ECOLOGICAL AND TYPOLOGICAL FEATURES OF STANDING DEAD WOOD STOCKS IN THE FOREST STANDS OF THE BRANCH “ZHOVTNEVE FORESTRY” OF SE “FORESTS OF UKRAINE”

Abstract

Dead wood is an important component of forest ecosystems that performs a number of ecological functions. The purpose of the article is to study the ecological and typological features of standing dead wood stocks in forest stands of the “Zhovtneve Forestry” branch of the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” (Kharkiv region). The territory of the branch has an important nature protection value, as the objects of the Emerald network are located within its boundaries. The study was conducted based on State Forest Inventory data of the forest fund. It was found that the area of forest stands in which standing dead trees were found during forest inventory amounted to 11,885.7 hectares or 26.1% of the total forest area. In total, standing dead wood was found in forest stands of 16 tree species with a total stock of 101,030 m3. The average volume of standing dead wood among tree species ranges from 3.0 m3∙ha–1 (black alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaerth) to 16.0 m3∙ha–1 (Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), in general for all tree species – 8.5 m3∙ha–1. In the stands of the dominant tree species – pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) the average standing dead wood volume was 8.2 m3∙ha–1 and 10.2 m3∙ha–1, respectively. The average standing dead wood volume by trophotopes was the largest in sugrud (sudibrova) – 11.8 m3∙ha–1, and the smallest – in bir 6.6 m3∙ha–1. By hygrotops, the average dead wood volume ranges from 2.4 m3∙ha–1 (moist conditions) to 8.5 m3∙ha–1 (fresh conditions). Standing dead wood was found in 16 of 28 types of forest that are represented in the forest fund of the studied object. The average dead wood volume by forest type is from 2.4 m3∙ha–1 (moist black alder hrud) up to 20.0 m3∙ha–1 (dry and fresh elm-maple dibrova). In fresh maple-linden dibrova, which prevails among forest types, the average volume was 8.3 m3∙ha–1. In general, the average volumes of standing dead wood are low, which may be related to the silvicultural activities that involve the removal of dead wood. The data we obtained are important for studies of patterns of woody detritus stock formation in forest types of North-Eastern Ukraine and the role of dead wood in biodiversity conservation in forest ecosystems.