Carpathian plant flowers of the Carpathians. Medicinal plants of the Carpathians. Carpathian healing herbs

Climate change on the slopes of the Ukrainian Carpathians causes such changes natural vegetation at different heights.

The vegetation composition of the Carpathians is very rich and varied.

What is the reason for such richness and diversity flora Carpathians?

More than 70 species of trees and 110 species of shrubs grow in the Carpathians. Among them there are many relic species (European cedar pine, Polish larch, yew berry). In particular, larch is conifer tree, but for the winter she sheds soft needles. Larch and cedar pine are relics of the ice age (like many plants of the alpine meadow belt - deer moss, dryad, rosea rhodiola, or “golden root”, etc.), and thousand is a relic of pre-glacial time.

rich too animal world Carpathians. The reason for this wealth is a wide variety of natural conditions.

On the map of the atlas, identify the characteristic species of animals.

Natural physical and geographical phenomena often occur in the Carpathians - endogenous (earthquakes) and exogenous, usually caused by human activities, in particular deforestation (mudflows, avalanches, landslides, catastrophic floods, etc.). As a result of deforestation, overgrazing on mountain pastures, the flora and fauna of the Ukrainian Carpathians is now significantly impoverished.

The main features of the nature of the Ukrainian Carpathians is the predominance of mid-height shock-like strands, composed of soft sedimentary sandy-clayey rocks, crumpled into folds and broken faults; humid climate with relatively warm winters and cool summers, fleeting rivers with predominantly rain water supply and flood flow, brown mountain-forest soils on mountain slopes under beech and spruce forests.

Questions and tasks

Describe geographical position Ukrainian Carpathians. 2. What large tectonic structure does the Carpathians belong to? What are their constituent parts? Do the landforms correspond to each of the three structures? 3. Mostly of which rocks are the Volcanic, Poloninsky strands, Rakhovsky massif?

Name and explain the regularities in the location of minerals within parts of the Carpathian fold system. 5. How and why does the climate of the Carpathian and Transcarpathian regions, the southwestern and northeastern slopes of the Carpathians differ? 6 What do you know about the feeding and runoff of the Carpathian rivers, the origin of the lake basins? 7. How do the soils of the Carpathians change with height? 8. What is the reason for the richness and diversity of the flora and fauna of the Carpathians? Briefly describe their features (see Table 5 of the flyleaf). 9 List the unfavorable physical and geographical phenomena and ecological problems Ukrainian Carpathians. Should measures be taken to prevent or combat these problems?

Medicinal, useful and simply delicious plants that can be found during hikes in the Crimea and the Carpathians. Habitat, properties, methods of use.

Oregano useful properties

Oregano - fragrant perennial plant, very reminiscent of the smell of thyme. Rhizome creeping type, branched. The stems are erect, opposite, slightly pubescent in the upper part, reaching a height of up to 60 cm. The leaves are slightly downy, opposite, darker above than on the underside. The flowers are purple, reddish-purple, fragrant, very small and numerous, collected at the ends in a paniculate inflorescence. The fruit is in the calyx and consists of 4 brown nuts about 1 mm in size. blooms oregano in July-August, the fruits ripen by early September.

Oregano is widespread in Ukraine and Russia, loves dry soils, forest edges, clearings, roadsides, yayla.

Yarrow, useful properties

- a medicinal herbaceous plant from the Compositae family. The stems are straight, ribbed, reaching a height of 20-60 cm. The rhizome is creeping. The leaves are cut, on one petiole it is located incredibly a large number of, hence the name - yarrow. It blooms in June and blooms until September with white collected inflorescences. Grows on roadsides and fields, in meadows, not whimsical to climate and soil.

St. John's wort herb

has long been considered one of the most important medicinal herbs is said to cure 99 diseases! It is included in many different collections and is widely used in medicine. This is a perennial herbaceous plant with many bright yellow flowers collected in paniculate inflorescences. It blooms in June-August and it is these months that are ideal for its collection and harvesting. Flowering tops of stems 20-30 cm long are valuable. You need to dry in the shade and store the dried plant for no longer than three years.

Lingonberries - useful properties, recipes

- perennial evergreen creeping shrub, reaches 10-30 cm in height. The stem is erect with many small dark green glossy leaves. Cowberries bloom in May-June with small pale pink flowers. The fruit is a berry, bright red in color and xylo-sweet in taste, ripening in late August-September. It is found in the European part of Russia, Ukraine, the mountains of the Caucasus, Crimea and the Carpathians. Grows best in coniferous and mixed forests, along with blueberries in swamps, sometimes on mountain slopes and yayla.

