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and at the Kronotsky State
Reserve (Balmasova 1994).
Association group III. Betuleta
ermanii fruticosa
The group is characterized by the
well-developed shrub layer with
tall (the height - 1,5-2 m) sub-
alpine shrubs and elfin-woods
(the coverage - up to 80%) and by
the poor floristical composition
of communities.
Association 3. Betuletum ermanii
alnosum kamtschaticae
Diagnostic features: in the shrub
layer (coverage up to 80%) Alnus
kamtschatica (coverage 50-60%) pre-
dominates, Sorbus sambucifolia (20-
25%), Spiraea beauverdiana (5%) are
common. In the herb-grass layer
(coverage 40-60%) the following
species are constant and abun-
dant: Calamagrostis langsdorffii,
Maianthemum dilatatum, Trientalis
europaea, Solidago kurilensis, Viola
selkirkii. Moss layer is absent. The
communities occur at moderhu-
mus stratified volcanic ash soils
with the volcanoclastic subsoil,
they are common at the mountain
slopes and terraces in the transi-
tional zone from stone-birch
forests to alder thickets. This asso-
ciation was firstly described at the
Eastern Kamchatka at the altitude
500-700 m above the sea level at
the upper boundary of stone-birch
forests (Balmasova 1994).
Association 4. Betuletum ermanii
sorbosum sambucifoliae
Diagnostic features: in the shrub
layer (coverage 50-70%) Sorbus
sambucifolia (coverage 30%) pre-
dominates, Pinus pumila (up to
20%) is abundant. Alder shrubs
are absent. Solitary shrubs of
Lonicera kamtschatica and Spiraea
beauverdiana are found. At the
herb-grass layer (coverage 70%)
Gymnocarpium dryopteris predomi-
nates, the following species are
abundant and constant: Cala-
magrostis langsdorffii, Cirsium
kamtschaticum, Chamerion angustifoli-
um. Moss layer is absent. The
communities of this association
occur at the basin of Ozernaya
River, at the Kurile Lake hollow, at
the slopes of Dikiy Greben range.
The similiar plant communities
were described at the Eastern
Kamchatka at the altitude up to
200 m a.s.l. at the river valleys
(Balmasova 1994), but the eastern
variant of this association differs
by the significant share of ferns
(coverage 5-10%): Phegopteris con-
nectilis, Dryopteris austriaca, Athyrium
filix-femina.
Discussion
The phytocoenotical diversity of
stone-birch forests of Southern
Kamchatka is considerably
decreased being compared with
that of Eastern Kamchatka dis-
tricts where 18 associations and 6
association groups have been
estimated (Balmasova 1994). At
the investigated area we did not
find fern-rich, grass-rich (with
Calamagrostis langsdorffii) and
dwarf-shrub-rich association
groups that have been described
at the territory of the Kronotsky
state Reserve. At the regions of
Southern Kamchatka stone-birch
forests occur mainly on the allu-
vial soils at river valleys. At the
territory of the South Kamchatka
Reserve stone-birch forests are
common at the basin of Ozernaya
River and the environs of Kurile
Lake. At the Pacific shore of
Southern Kamchatka stone-birch
forests can be found as well on
the maritime terraces at the alti-
tute 5-10 m above the sea level.
At the Sea of Okhotsk shore
stone-birch forests are absent.
This is connected, probably, with
the cooling influence of cold and
wet aerial masses of Sea of
Okhotsk, with a high amount of
precipitation and frequent fogs.
The altidudional limits of stone-
birch forests at the Southern
Kamtchatka are from 5-10 m a.s.l.
(at the river mouths of lljinskaya,
Gavriushkina, Try Sestry rivers) up
to 350-400 m a.s.I. (the Kurile
Lake environs). The single birch-
trees can be found in the moun-
tains up to 430-450 m a.s.l. The
southern boundary of the stone-
birch occurrence lies along the
right bank of Try Sestry river.
References
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HULTEN E. 1974. The plant cover of
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BALMASOVA, M.A. 1994. Stone-birch
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PAVLOV, N.V. 1936. The stone-birch
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PAVLOV, N.V. & CHIZHIKOV, P.N. 1937.
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