Demutation of forests on fallow lands of Ukraine: The context of econiche replacement in successions
Demutation of forests on fallow lands of Ukraine: The context of econiche replacement in successions

Summary/Abstract: Natural afforestation of former agricultural lands is an actual modern problem of forestry, ecology and phytocoenology in Ukraine. The European Commission adopted the European Green Deal with the general aim of making the European continent climate-neutral by 2050. Its main goals, among others, are the return of nature to agricultural lands and the restoration of forests. Manifestations of sylvatization have become widespread in Ukraine as a process of renaturalization of forest ecosystems on fallow lands, which in the past arose on the deforested sites. An analysis of scientific works that highlight the problem was conducted. The aim of the study was a systematic assessment of the process of replacing ecological niche with plant species in the process of demutation of self-seeded forests on fallow lands, as well as an assessment of the state, floristic composition and dynamics of the formation of self-seeded forest communities on fallow lands in the three natural and geographical regions of Ukraine (Ukrainian Polissya, ForestSteppe and Steppe). During the field work, the main geobotanical research methods were applied: vegetation plot records, route reconnaissance, spatial-temporal dynamical ecological-phytocenotic series. During the cameral stage of research, data systematization and their analysis were performed. The results of the study of sylvatization show significant variability in its causes and manifestations. Afforestation of former agricultural lands occurs depending on the type of land, the intensity of their previous cultivation, the richness and humidity of the soil, the type of forest phytocenoses and the proximity of fallows to the forest. The species composition of trees of self-afforested areas on fallow lands is determined by the species composition of forest stands of nearby forests and forest belts, their biological properties, and ecological conditions for seed germination. The herbage is characterized by a variety of species of different phytocenotic types with a predominance of synanthropic and meadow cenogroups; self-seeded forest communities are characterized by an unformed forest environment. Self-seeded forest areas on fallow lands are currently in an unstable sanitary state due to the lack of appropriate forestry measures. Modern self-afforested areas should be considered in future as formed forest communities with the adaptation of tree species to existing ecological conditions and with the gradual organization of vegetation and floristic complexes. Therefore, it will be necessary to organize research to identify their current ecological state, floristic and syntaxonomic diversity, to establish the patterns of forest environment formation and to develop scientific foundations for optimizing ecologically balanced forest use.

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