74 species of animals live in the Carpathians - three quarters of all mammals in Ukraine. Here is the largest habitat of the red deer and European roe deer, as well as unique animals live - Carpathian newt, capercaillie, woodpecker, squirrel; endangered lynx and wild cat, ermine, mink, brown bear are found. Prostozoo will talk about animals that can be found in the Ukrainian mountains.

Source: rakhiv-rr.gov.ua

forest dormouse

Few in the Carpathians forest dormouse, but they are quite common in other parts of the world. Belongs to rodents of the genus Dormouse. The forest dormouse has a very similar sister - the garden dormouse, only the latter is on the verge of extinction. very tiny - the length of her body ranges from ten centimeters, weight - up to 40 grams. She has tenacious fingers, which allows her to easily climb trees. Is different black stripe, which stretches through the eyes from the nose to the ears. And the dormouse has a fluffy tail almost the length of its body and a long movable mustache. If the animal is in danger, the hair on the tail rises, and the skin of the tail turns red.

Source: plamkamazurka.blox.pl

Sonya leads night image life. Lives in deciduous forests, bushes and gardens. Often settles near people, building nests in hollows or on tree branches, master's premises.

This cute animal is very easy to tame, well fed with milk from a pipette. At an older age, he loves to eat insects very much, he can eat 10-20 pieces per day. Often drinks water, loves fruits and berries. Hibernates at the end of September. Dormouse is hunted by cats and martens.

Included in the Red Book of the Carpathians.

Source: www.biolib.cz

European beaver

The beaver population in the Carpathians numbers at least 400 individuals. The rodent settles mainly along the main rivers and their tributaries. Beavers equip their dwelling in two ways - they dig holes on high river banks, and in reservoirs with low swampy banks they build houses from branches at some distance from the coast. The entrance to the house or burrow is always located below the water level. It is interesting that rowing rodents are constructed in order to prevent the attack of enemies by raising the water.

Source: www.flickr.com

Beavers feed on the bark of soft trees, herbaceous vegetation. With their sharp incisors, they can cut trees up to one meter in diameter. Previously, hunting for this animal was prohibited, today 20-40 individuals are officially killed per year. But poachers love to hunt beaver. Animal fur and beaver musk, a secret secreted by special glands, which is used in cosmetics, are highly valued. Despite this, the number of beavers is growing. In the Carpathians, the animal disappeared in the 18th century and reappeared only at the beginning of the 21st century and continues to spread very quickly.

Source: http://katyaburg.ru

forest cat

There are only a few hundred left, most of them live in the Transcarpathian region 260-450 individuals. They are listed in the Red Book of the Carpathians as a vulnerable species. In the mountains, the mustachioed rises to the upper border of the forest by about 1850 meters. It is not easy to see this cat, because he leads a nocturnal way of life. Outwardly, a forest cat is similar to a domestic cat, but larger in size - its body length is up to 90 centimeters. The tail of the fur seal is relatively short and blunt at the end. The eyes are gray or blue.

Source: www.zoochat.com

It feeds mainly on rodents and hares, less often on birds, eggs, reptiles and large insects, sometimes carrion. Often arranges its nests on floating islands, in tree hollows, rock crevices, in fox and badger burrows, less often in the attics of forest houses and in reed thickets. A heat-loving animal, loves places well warmed by the sun with thick tall grass.

The most serious threat to the survival of the animal population today is posed by domestic cats, mainly due to spreading diseases, as well as intensive deforestation and the use of hunting traps.

Source: www.zoochat.com

Wolf

Despite being considered a bloodthirsty animal, it plays a very important role in regulating ecological bonds. The wolf is a wonderful hunter. With the help of very strong jaws and strong large fangs, the wolf can kill even such large animals as an elk or a horse. Strong legs give him the opportunity to run many kilometers a day. At the same time, he can go without food for a long time without weakening. In winter, in the forest zone, the wolf is closely associated with humans: since it is difficult for him to move through deep snow, he actively uses roads and human paths, ski tracks.

Source: www.maptour.com.ua

Source: transkarpatia.net

Brown bear

This animal is now very rare. In Ukraine, it can be found only in the Carpathians, where the population brown bear has 110-130 individuals. Depending on the season, the bear roams vertically - in early spring after hibernation, the hungry bear descends into the river valleys, and as the snows melt, the bear rises higher and higher into the mountains. In autumn, the bears are very fond of eating nuts, so they settle in beech forests and hazelnut thickets.

In the Carpathians, some individuals hibernate only in very coldy. The bear does not fall into anabiosis, his sleep is quite sensitive and disturbing, so the clubfoot, awakened by someone, climbs out of the den and staggers in search of food, as he quickly loses weight. An animal that wakes up at the wrong time is dangerous.

