Lapshina, E.D., M.G. Noskova & Yu.V. Skuchas. Sphagnum mosses in vegetation cover of highlands in the
Sub-Polar Ural, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous District
Arctoa (2016) 25: 177–182
doi: 10.15298/arctoa.25.16
Species
diversity of Sphagnum was studied in the mountain highlands (areas above
a timber-line) in the Sub-Polar Urals within the Khanty-Mansiysk
Autonomous District (64°27’ – 64°35’ N; 59°35’ – 59°46’ E). This work was
conducted in 2013 and 2015 and revealed 19 species. Their distribution along
the altitudinal profile from 300 m alt. in the upper forest belt to 1200 m in
mountain tundra belt has been studied. Only one species, S. compactum, was found to occur mostly in the mountain
tundra belt, although with a low abundance. The most common and widespread
species above timber-line were found to be S. girgensohnii
and S. russowii, which grow in a wide
range of habitats. Several primarily bog species, including S. fuscum, S. balticum, S. capillifolium,
S. lindbergii, S. teres, and
S. contortum are confined in the highlands of the
Sub-Polar Urals to the dwarf shrub-sedge-Sphagnum mires, concentrating
there in less than 1% of total in surveyed area. A number of species of Sphagnum
occur in a wider variety of the vegetation types, while three species, S.
fallax, S. flexuosum
and S. jensenii grow up to the tree-line,
but never exceed it in th study area. The altitudinal
distribution and frequency of Sphagnum species in the Sub-Polar Urals
and other mountains of the Northern Eurasia are compared.