Environmental Monitoring of the Autotrophic Section of Terrestrial Ecosystems in the Severo-Chuisky Glaciation Center (Central Russian Altai Mountains)

摘要

Monitoring studies at the base site, the Aktru glacier basin (Severo-Chuisky glaciation center, central Russian Altai Mountains), have been ongoing for 22 years and correspond to the global focus of scientific efforts on the study of mountain ecosystems. This article describes the main approaches to monitoring mountain ecosystems and their climatic response based on the leading role of their autotrophic block, especially edificator species of Altai forest ecosystems: Siberian larch and Siberian stone pine. This paper presents the main results of monitoring in old-growth forests, the forest-tundra ecotone, and ecosystems emerging on young moraines of valley glaciers. The authors provide information about the life forms of Siberian stone pine and Siberian larch, the structure of forest stands, and the species diversity of communities. The formation of tree generations in the course of supersecular warming/cooling cycles and the relationship of tree growth with secular and intrasecular climatic changes are considered; a comparative analysis of seed cone production in forests and ecotones is carried out. The current position of the tree lines (groups and single trees, reproductive) in the forest-tundra ecotone is considered, and their shift upwards the slopes as a response to climate change is found. The course of primary successions on young moraines of the Maly Aktru and Levy Bolshoi Aktru glaciers is described.