M. A. Golubets, L. I. Milkina

The Ukrainian Carpathians belong to the Central European broad-leaved-forest province with a predominance of beech, less often oak, and in the mountains − coniferous forests, subalpine and alpine vegetation. More than 2 thousand species of flowering and higher spore plants grow here, which is more than half of the list of Ukrainian flora. This number includes 26 common Carpathian and 74 East Carpathian endemics, 80 Alpine and 60 Arctoalpine species. Most of them are rare species and only a few are dominants of fairly widespread phytocenoses.

Common Carpathian endemics include Tupolis willow, Carpathian wintergreen, Carpathian euphorbia, Opitz's heart, Carpathian stonecrop, Moldavian wrestler, Herbikha's mariannik, Alpine totsia, Carpathian bellflower, Waldstein's cornflower, Carpathian ragwort, etc. , Poloninian primrose, Alpine spleen, Carpathian hogweed, rocky mariannik, Wagner's phytheum, Shura yarrow, Waldstein's bodyak, Portius's fescue, Dale's bluegrass. Eastern Carpathian endemics include wrestlers Zhakena, panicled and Gosta, Filyarsky lungwort, gentian separate, soft cornflower. Alpine species not found on the plains are evergreen sedge, ascending saxifrage and bryophyte, small primrose, Baumgarten's Veronica, two-row Oreochloa, alpine small-petal, Tatra buttercup, etc .; arcto-alpine species - grass and spear-shaped willow, eight-petal dryad, creeping luazeleuria, chestnut and three-scaled rushes, viviparous mountaineer, Eder's mytnik, alpine bartsia, etc.

In the flora of the Ukrainian Carpathians there are many relict species that are important for studying the history of the flora and vegetation of this region. These are berry yew, centipede leaf, reviving moonwort, large horsetail, etc. The relics of the Ice Age include viviparous mountaineer, panicled saxifrage, rosea saxifrage, Eder's mytnik, alpine and fluffy speedwells, alpine butterflies, northern linnaea, alpine aster, spring gentian, lloydia late, chestnut and three-scaled rushes, etc.

There are many decorative types , which can be used in landscaping practice: ferns - scolopendra leaflet, common ostrich, spiky derbyanka, as well as flowering plants - alpine prince (for vertical gardening), European bathing suit, white backache, daffodil anemone, alpine darling, alpine aster, Heifel saffron , curly lily, Siberian onion, carved gentian (for flower beds).

The flora of the Ukrainian Carpathians is very rich medicinal plants, many of which are used in official medicine. These are belladonna belladonna, carniolian scopolia, autumn late bloom, common ram, yellow gentian, mountain arnica, snow-white snowdrop, etc.

Based on the floristic specifics of individual regions, due both to the historical process of the formation of plant complexes, and to the physiographic and environmental factors of their modern spatial distribution, the territory of the Ukrainian Carpathians is divided into a number of floristic regions. In the book “Key to Plants of the Ukrainian Carpathians” there are ten such regions: Ciscarpathia, Eastern Beskids and low meadows, Gorgany, Svidovets, Chernogora, Chivchino-Grynyavsky mountains, Marmarosh Alps, Volcanic Carpathians, Transcarpathian foothills (a subprovince of the East Carpathian flora) and the Transcarpathian plain (subprovince Pannonian flora). For each of them, the special literature describes the structure of the vegetation cover, its ecological conditionality, the composition of dominant species, characteristic endemic and relict species, their locations and natural boundaries of distribution. Floristic zoning, on the one hand, was the result of an analysis of the species composition and territorial distribution of plants, on the other hand, it is used in the chorological characterization of individual species or larger taxonomic divisions.

The modern vegetation cover of the Ukrainian Carpathians is formed by a wide range of primary, long-term and short-term derived cenoses. The main areas are occupied by forests. The main forest-forming species are common spruce, white fir, common beech and common oak, or pedunculate, whose cenoses occupy most of the forest area. The secondary forest-forming species are sessile oak, Scotch pine, European cedar pine (European cedar), drooping birch, gray alder, black alder, or sticky, and common hornbeam, which form cenoses that occupy a smaller part of the forest area. As part of forest communities, valuable accompanying tree species are often found - high ash (common), sycamore maple, Norway maple, mountain elm, aspen, mountain ash and goat willow.

Widely represented bush groupings: in the forest belt - mainly willows from willows and brittle willows; in the naturally treeless highlands - mountain pine forests, green alder forests, juniper forests. Endemic rhododendrons are also common here, and in small areas there are rare in the Carpathians relict groups of elfin willows and evergreen shrubs - black crowberry and creeping luazeleuria.

