The European Russian forests are described within the boreal, hemiboreal and nemoral forest regions; floodplain forests are also characterized. The book presents a classification and description of forest vegetation, soil characteristic and assessments of plant diversity and successional status of forest plant communities. Structure and composition of vegetation in early- and late-successional forests are analyzed with an emphasis on forests in State Nature reserves. Features of the historical land-use, such as slash-and-burn, forest cutting, grazing, influence of fires on forest ecosystems, etc. are discussed for each forest region. The book contains an analysis of the general dynamics of the forest cover during the last two decades based on satellite image processing. The main stages of transformation of forest landscapes in European Russia during the Holocene are briefly reviewed in connection with the development of the production economy of people.

A unique opportunity to learn in detail about the European Russian forests in English Special sections per climatic forest region on features of the historical land-use with unique photos Includes about 100 color photos of vegetation and soil in European Russian forests with mosaics of gaps, fallen trees, pits and mounds caused by treefalls with uprooting

Inhalt

Preface.- Authors and Affiliations.- Part 1: Natural conditions and general descriptions of forest vegetation and forest soils.- Part 2: Methods.- Part 3: Boreal forests.- Part 4: Hemiboreal forests.- Part 5: Nemoral forests.- Part 6: Floodplains.- Part 7: Forest cover dynamics at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries.- Part 8: Development of the European Russian forests in the Holocene.