Morphology of <i>Caragana arborescens</i> Lam., introduced in the Volgograd Oblast and the status of its cover herbaceous plant communities

Abstract

The study of the shrub status in the South-East of the European Russia is relevant due to the need to maintain the necessary material for protective afforestation. The study of their cover plant communities provides valuable information about the ecological aspects of the introduction and successful adaptation of shrubs in a place of mass planting. The aim of the study was to assess the condition of Caragana arborescens, imported from Eastern Siberia and planted in the arid territories of the Volgograd Oblast, as well as the ecological characteristics of its cover herbaceous plant communities. In the study area we selected two groups of plants, those growing on ordinary soil and on soil with a high content of salts, zinc, and a low content of manganese. In the latter case, C. arborescens had a relatively smaller size, a rarer crown, a reduced ability to generate shoots and resistance to diseases and pests. C. arborescens are sensitive to the anthropogenic stress, but within the analyzed territory this is not accompanied by progressive succession of the ecosystem. Under the crown of C. arborescens at various sites and sites, we found in various phenophases from 8–10 to 24 species of higher sapiens with a predominance of one- and two-year-old forms. Nine species have consistently claimed the role of dominant and subdominant of plant communities, most often representatives of the Asteraceae and Mareaceae families. The discovered communities showed clear signs of anthropogenic impact, but without the development of progressive ecosystem succession.