Meadow phytocenoses are in second place in terms of area. Below 1500 m.a.s.l. these are secondary mesophytic groups, represented mainly by postforest red fescue, white-bearded and white-tailed fescue forests, rarely by phytocenoses with a predominance of the common shaker, common comb jelly and various clovers. They are mostly associated with bedrock slopes. Meadow vegetation on river terraces is somewhat more diverse, where, together with the listed species, meadow fescue, high ryegrass, meadow foxtail, cocksfoot, etc. often dominate. areas.

In naturally treeless highlands, meadow phytocenoses are more diverse and are represented by psychrophilic, mesophilic, and hygrophilic variants. In the subalpine zone, these are reed forests, pike forests, damp and wet sedge meadows of black, blistered, and nosy sedges; Wastelands formed by dwarf shrubs from the lingonberry family are widespread. Their coenotic feature is a continuous moss-lichen layer, which, when dying, gives a layer of dry peat. Desert-meadows include phytocenoses with a predominance of herbaceous psychrophytes.

Swamp groups with the dominance of sphagnum mosses (peaty layer more than 30 cm thick) are the rarest and usually found on terraces and in ancient glacial geocomplexes.

As the results of the study showed, one of the decisive factors in the modern territorial distribution of vegetation cover was economic activity person. Under its influence, the forest cover of the foothill and low-mountain regions decreased, the upper boundary of the forest significantly decreased, and the species composition, spatial structure and productivity of forest and meadow communities. If in the primary forest cover beech forests occupied 680 thousand hectares, and fir forests - about 120 thousand hectares, then by now their area has decreased by 40 and 30%, respectively. The area of ​​spruce forests has increased from 393 to 691 thousand hectares. There were 126 thousand hectares of pure spruce forests in the root cover, now they occupy 325 thousand hectares, i.e. their area has increased by more than 2.5 times. In general, the Ukrainian Carpathians are characterized by a decrease (by 26%) in the area of ​​beech forests with an admixture of spruce. In Transcarpathia, on the contrary, the area of ​​spruce and beech stands has more than doubled (from 54 to 125 thousand hectares). In the past, in order to replace beech forests with spruce forests, tens of thousands of hectares of spruce crops were created here in beech cutting areas.

In general, based on a comparison of maps of the modern and restored forest cover of the Carpathians, one can state, as it were, the spreading of the spruce forest belt along the northeastern and southwestern macroslopes and towards the Beskydy, a sharp difference between the natural and anthropogenic boundaries of the beech, spruce and subalpine vegetation belts. The most tangible changes in the vegetation cover occurred in the densely populated areas of the Carpathians. This, in particular, applies to the Vodorazdelnaya-Verkhovyna geomorphological region, where, as a result of the significant development of animal husbandry and agriculture, not only the composition of forests has been radically changed, but the forest cover has also been sharply reduced. A distinctive feature of the degradation of natural mixed groups of fir, spruce and beech here is a large number of spruce monocultures, as well as the replacement of the latter under the influence of grazing by gray-panic. For example, 40% of Carpathian derived small-leaved (mainly gray alder) forests grow on the territory of the Stryiska-Sanskaya upper region and the Upper Dniester Beskids. The area of ​​beech forests here has decreased by 3.5 times, while spruce forests have increased by almost 6 times. There were practically no pure spruce forests in this territory, they were only small areas met on the tops of the mountains Magura, Zelemin, Chirek, etc. Now, in the modern vegetation cover, there are tens of thousands of hectares.

Other area significant changes in the vegetation cover is Ciscarpathia (especially within the Ivano-Frankivsk region). On the territory of Delyatinsky and Kolomysky timber processing plants spruce forests break the beech belt and come into direct contact with the belt of oak forests. In general, over the past 200 years, the area of ​​beech forests here has decreased by more than 3 times, and fir - by 2 times. The composition of the forests of the Chernivtsi region has changed relatively little, since fellings for the main use were carried out in them on a smaller scale and the cultivation of spruce did not acquire a large scale.

Despite significant anthropogenic changes in the structure of the vegetation cover of the Ukrainian Carpathians, a detailed analysis of the features of altitudinal differentiation of climate and soils, species specificity of modern plant groups, as well as the territorial distribution and structure of indigenous plant communities allows us to establish some common botanical-geographical and phytocenotic features of the vegetation of this mountainous country. . Such a common feature vegetation cover of the Carpathians is its altitudinal zonality, noted already in the works of botanists of the second half of the XIX century ..

Subsequently, the altitudinal zonality of the vegetation cover of the Ukrainian Carpathians was studied by a number of researchers.

