Halophilous Vegetation of the Southern Coast of the Pechora Bay

Abstract

Geobotanical studies of the coastal halophilous vegetation are carried out on the southern coast of the Pechora Bay (the Barents Sea region). The ecological-phytocenotic approach is applied for classification; in total, 11 plant associations (including 2 subassociations) belonging to 10 formations are described. The syntaxa are identified considering 94 original geobotanical descriptions. In the article, the classification is limited to two leading syntaxonomic units: (1) formation, distinguished by the type of phytocenosis edificator species and (2) association, distinguished by the dominant species of the upper and lower tiers, which are defined as the diagnostic category. The vegetation cover differed in composition and structure in the habitats with different ecological conditions, such as beaches and foredunes, salt and brackish marshes, brackish water bodies on the marshes, ecotone zones between marshes, and shrub tundra. On the beach sands, there were communities of two associations: Leymetum arenarii honckenyosum diffusae and Leymetum arenarii latirosum japonici. The salt marshes were covered with the halophilous vegetation of the four associations: Caricetum subspathaceae potentillosum egedii, Caricetum glareosae potentillosum egedii, Festucetum rubrae potentillosum egedii, and Caricetum mackenziei. In the brackish marshes, there were communities of associations of Rumexetum aquaticus, Glycerietum fluitantis subpurum, and Arctophiletum fulvae. The small brackish lakes were occupied by the communities of Hippuridetum tetraphyllae. The communities of Salicetum reptantis parnassiosum palustris association are described in the ecotone zones between the marshes and shrub tundra. The original data on the marshe syntaxa described by the ecological-phytocenotic approach are compared with the previously published data on those from the Bolshezemelskaya tundra, but identified using the ecological-floristic approach. For the first time, the vegetation of marshes and beaches at the mouth of the Dresvyanka River is described. The article expands the information about the distribution of beach communities of the Leymeta arenaria formation, and the communities of marshes of the Caricetum subspathaceae, Caricetum glareosae, Festucetum rubrae potentillosum egedae, Hippuridetum tetraphyllae, Rumexetum aquaticus, and Arctophiletum fulvae associations. New information about the composition and structure of the Glycerietum fluitantis subpurum association is presented; these communities are first described earlier by the authors outside the northern border of the range of the coenose-forming plant Glyceria fluitans, in the south of the Pechora Bay, at the mouth of the Khylchuyu River. These communities together with the coenose-forming plant Glyceria fluitans require protection in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

Keywords: Pechora Bay; classification; habitat; halophilous vegetation; tidal mouth.