Understory vegetation cover across a post-fire tree density gradient in far northeastern Siberia, 2016-2017

In Siberian larch forests, tree density has multiple consequences for both above- and belowground carbon (C) pools within trees and soils as stands mature, but tree density could also influence understory vegetation cover and associated C pools. The primary objective of this study was to determine how fire-driven changes in tree density affect understory vegetation as stands mature within Cajander larch dominated forests of far northeastern Siberia. During the summers of 2016-2017, we surveyed understory plant communities within a 1940 wildfire perimeter near Cherskiy, Russia. Since 1940, different forest stands within the burn perimeter have developed with different larch tree density, and we surveyed plant communities and associated stand and environmental conditions across 25 stands within the perimeter (3 plots per stand, 75 plots total).

在西伯利亚落叶松林中，随着林分成熟，树木密度对树木与土壤内的地上、地下碳（C）库均存在多重影响，同时树木密度也会影响林下植被覆盖度及其关联碳库。本研究的核心目标是，明确在西伯利亚东北部以卡扬德落叶松（Cajander larch）为优势种的林分中，火灾驱动的树木密度变化如何随林分成熟过程影响林下植被。2016至2017年夏季，我们在俄罗斯切尔斯基（Cherskiy）附近一处1940年野火过火边界内开展了林下植物群落调查。自1940年以来，该过火边界内的不同林分在不同落叶松树木密度下发育形成；我们共对边界内25个林分开展了植物群落及对应林分与环境条件的调查（每个林分设置3个样地，总计75个样地）。