Features of transformation of organic matter in the forest  reserves of the Crimea

Aim. The aim of the research was to identify the migration of ash elements and  nitrogen in the leaf litter‐soil  system for forest biogeocenoses of the Crimean  mountains, taking into account the effect of the pyrogenic factor on pine forests of  the Crimean Pine or Pallas Pine (Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana D. Don) which occupy  the largest areas.   

Material and Methods. Studies were conducted in the communities of the southern macroslope of the main ridge of the Crimean mountains in the territories of the  Yalta Mountain‐Forest and Crimean Nature Reserves. A comparative analysis (taking into account vertical zonality) was carried out of the migration of chemical elements in the leaf litter‐soil system system at nine sample plots. Forest typological  studies of the stand, chemical analysis of vegetation, soil sections and their physicochemical characteristics were carried out by generally accepted methods.   

Results. Differences in the series of accumulations of chemical elements were established for this territory for the first time. They vary significantly in each type of  forest and have their own specificity that differentiates with regard to migration  activity.   

Conclusions. It was shown that the processes of accumulation and decomposition  of leaf‐fall and litter are components of the biological cycle of organic matter in  protected areas of a large landscape complex – the southern macroslope of the  main ridge of the Crimean mountains and can be considered as providing background monitoring data. This permits us to comprehend the environmental mechanisms of adaptation and the regulation of the structure and functions of these  communities.   

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