruction and repair facilities.

4. To impose control over the implementation of this order on the vice-chairmen Vlasov V.I. and Vasilyeva S.A.

Chairman
Moskompriroda
L.A. Bochin

Application. List of coniferous and deciduous (broad-leaved and small-leaved) tree species most often found in green spaces in Moscow, including decorative exotic and fruit trees

Application
to order
Moskompriroda
dated 21.02.2000 N 47

On approval of the list of tree species used in calculating the amount of damage caused by illegal destruction and damage to green spaces and calculating their compensation cost when issuing logging tickets in Moscow

A feature of the deciduous forest is the rapid spread over the area and the high growth rate. Trees in terms of growth density are much less common than in coniferous forest. The leaves on such trees completely fall off in autumn, thereby protecting the tree from moisture loss in the winter cold. With the advent of spring, buds appear on the trees with the beginnings of new leaves.

Trees common in such forests are unpretentious and easily take root in new soil, grow quickly and have a long life. Forests of this type can reach a height of 40 meters. There are two types of deciduous forest: small-leaved and broad-leaved.

small-leaved forests

In such forests, tree species with small deciduous plates predominate. Such forests love light and are unpretentious to the soil, they tolerate cold well. The main varieties of small-leaved forest trees include:

• Birch, it is more common in the Northern Hemisphere, some of its varieties can have a height of 45 meters with a trunk girth of 150 centimeters. Birch bark can be either white or pinkish, brownish, gray or black. Birch leaves are smooth, their shape resembles an egg, which is like a triangle or rhombus. Their length can reach 7 centimeters, and their width is 4 cm. In summer, flower earrings appear on the tops of elongated shoots, they are initially green, but turn brown over time. Seeds are easily dispersed by wind due to their lightness. In Russia, there are about 20 varieties of birches.
• Aspen can grow up to 35 meters tall. It is characterized by the presence of a straight trunk, with a diameter of about a meter with a thin smooth bark of a gray-olive color. Over time, lentils appear on the bark, which are similar in shape to a rhombus. The tree tolerates frost and strong moisture well, normally tolerates shading. Aspen leaves are round-rhombic in shape, width is greater than length, with a serrated frame. The front side of the leaves is bright green and shiny, the back side is matte a tone lighter. In spring, beautiful flowers appear on the branches in the shape of earrings. The flowers are bisexual, the females are light green and the males are purple. In autumn, boxes with aspen seeds form on the flowers, when they fall, they open, they are picked up by the wind and carried around.
• Alder belongs to the birch family and has serrated-lobed or oval-shaped leaves. Alder flowers are bisexual and grow on one shoot, female in the form of spikelets, and male with the shape of earrings. This tree is very fond of moisture and light, grows near the shore of a reservoir. Alder bark is grey-green. In total, there are about 14 varieties of this tree.

broadleaf forests

These types of forests have trees that have upper tier It has leaves of different sizes, both large and medium. Such trees tolerate shade well and are demanding on soil and love light. broadleaf forests grow in a relatively mild climate, the main representatives are the following trees:

• Oak belongs to the beech family. This large tree with wide fleshy leaves has a spherical crown. The root system is well developed and includes a tap root. The wood of this tree is highly valued. Oak loves light and fertile soil, is long-lived, tolerates drought well. In total, there are about 21 varieties of this plant.
• Maple has more than 60 varieties, found in many parts of the world. This tree has fiery red leaves in autumn. Maple copes well with drought and is undemanding to the soil. The plant is propagated by seeds or by grafting.
• Linden is a large-leaved tree with a decorative crown shape. Linden is a representative of softwood species with large vessels through which the juice passes. The wood of this tree is used in the manufacture of musical instruments. There are about 20 varieties of lindens.
• The ash tree grows up to 30 meters in height with a width of 10 to 25 meters. The crown of the ash tree is wide-oval openwork with slightly branched straight shoots. In a year, a tree can grow by 80 cm. The leaves are bright green with inconspicuous flowers. The root system of the ash tree is very sensitive to soil compaction, loves fertile soil and the sun.
• Elm, its homeland Asia, Europe, America and North hemisphere. Elm refers to large-leaved trees with a height of no more than 35 meters and a crown width of no more than 10 meters. A tree with pointed leaves and a dark green serrated edge. Elm flowers are small, united in bunches. The tree does not respond well to shade, but tolerates high humidity and drought well. Propagated by seeds, cuttings or grafting.
• Poplar belongs to the willow family. Max Height trees can reach 50 meters. Poplar flowers are small, they gather into earrings, which, when ripe, turn into boxes with poplar fluff. Trees are not long-lived, highly susceptible to all sorts of pests.

