Comparison of structure and chemical composition of ground cover and soils of fir-spruce forests in Pechora-Ilych State Nature Reserve, Northern Urals

A study comparing the ground cover and soil chemical composition of two distinct fir-spruce forest types—bilberry-feathermoss (BFM) on podzols and boreal tall herb (BTH) on brown soils—in the Pechora-Ilych State Nature Reserve, Northern Urals, revealed significant differences in plant species composition and nutrient accumulation. BTH forests exhibited a higher proportion of nemoral and nitrophilous species while lacking 28% of the boreal species found in BFM forests. Nutrient analysis showed that Mg, Zn, Mn, and Al were accumulated in both shoot and root systems, whereas Ca, K, S, and P were primarily stored in roots. The chemical composition varied by plant functional group and forest type, with tall herbs in BTH forests showing the highest levels of Al, Fe, Zn, Mn, and S. Soil analysis indicated that brown soils had 50% higher concentrations of Ca, Mg, K, Zn, P, and S compared to podzols, attributed to litter fall rich in Al and Fe. This research highlights the ecological significance of soil type and plant community structure on nutrient dynamics in these UNESCO-listed forests.

Kudrevatykh, I. Yu., Geraskina, A. P.,. (2021). Comparison of structure and chemical composition of ground cover and soils of fir-spruce forests in Pechora-Ilych State Nature Reserve, Northern Urals. Nature Conservation Research, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2021.030