Distribution of Acer negundo L. in the Karasye-Ozersky forest park of Yekaterinburg

¹ FGBUN Institute Botanic Garden of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 202a, st. March 8, Yekaterinburg, 620144, Russia
² Institute of Forestry and Nature Management “Ural State Forestry Engineering University”, 37, Siberian Trakt, Yekaterinburg, 620100, Russia

^* Corresponding author: elena.mlob1@yandex.ru

Abstract

The article is devoted to invasions of Acer negundo L. 1753 in the forest park area of Yekaterinburg (Russia) based on population (age and vitality structure) and organismal parameters (morphometric indicators). The purpose of the work was to study the invasion of ashleaved maple in the forest park area of Yekaterinburg; the objectives of the study included the following tasks: establishing the ecological-cenotic location of the maple and studying the biological characteristics of the species during its distribution. The objects of the study were eight maple habitats in the Karasye-Ozersky forest park. In ontogenetic development, one life form is identified - a single-stem tree, two periods are defined - pregenerative and generative, and five ontogenetic states. All habitats are young, i.e. are at the initial stage of introduction, however, there are common features of invasion. Distribution begins from open edges, gradually penetrating under the forest canopy, while having high shade tolerance, seed productivity and growth rate, Acernegundo forms multitiered thickets, displacing and complicating the self-restoration of native flora in the Karasye-Ozersky Forest Park. Despite the wide range of distribution of maple in natural and anthropogenic ecosystems, there is an ecological and phytocenotic confinement to it in the forest park, and it is manifested in its distribution mainly in pine forests of mixed herbs with a tree canopy density of 0.5. The established patterns indicate a pronounced expansion of the species and its significant invasive potential.