Based on the generalization of literature data and detailed analysis M. A. Golubets and K. A. Malinovsky identified five zones of vegetation in the Ukrainian Carpathians on maps of modern and native vegetation cover: the belt of foothill oak forests (expressed only in Transcarpathia); belt of beech forests with three altitudinal strips - pure beech forests, fir-beech forests and fir-spruce-beech forests; belt of spruce forests; subalpine belt and alpine belt. The altitude levels of these belts are presented in Table. 1.

Table 1. Generalized heights of the boundaries of vegetation belts in the Ukrainian Carpathians, m.a.s.l.

* According to G. Zapalovich.

However, vegetation zonality schemes are unable to reflect the real distribution of communities of certain formations and subformations. The mesostructure of the vegetation cover of the Ukrainian Carpathians is very complex and in this respect is similar to the mesostructure of the neighboring mountainous regions, in which, for example, the beech forest belt includes a wide variety of forest types - beech, spruce-beech, spruce-fir, spruce-fir-beech, fir-beech, as well as lithogenic pure spruce, in the altitudinal distribution of which there is no regularity, not only in individual mountain groups, but even on individual ridges. The latter is associated with the geological structure of the regions and the passage of certain petrographic differences in parent rocks. This can be especially clearly demonstrated by the example of the Prut basin. The bands of lithogenic coniferous forests here introduce a noticeable perturbing effect into the climatically determined altitudinal distribution of vegetation. In this basin, they are very wide and occupy the same topographic positions as other forest formations.

When analyzing the edaphic confinement of cenoses of certain formations and subformations, which determines the structure of the root cover in the temperate and cool climatic zones of the Prut basin, it is found that the habitats of pine forests and lithogenic spruce forests are easily diagnosed by soil morphological features, while the difference between the habitats of primary fir and beech forests is most clearly It is revealed at the level of subtypes and genera of soils, i.e., the highest taxonomic units identified according to the signs of the chemistry of soil sections. The chemistry of soils reveals the closest connection with the chemistry of soil-forming geological substrates, which affects the features of not only the horizontal, but also the vertical distribution of vegetation.

The forest cover of the Prut basin as a whole is characterized by a banded inversion mesostructure due to the geological structure of the area. In cool and temperate climatic zones, primary beech, fir and spruce forests act as edaphically replacing each other. In accordance with the repeated passage and general Carpathian spread of geological substrates of certain types, these forests do not form monolithic massifs, but are interspersed with stripes directed from the northwest to the southeast. Starting from the Prut valley from a height of 500–600 (900) m, they gradually rise towards the watersheds until beech and fir groups are replaced by climatically determined mixed with beech and fir, and then monodominant spruce forests.

When rising above sea level, the correct replacement of beech forests by spruce forests through topographically intermediate stages of mixed spruce forests in the Prut basin, as well as in the rest of the northeastern macroslope of the Ukrainian Carpathians, takes place only in those few cases where mountain tops, ridge crests and their slopes are folded. identical highly calcareous strata. Such a picture can be observed on the northeastern slope of the ridge with Mount Kukul, as well as in a wide band of Shipot deposits. On the rest of the basin area, in the vertical distribution of vegetation, a wide variety of lithologically determined combinations of beech, spruce, and fir groups can be found.

Taking into account the fact that the features of the mesostructure of the native vegetation cover, noted in the Prut basin, are inherent in a significant part of the Ukrainian Carpathians, and taking into account the statement of M.A. mountains, in relation to the Ukrainian Carpathians, and above all to their northeastern macroslope, it would be more accurate to speak not of belts, but of high-altitude complexes or levels of vegetation cover. Thus, five altitudinal belts (complexes) of vegetation are distinguished in this territory: foothill oak, beech and fir forests; mountain beech, fir and lithogenic spruce forests; spruce forests; subalpine; Alpine.

To the belt of foothill oak, beech and fir forests include Ciscarpathia (up to 450 m.a.s.l.), Transcarpathian foothills and the southern slopes of the Vygorlat-Guty (Volcanic) Range (up to 450−500 m.a.s.l.).

Coenotically, the oak forests of Ciscarpathia and Transcarpathia are different: in the former, fir is an almost constant component, and, secondly, it is absent. The main cenose-forming species of oak forests in Ciscarpathia is the pedunculate oak, the components are white fir, European beech, hornbeam, aspen, drooping birch, sycamore, and Norway maple. Of the shrub species, hazel, brittle buckthorn, viburnum, black elderberry, warty euonymus, svidina, goat willow, and wolf's bast are characteristic. The herbaceous cover is rich, it is dominated by hairy and shaggy sedge, fragrant woodruff, glutinous sage, common goutweed, etc. m.a.s.l.), as well as derived horn forests, spruce forests, pine forests, oak forests, sometimes with the dominance of red oak and sessile oak.

