Vegetation indicators of transformation in the urban forest ecosystems of “Kuzminki-lyublino” park

Urban forests usually cover slightly disturbed or natural soils. The morphological structure and dominating species in urban forests are usually like the natural vegetation. These similarities constrain distinguishing between an urban and rural forest without detailed analysis of soil and vegetation properties. Urban forests are exposed to negative city influences, of which air pollution is one of the most substantial. The continuous anthropogenic influences alter the structure of urban forest. This article presents vegetation indicators of changes that occurs in the structure of the forest ecosystems as the response to an anthropogenic impact. The following indicators of forest ecosystem transformation in urban conditions were investigated: (i) reduction of the projective cover of moss layer, until its complete absence (in the pine forest), (ii) increasing the activity of adventive species (Acer negundo L.) in the undergrowth, (iii) high variability of the phyto mass of the ground herbaceous vegetation, and (iv) change in the arial distribution of adventive species of the ground herbaceous vegetation. © Springer International Publishing AG 2018

Vegetation indicators of transformation in the urban forest ecosystems of “Kuzminki-lyublino” park

Urban forests usually cover slightly disturbed or natural soils. The morphological structure and dominating species in urban forests are usually like the natural vegetation. These similarities constrain distinguishing between an urban and rural forest without detailed analysis of soil and vegetation properties. Urban forests are exposed to negative city influences, of which air pollution is one of the most substantial. The continuous anthropogenic influences alter the structure of urban forest. This article presents vegetation indicators of changes that occurs in the structure of the forest ecosystems as the response to an anthropogenic impact. The following indicators of forest ecosystem transformation in urban conditions were investigated: (i) reduction of the projective cover of moss layer, until its complete absence (in the pine forest), (ii) increasing the activity of adventive species (Acer negundo L.) in the undergrowth, (iii) high variability of the phyto mass of the ground herbaceous vegetation, and (iv) change in the arial distribution of adventive species of the ground herbaceous vegetation. © Springer International Publishing AG 2018

The structure of mesofauna complexes in soils of the forest-park zone of Moscow and the Prioksko-Terrasnyi Biospheric Reserve

A comparative analysis of quantitative parameters of the complexes of large soil invertebrates (mesofauna) in slightly disturbed biotopes of the Kuz’minki–Lyublino natural forest park of Moscow and in natural biotopes of the Prioksko-Terrasnyi Biospheric Reserve as a representative territory of the zone of mixed forests. It is shown that soil mesofauna in forest cenoses of the urban park preserves its natural features, though significant changes take place in the dominant complex. An increase in the biomass (up to 43 g/m2) of invertebrates has been observed in the forest-park soils at the expense of a greater population density of earthworms; the portion of saprophages in them increases, whereas the portion of predators is smaller than that in the native soils of the reserve. © 2016, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd

The structure of mesofauna complexes in soils of the forest-park zone of Moscow and the Prioksko-Terrasnyi Biospheric Reserve

A comparative analysis of quantitative parameters of the complexes of large soil invertebrates (mesofauna) in slightly disturbed biotopes of the Kuz’minki–Lyublino natural forest park of Moscow and in natural biotopes of the Prioksko-Terrasnyi Biospheric Reserve as a representative territory of the zone of mixed forests. It is shown that soil mesofauna in forest cenoses of the urban park preserves its natural features, though significant changes take place in the dominant complex. An increase in the biomass (up to 43 g/m2) of invertebrates has been observed in the forest-park soils at the expense of a greater population density of earthworms; the portion of saprophages in them increases, whereas the portion of predators is smaller than that in the native soils of the reserve. © 2016, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd