Digression-demutation processes of riparian forests along the Kacha River in the Republic of Crimea

The materials of the study on the current state of the riparian forests and soils of the Kacha River in Crimea are presented.

The aim of the work was to investigate the digression-demutation processes of vegetation and soils in the riparian forests, taking into account anthropogenic impacts on them.

Materials and methods. Eight sample plots were established in the riparian forests from the source to the lower reaches of the river. Their species composition and structure, as well as the physicochemical indicators of the soils, were studied, with an assessment of the stages of community digression under economic activities.

Results. In the study of the ecosystems of the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the Kacha River, three main types of forest communities were identified: fresh black alder-hornbeam thickets, fresh oak forests with beech and black alder, and wet groves of poplar and willow. These communities characterize mature phytocenoses in the riparian forests of the Mountain Crimea, demonstrating dynamic changes in their development. In the middle reaches of the river, secondary oak forests with diverse tree species, which are at various stages of succession, predominate. In the lower reaches of the river, communities with low canopy closure and significant shrub layers are observed. The conducted research emphasizes the diversity and complexity of the ecosystems of the Kacha River.

Conclusions. The riparian forests are extremely vulnerable due to centuries of human activity impacting them. They can be regarded as bioindicators that can reveal, through their structure and composition of vegetation, the intensity of anthropogenic impact on these ecosystems, considering the temporal factor.