Forests can also be primary or secondary, which grow from the root of a tree after fires, felling or destruction by insects. They are more often small-leaved.

Deciduous forests are divided into broad-leaved and small-leaved. The forest-forming species of broad-leaved forests are: linden, oak, ash, beech. They are found in the European part of our country. Western Siberia is characterized by small-leaved forests composed of birch, aspen, and alder. Depending on the dominant breed, they can be birch or aspen. These forests are called temporary: under their canopy, favorable conditions are formed for the renewal of coniferous forests, and over time, small-leaved forests give way to coniferous ones. Therefore, in these forests one can find plants characteristic of both coniferous and small-leaved forests; such as wild rose, raspberries, mountain ash, viburnum, ferns, geraniums, buckthorn, etc.

The main forest-forming species of birch forests is the drooping (warty) birch Betula pendula - a rather unpretentious plant, undemanding to the composition and soil moisture, but very light-loving. In small-leaved forests, soils are well moistened and rich in nutrients due to the decay of a huge mass of leaves and ground organs herbaceous plants. In these forests, the grass cover is very rich: here you can find plants belonging to the families: celery, ranunculus, geranium, aster, lamb, St. John's wort, legumes, as well as sedge and cereals. Most plants actively vegetate, bloom and bear fruit. Along with seed reproduction, they also have vegetative reproduction. Birch and aspen forests are light forests. On more humid soils, the warty birch is replaced by the downy birch (Betula pubescens), in the forest-tundra one can meet the dwarf birch (Betula nana).

In small-leaved forests, undergrowth is well developed, represented by bird cherry, mountain ash, viburnum, buckthorn, and hawthorn. The shrub layer is represented by wild rose, currant, raspberry, and honeysuckle.

The types of birch forests are varied. So on elevated places there are birch forests with a cover of dull reed grass (reed birch forest). In depressions and in areas more distant from the rivers, one can find blueberry birch forest; on wetlands of watersheds - long-moss birch forest. Sphagnum birch prefers soil with excess and stagnant moisture; forb birch forests occupy manes and plateaus of watersheds; steppe birch forests grow along the outskirts of pine forests. In deep swampy depressions, sogrs are formed - reed or sedge birch forests.

In small-leaved forests, under the protective canopy, birches and aspens grow conifers- fur tree, pine tree. Such forests are called mixed, they are intermediate between deciduous and coniferous. In these forests, the undergrowth of hawthorn, raspberry, and wild rose bushes is well developed. There is a tall and lush grass cover of plants characteristic of small-leaved forests.

small-leaved forest plants

(here and below in bold type medicinal plants)

Hanging birch (warty birch) - Betula pendula (B. verrucosa)

Downy birch - Betula pubescens

Trembling Aspen - Populus tremula

Black alder - Alnus glutinosa

Rowan ordinary - Sorbus aucuparia

Common bird cherry - Padus racemosa

Blood red hawthorn - Crataegus sanguinea

Rosehip cinnamon - Rosa cinnamomea

Rose hips - Rosa acicularis

Viburnum ordinary - Viburnum opulus

Buckthorn brittle - Frangula alnus

Female kochedyzhnik - Athyrium filix femina

Needle shield - Dryopteris spinulosa

Common bracken - Pteridium aquilinum

Ground reed grass - Calamagrostis epigeios

Common blueberry - Vaccinium myrtillus

Forest geranium - Geranium silvaticum

Origanum vulgare - Origanum vulgare

St. John's wort - Hypericum perforatum

The softest lungwort - Pulmonaria molissima

European bathing suit - Trollius europaeus

Hairy agrimony - Agrimonia pilosa

City gravel - Geum urbanum

Buttercup many-flowered - Ranunculus polyanthemis

Wild strawberry – Fragaria vesca

Green strawberry - Fragaria viridis

Bone - Rubus saxatilis

Forest chin - Lathyrus silvestiris

Common goatweed - Aegopodium podagraria