Differentiation of forest communities in the south-western part of the Moscow region

For main types of forest communities in southern part of Moscow region 4 associations and 1 non-rank community were identified. The greatest part of forest diversity was assigned to two associations of broad-leaved forest class. Nemoral spruce forests and replacing them secondary forests were included in the ass. Rhodobryo-Piceetum (RP), and broad-leaved and conifer-broad-leaved forests were included in the ass. Querco-Tilietum (QT). The spatial distribution of RP and QT and their location in the landscape are determined by region geomorphologic conditions. The variation in proportion of broad-leaved species in tree canopy has not a strong influence on subdivision of these associations. The lower-level syntaxa differentiation is mostly connected with habitat conditions, anthropogenic effects and successional status. The position of the study area in the botanico-geographical zonation scheme was discussed in the context of the classification.