The main cenose-forming oak forests in the Transcarpathian lowland is the pedunculate oak, and on the Volcanic Ridge - the sessile oak. In the tree layer, in addition to them, beech, hornbeam, ash, mountain elm, bereka grow; in the tier of shrubs - hazel, viburnum, black elderberry, European euonymus, pigtail, goat willow, wolf's bast; in drier places - Tatar maple, single-petal hawthorn, blackthorn, common dogwood. In the grass cover - fragrant woodruff, hairy sedge, shaking-like and forest, tuberous toothbrush, sticky sage, European hoof, perennial blueberry, male shield, obscure lungwort, forest chistets, yellow greenfinch, single-flowered and drooping pearl barley, common bracken, small periwinkle, rank spring, etc.

In combination with oak forests, oak bushes are common (on the wetter soils of the Volcanic Range), as well as derivative forest types - hornbeam forests, oak forests from pedunculate oak instead of sessile oak, and aspen forests. At an altitude of 400–500 m.a.s.l. beech becomes a strong competitor to sessile oak and, on deep moist soils, displaces it from stands. Only on rocky and lightened steep slopes does the oak rise to 900–1000 m, forming clean, sparse, low-productive (IV–V grade) stands.

Belt of mountain beech, fir and lithogenic spruce forests occupies a significant part of the northeastern and southwestern macroslopes of the Carpathians within the temperate and cool climatic zones at an altitude of 450−1100 (1450) m.a.s.l. Lithogenic spruce forests decrease to 500–600 m.a.s.l. (basin of the Biskiv stream - the right tributary of the Putila river, the basin of the Kamyanka stream - the right tributary of the Opor river, etc.). In the bands of lithogenic spruce forests up to 800 m.a.s.l. European Cedar Pine is declining. On the southern slopes, lithogenic spruce forests confined to mountain-forest peaty-podzolic soils are replaced by fragments of pine forests from Scots pine.

Within the belt, there are strips of pure beech and fir-beech forests that fall on the front ranges of the Ukrainian Carpathians, a strip of spruce-fir-beech and fir-spruce-beech forests confined to deep ridges, and a strip of spruce-beech forests confined to the north eastern slope of the Dividing Range. Indigenous fir forests form numerous bands within the belt, confined to soft, slightly calcareous flysch, as well as to denser deposits of the Shipot Formation. Indigenous beech forests also pass through several lanes. The widest of them are confined to the deposits of the Stryi, Gnilets, and Krosnen formations. On the southwestern macroslope, a strip of beech and beech-fir forests is distinguished, rising to 1400–1450 m.a.s.l. Lithogenic spruce forests are rare here: they are noted only in the basin of the Stanislav stream, a tributary of the Chernaya Tisza, under the Rovna valley and on the southern slopes of the Krasnaya valley.

Optimal for the growth of beech is a strip of pure beech forests, where it forms multi-tiered stands with a single participation of sycamore, maple, common ash, mountain elm. In the tier of shrubs, there are single specimens of wolf's bast, red elderberry, hazel, fluffy honeysuckle; in the grass cover, there are almost exclusively eutrophic species: fragrant woodruff, perennial blueberry, hairy sedge, bear's onion, yellow greenfinch, raven's eye, etc. On the crests of ridges, beech grows according to reduced (II−III) quality standards. Here, in the mesotrophic and even oligotrophic edaphotopes, the cover is dominated by hogweed, bilberry, and the two-leaved mullet and common bracken are abundantly represented. At the upper limit of distribution, beech forests take the form of crooked forests up to 3–5 m high, here sycamore is quite noticeably (up to 50%) part of the cenoses. The cover of such communities is dominated by bilberry, hogweed and forest.

The fir forests of the beech belt are distinguished by the highest productivity among the Carpathian forest cenoses: the stock of stem wood here reaches 1100–1200 m 3 /ha. In the grass cover of eutrophic fir, species of beech forests are common; in the mesotrophic ones, blueberries, double-leaved mullet, whorled kupena appear, and in oligotrophic ones, Austrian shieldwort, blueberries and green mosses predominate - broom-like dicranum, Schreber's pleurocium, brilliant hylocomium. Of the shrubs, black honeysuckle, red elderberry, meadowsweet are singly represented; in eutrophic fir forests - also deviated gooseberry, wolf's bast.

Spruce forest belt mainly associated with cold climate zone. Within its limits, subbelts are distinguished: 1) mixed beech-spruce, fir-beech-spruce and beech-fir-spruce forests and 2) monodominant and cedar spruce forests - above 1200−1250 m.a.s.l. The subbelt of beech-spruce and fir-beech-spruce forests is formed on ridges above beech forests, in the same soil-geological conditions; beech-fir-spruce cenoses are distributed, as a rule, over fir forests.

