ISSN: 0024-1148 Russian Journal of Forest Science. 2015, No. 6, pp. 430-435

Received 11 December 2014

Larch and pine stands in boreal forests of Lower Angara Region were studied to test the effect of experimental creeping fi res of various intensity from 1800 to 4190 kW m^-1 on the live ground cover at the first stage of pyrogenic succession within 1 to 3 years from the fi re. In spite of the fi re intensity the dominant species (Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Carex macroura, Rubus saxatilis, Linnaea borealis, Iris ruthenica, Calamagrostis epigeios) of the herbs and dwarf shrubs story were found at the early stage of post-fi re succession in larch and pine stands of herbs and green mosses type. Species biodiversity decreased in herbs and dwarf shrubs story within a year after the creeping fire, proportional to the fire intensity, by virtue of the losses of nondominant species which have had the projective cover below 1%. Species diversity (Shannon index) at the initial stage of post-fire succession was higher after the low and high intensity fi res, than after the moderate fi re. The fi re intensity have had significant effect on cover of herbs, shrubs and mosses. However it was growing with time after fire. The driving factor of the mosaics formation is the inhomogeneity of burning of the living ground cover for the fires of low and moderate intensity. Creeping fi res of high intensity lead to the total transformation of the lateral structure of the ground cover. Decrease in stand canopy density under the fi res of high intensity lead to the growth of projective cover and occurrence of the initial specie (Epilobium angustifolium). At the first stage of pyrogenic succession on the dead mosses cover site the micro groupings of initial species Epilobium angustifolium, Calamagrostis epigeios, Marchantia polymorpha formed.

• Keywords: fire, intensity, larch stand, ground cover.

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