Siberian larch at the western edge of its area

The study of Siberian larch was carried out at the western edge of its area - in Vodlozersky National Park in the mid-range of Karelia. It was estimated that the larch grows only on the moraine ridges in association with Hylocomium group of forest types. Here it forms mixed stands with Norway spruce, Scots pine, less often - birch and aspen. These stands are characterized by high completeness, timber volume and quality class. Siberian larch trees are noted for their high age (130 years or more). The maximum height and stem diameter reach 40 m and 66 cm, respectively. At the foot of the moraine ridges the trees almost completely stopped growing in the last half a century and many of them began to die back. Perhaps this phenomenon is due to the artificial raising of the water level in the lake more than half a century ago which resulted in the hydrological regime of coastal phytocenoses causing waterlogging of the soil and, as a consequence, reduced intensity of growth processes in mesophytes. In the vertical structure of phytocenoses with Siberian larch up to 4 plant tiers are formed: the 1st and 2nd tier of the forest stand; the 3rd - grassy and shrubby; the 4th - mossy. The last two layers are usually developed very moderately, floristically poor and are noted for strong mosaic. There is no undergrowth. The reliable undergrowth of conifers is completely absent. Resumption of Siberian larch stopped 50-60 years ago.