Natural vegetation complexes of the Northern Dvina river floodplain

Abstract

The author examines patterns of natural vegetation present on the floodplain of the Northern Dvina River, and how these reflect differences in soil composition and texture, terrain, and frequency of flooding. A wide variety of associations exist, ranging from spruce forest, brushy alder and willow growths, to floristically diverse meadow associations. The widespread nature of waterlogging, a generally low level of afforestation (predominance of meadow associations), and the dominance of brushy vegetation within arboreal communities are basic typical features of the vegetation of the floodplain of the lower Northern Dvina. Considerable attention is devoted to comparisons between extant natural vegetation communities and derivative vegetation associations produced by human agricultural transformations of the floodplain landscape.