Abstract
A relatively high biological activity of soils has been revealed at the upper timberline in the Polar Urals. The role of the altitudinal gradient as a factor of destruction process has distinctly manifested itself upon comparing decomposition rates of flowering plant foliage and herbaceous plant roots in the forest and in the tundra. The qualitative composition of decomposing plant matter has also proved to play a significant role. The soil moisture regime of the ecotope is the leading factor of the destruction process.
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Andreyashkina, N.I. Plant matter decomposition in the upper timberline ecotone of the Polar Urals. Russ J Ecol 39, 490–494 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1067413608070059
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1067413608070059