The maximum uplift of spruce forests is noted on the slopes of the mountains Gomul, Shurin - respectively 1625 and 1670 m. Climatogenic monodominant spruce forests grow on a wide variety of soils - from brown rendzins (on the Cherny Dil ridge and in a number of other Chivchin tracts) to acidic burozems and mountain forest podzolic soils; depending on the soil-geological conditions and height above sea level, they have unequal productivity and are characterized by different cover. On the peaty-podzolic soils of Gorgan and Chernogora, a component of spruce forests is European stone pine, which becomes an edificator on very poor blocky-skeletal substrates.

In the shrub layer of monodominant spruce forests, black honeysuckle, meadowsweet, red elderberry, common mountain ash, and near the upper forest boundary - mountain pine, green dushekia (alder), Siberian juniper occasionally appear. The cover is dominated by forest sorrel, bilberry, double-leaved nodule, Austrian shieldwort, reed reed grass, characteristic species are alpine bellflower, mountain soldanella, round hawk, spiked derby, common oxalis, as well as mosses - shiny hylocomium, Schreber's pleurocium, triangular rhytidiadelphus, beautiful and ordinary polytrichums.

The belt of mixed spruce forests is characterized by the most productive spruce cenoses. Spruce grows here according to 1a-I gradings, beech - according to grading II-III, timber reserves reach 900-1000 m 3 /ha. The herbaceous cover of mixed spruce forests is dominated by wood sorrel, wood sorrel, and bilberry, but there are also nemoral species, satellites of beech. At present, significant areas of primary forests have been reduced to hayfields and pastures.

subalpine belt It is characterized by indigenous shrub vegetation: mountain pine forests, green alder forests, thickets of Siberian juniper, East Carpathian rhododendron, as well as tall grasses from gray-leaved adenostyles, alpine cycerbita, Waldstein's bodyak, Fuchs' ragwort, etc. In the modern vegetation cover of the belt, significant areas are occupied by secondary meadows and blueberry-moss wastelands. The lower boundary of the belt runs on low ridges and in the Gorgans at an altitude of about 1300 m.a.s.l., and on high ones - 1550-1670 m.a.s.l.; the upper one - at an altitude of about 1800 m, i.e., where the bushes are replaced by alpine meadows and wastelands.

Mining pine forests are mainly associated with mountain-forest peaty-podzolic soils (on the primary slopes) and deep peat bogs (on the bottoms of carats). These are continuous, impenetrable thickets, the height of which in the lower part of the belt is 2–3 m, and in the upper part - about 1 m.

In the cover of mountain pine forests, blueberries, green mosses, staggered-leaved and female nodules, Waldstein's cornflower, etc. dominate.

Green alder forests are usually confined to moist shady slopes or hollows with moist and damp soils. Their grass cover is richer than mountain pine forests; in it are common gentian, staggered-leaved and female, Fuchs' ragwort, obscure lungwort, oak anemone, etc.

Juniper forests predominantly occupy the lighter and drier southern slopes and act as an expositional replacement for the green-piss trees. They are most common on the southwestern macroslope of Chernogora and on the ridges with the peaks of Sivulya and Bratkovskaya. Significant areas of them have been reduced to high mountain pastures. More often than others, there are groupings of juniper with a cover of blueberries, lingonberries and green mosses.

Rhododendrons have a particularly significant distribution on the northeastern macroslope of Chernogora, from Mount Hoverla to Mount Pop Ivan Chernogorsky, where they form the upper band of the subalpicum. These are low (40–60 cm) thickets with a cover of green mosses, lichens, blueberries, soddy pike, pubescent reed grass, and pine forests. The secondary meadows of the subalpine belt are represented by cenoses of the formations of white-bearded, soddy pike, pubescent and reed-like reed grasses.

alpine belt meadows and wastelands occupies insignificant areas above 1800–1850 m.a.s.l. It is best expressed in Chernogora, from Mount Hoverla to Mount Pop Ivan Chernogorsky. Its characteristic vegetation is squat fescue, tripartite sedge, evergreen sedge, and sesler. In the lower strip of the belt there are rhododendrons. The Gorgan Alpine belt is represented, as a rule, by scale-lichen wastelands, in which the geographic rhizocarpone dominates, completely covering the individual blocky eluvium-deluvium sandstones of the Yamne Formation. Other formations characteristic of the Alpine belt include blueberries and groups of creeping luazeleuria, confined to low-snow habitats on the ridges and slopes of the ridges.

