Abstract
Within the ecotone of the upper limit of woody vegetation on the southeastern macroslope of the Khibiny Mountain ridge (Kola Peninsula), the spatial and age structure, as well as features of the phytomass accumulation of spruce–birch stands, were studied. Analysis revealed that there was a manifold increase in the density and productivity of forest stands in the last century, and the upper border of the woodlands and dense forests has moved considerably higher into the mountains. All of this happened against the background of an increase in early summer temperatures and a longer growing season in the area in the 20th century. Our data will help simulate the response of mountain ecosystems in the region to future climate change.
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The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, project no. 17-14-01112.
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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. This article does not contain any studies involving animals or human participants performed by any of the authors.
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Translated by S. Kuzmin
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Moiseev, P.A., Galimova, A.A., Bubnov, M.O. et al. Tree Stands and Their Productivity Dynamics at the Upper Growing Limit in Khibiny on the Background of Modern Climate Changes. Russ J Ecol 50, 431–444 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1067413619050084
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1067413619050084