Search

Epiphytes model the diversity of forest communities and indicate the integrity of natural ecosystems or the threat to their existence. The high sensitivity of epiphytic species to the environmental quality makes them good indicators in anthropogenic landscapes. The study deals with the distribution patterns of rare indicator epiphytic species at the border of their range in the broadleaved– coniferous forest zone, in the central part of the East European Plain within the Moscow region. The distribution and abundance of eight lichen species Anaptychia ciliaris, Bryoria fuscescens, B. implexa, Usnea dasopoga, U. glabrescens, U. hirta, U. subfloridana and the epiphytic moss Neckera pennata were studied. The main environmental factors at the regional level were climate variables based on the Worldclim database, water indices based on Sentinel-2 multispectral remote sensing data, and the anthropogenic impact factor in terms of the Nighttime lights of the earth’s surface based on the Suomi NPP satellite system. It was revealed that the vast majority of records were in the western and northern sectors of the region, i.e. in the broad-leaved–coniferous forest zone, while the vast majority of 0-records were in the southern and eastern sectors, in the area of broad-leaved and pine forests and extensive reclaimed wetlands. The association with different types of communities and biotopes, as well as tree species, was assessed at the ecosystem level, using field data. It has been established that the distribution of the studied species is governed by natural-geographic features of the territory. The principal limiting factors are air pollution, ecological restrictions (high humidity requirement of sites), cutting of mature forests and formation of local anthropogenic infrastructure. In perspective the study of ecology and living conditions of the studied rare species will help determine the optimal conditions contributing to biodiversity conservation in forests near large metropolitan areas and optimization of habitat diversity.

This paper reflects the planetary role of Russian forests in formation of vegetation biodiversity, providing resource and ecosystem services as well as maintaining human-friendly environment. It depicts the history and framework of biodiversity monitoring of Russian boreal forests on the basis of remote sensing and ground-based data. The framework is based on a conceptual approach of biodiversity investigation taking into account the spatial-temporal dynamic and current forest state. The emphasis is put on the originality of the modern stage of forest cover assessment using remote sensing data – the most important component of information management of regional natural and anthropogenic forest dynamics. The application of advanced quantitative methods of GIS-technologies through analysis of satellite data and digital elevation model (DEM) in order to determine the genetic, spatial and temporal relationships between typological diversity and environmental factors enables to develop a new approach for the study of multidimensional spatial differentiation of forest cover. Local data interpolation during the ground research at upper scale levels using spectral satellite imagery processing and quantitative methods makes it possible to save important information on the structure and vegetation properties. Several examples of forest typological inventory at the federal, regional and local levels are provided. The system of indicators aimed at practical application of forestry and environmental management at the regional level, developed in this paper, helps identify qualitative changes in forest cover under the influence of climatic and anthropogenic factors and develop appropriate measures to maintain the necessary level of forest biodiversity of the territory.