FORESTRY ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH-IMPROVING NATURAL PLANTINGS OF BILOGRUDIVSKYI FOREST

Abstract

The species composition of tree, shrub and grass plantations of the Bilogrudivskyi forest has been studied. It was found that hornbeam-oak-ash forests with the predominance of ground elder are the most typical and widespread group of associations in the Bilogrudivskyi forest. Most species are anemophiles, only small-leaved lime, Norway maple and field maple are pollinated by insects. The stands of ground elder hornbeam-oak-ash forests have a complex two-layer structure, where the first layer are oak and ash. The second layer is dominated by hornbeam, mixed with small-leaved lime, Norway and field maple, wych elm, rarely silver birch and common aspen. Undergrowth, as a rule, is a young generation of trees of the main and accompanying species, formed from seeds or sprouts under the canopy and replaces the mother forest. Of the trees in the undergrowth are common hornbeam, oak, ash, small-leaved lime, Norway and field maple. Forest apple, pear, and wych elm are less common. Very seldom, more in young growths and on cuttings, aspen and silver birch occur in undergrowth, and in the lower part of beams in more humid places, singly, black alder. Undergrowth in young and illuminated plantations after maintenance felling reaches 25-35% of coverage, in older - 2-6%. Among the bush vegetation there are European and warty cowberry, common dogwood, wayfarer, black elder. The grass layer occupies 25-35% of the cover, but in some species its abundance varies between 10-80, and occasionally 100%. In dense shady plantations it is very poor, and in liquefied stands and young growth it sometimes acquires magnificent growth and development. The composition of the grass cover is the most common hairy sedge, ground elder, greater stitchwort, asarabacca, unspotted lungwort, wood violet, sweetscented bedstraw, wood bluegrass, yellow archangel, ground-ivy, cleavers, wood avens, germander speedwell, buttercups, dog’s mercury, figwort. From the 460.7 ha of land covered with forest vegetation, the vast majority of plantations have a density of 0,7 to 0,8 units – 47,6 and 25,6%, respectively, of which plantations of oak occupy an area of 270,9 ha, ash – 57,5 ha with a small share of other tree species. Plantations with a density 0,7-0,9 of units require maintenance felling, and with a density of 0,6 or less carrying out reconstruction works. Studies by age groups revealed significant shortcomings in forest management, used of forest resources and land used efficiency due to the predominance of medieval plantations – 68%.