Moss occurrences in Kuznetsk depression (Altai-Sayan mountain country)

Study Extent

Route studies have been conducted to explore forest, mire and steppe communities in different parts of the depression in 2007-2014. Rock outcrops and habitats along crooks were the objects of special attention.

Sampling

In most cases bryological investigations were in parallel with the geobotanical relevés of the plots; moss samples were collected on each type of substrate. Rock outcrops and habitats along crooks were the objects of special attention. Standard methods of moss collection have been used. Preserved samples are in NSK.

Quality Control

The data were collected and identified by reseachers from the Central Siberian Botanical Gagden of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Some moss specimens were identified by taxonomic specialists from the Faculty of Biology of Lomonosov Moscow State University, and the Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Method steps

1. The source materials are stored in two personal databases. Geobotanical and bryological materials are stored in the IBIS (Zverev, 2007). Herbarium label data can be found in the Excell table (partially available on the website). The materials were brought together in the Excell table and revised; the names and contents of the fields were aligned with Darwin Core (Wieczorek et al. 2012) and include the following: “occurrenceID”, “taxonID”, “scientificName”, “taxonRank”, “kingdom”, “phylum”, “class”, “family”, “genus”, “acceptedNameUsage”, “country”, “countryCode”, “stateProvince”, “county”, “verbatimLocality”, “habitat”, “locationRemarks”, “fieldNotes” (extended field description of habitat, in Russian), “verbatimElevation”, “decimalLatitude”, “decimalLongitude”, “coordinateUncertaintyInMeters”, “day”, “month”, “year”, “identifiedBy”, “recordedBy”, “basisOfRecord”, “collectionCode”, “catalogNumber” (number of a specimen in herbarium NSK), “datasetName”.

Kuznetsk depression is an elevated hilly plain with altitudes mostly 200-300 m. In the north, the plain has no sharp border; other verges are well-defined in relief. In the south, the plain is limited with Mountain Shoria, in the west – with Salair ridge, in the east – with Kuznetskiy Alatau. The main part of the Kuznetsk depression is within the forest-steppe zone. Zonal vegetation is a complex of small massifs of Betula-forests with steppe meadows and meadow steppes. Forests in Kuznetsk depression are presented mainly by Betula pendula communities. The herb layer of these forests depends on local humidity. Dry habitats are characterized by the dominance of Brachypodium pinnatum, Calamagrostis arundinaceae, Rubus saxatilis sometimes Carex macroura, meadow- steppe herbs such as Peucedanum morissonii, Seseli libanotis, Pulsatilla patens are common. Moist forest types have Populus tremula dominant in the tree canopy; in the herb layer Aegopodium podagraria, Aconitum septentrionale, Pteridium aquilinum, Lathyrus gmelinii, Lathyrus vernus, Geranium sylvaticum are common and abundant. A well-developed canopy of tall herbs and meadow grasses (Festuca pratensis, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Phleum pratense, Lupinaster pentaphyllus, Phlomoides tuberosa, Sanguisorba officinalis) is characteristic for the grasslands. The herbadge prevents the development of moss cover. A moss layer takes place only in petrophytic steppes like Salair ones, which occur on the most steep and sunny slopes of river valleys or separate hills. Mires here are very rare, they occur only in river valleys, these are swampy tussock-sedge forests with Betula pubescens. In some places along depression sides, small rock outcrops are revealed in river valleys. The plant cover of this region is strongly transformed by agriculture and mining activities: now it is very difficult to find fragments of native vegetation. Periodical ground fires occurring in spring or autumn due to stubble burning on adjoining farmlands are an additional disaster for mosses.