Approaches to the generalized large-scale vegetation mapping of the Kenozersky National Park

Abstract

The territory of the Kenozersky National Park (Arkhangelsk region) is complex area due to diverse geologic and geomorphologic conditions and long history of agricultural practices. Heterogenic vegetation cover is typical for the whole territory. Five maps of key plots in a scale of 1 : 10 000 were made and the typological units (associations, subassociations and their variants) were shown. To show the vegetation cover on a generalized map in a scale of 1 : 200 000 the types of combinations of plant communities were used. These combinations are characteristic for the particular landscape patterns. Differentiating, characteristic and associated syntaxa of the combination types were revealed. The legend to the vegetation map (scale of 1 : 200 000) got two hierarchical levels. The highest hierarchical unites are represented by 7 types of combinations of vegetation; large mire systems are unified into two types according to prevailing combinations of mire vegetation. Types of vegetation combinations are divided into plakor and alluvial variants; they have three variants of transformation degree distinguished by a present state of plant cover and the land use history. Thus, each type of combinations got up to 6 variants that are the basic mapping units. The obtained territorial units of vegetation cover are largely the same as mapping units of the landscape map of the Kenozersky National Park. But they represent the original botanic-geographic data and their contours borders are different.