An important result of geobotanical studies of the Ukrainian Carpathians is their geobotanical zoning. We find its origins in the last century. However, the first regionalizations were of a formal nature and copied the orographic or geomorphological division of the mountains. Later, the presence of maps of modern and primary (restored) forest cover, maps altitudinal zoning climate, soils and vegetation, generalization of the experience of natural history zoning of other mountainous territories of the USSR and neighboring socialist countries made it possible to carry out natural geobotanical zoning based on typological principles, i.e., on the basis of vegetation.

If necessary, detailed information on the ecological, phytocenotic and floristic features of the zoning units can be obtained from previously published works.

Chervona rue, sleep-grass, fern, forest lily - these fabulous names actually lead to the fantastic world of the Carpathian Mountains for a visitor. Fantastic in its diversity, healing, charm. To get into it, rest in the Carpathians must be combined with at least minimal knowledge about the unusual vegetation of our mountains.

Chernogora decorated with flowers, or the Hutsul Alps

June is the time of mountain flowers. Here, for example, is the eastern rhododendron, also called scarlet rue (or scarlet, although scarlet monarda is also called scarlet rue). At the beginning of summer, this plant species from the Red Book densely covers the foothills of Pop Ivan of Marmara and the mountain itself, blooms on Pop Ivan of Chernogorsky, decorates Chernogora and the foot of Breskul with flowers.

Marmarosy is not in vain called the Hutsul Alps - they are completely different from other Carpathian peaks. Marmaros are characterized by a subalpine relief, and the paints of unique colors confirm this. In June, here, among the herbs, not only the rhododendron is hidden, but also the narrow-leaved narcissus (yes, the same one that is near the Transcarpathian Khust), alpine bells, mountain arnica, sleep-grass, powder puff, nechuy-wind ... And herb connoisseurs in this time can gather material for herbal tea. After all, real Carpathian tea, as you know, is brewed only on mountain water filled with clean air, and easily seasoned with the aroma of a fire somewhere high in the mountains...

A living carpet, woven from pink (and also purple-violet) rhododendron, also awaits in June in Gorgany, on Bliznets, Dzembronya and Chivchin. The rarity and beauty of this flowering plant is a challenge even for experienced travelers, because Marmaros is traditionally rainy in June. As you take on this challenge, prepare accordingly! And remember that traveling to Marmarosy requires special permits from the border guards and respect for plants - most of them belong to the Red Book. Therefore, they can be considered and felt in fact only at the place of flowering.

Ecological routes to the Carpathians

Special ecological routes have been developed in the Ukrainian Carpathians, which will open and present you the world of mountain biological diversity in spring and summer.

This is the path of conquering Hoverla, a journey to the pastures and to Lake Violent. This mystical lake is surrounded by flowers in summer, as well as entire fields of a fluffy miracle - alpine pines. The weather here is amazing: the sun can hide in just 15-20 minutes, and such bad weather begins that even experienced travelers get scared. But the violent beauty attracts them here again and again.

Other ecological routes lead to Spits, Brebeneskul and Pop-Ivan. It is possible to travel from Bystrica to the Prut river valley. Ecological trails they lead from Topilcha - through Dzembronya - to Pop-Ivan, from Rakhiv - to Petros and Hoverla, from Kvasy - to Petros, etc.

Other flourishing areas at this time are Dragobrat, the Transcarpathian foothills and valleys (in particular, Khustshchyna, Rakhivshchyna and the vicinity of the village of Kolochava). And if you want to get to the peak of sakura and magnolia blossoms, then it often falls already in mid-April.

Carpathian healing herbs

If you don’t have a glorious Carpathian herbalist or an experienced herbalist among your acquaintances, then maps will become a hint about where you can admire mountain herbs in spring and summer. protected areas Carpathians. In particular, the Carpathian National Natural Park, the Synevyr National Natural Park, the Carpathian biosphere reserve, Vyzhnitsky Park in Bukovina, Gorgany and St. Beskydy parks, as well as the world's first international biosphere reserve "Eastern Carpathians". Also pay attention to the Beech forest in the Carpathians and the young national natural park "Enchanted Land" in the Irshavshchina (Transcarpathia).

In fact, the secrets of the Carpathian drink, which can give health even through a combination of flower aromas, are known only local residents. For example, the fact that an elegant orchid is a cute cuckoo, popular in mountain folk medicine. Mountain daisies are the helpers of those who are disturbed by sight and hearing. Thyme - its aroma has long meant here the comfort and warmth of a home, and blueberries - reconciliation. Blueberries are also sought after by everyone who has eye problems.

If you see a young yellow bathing suit somewhere - know that you can swim in mountain rivers and lakes. It blooms when the air and water are already warm enough. And lingonberries are not only tasty as a berry, but also useful as a flower. Cowberry color is brewed as a tea. Also traditionally among the medicinal plants of the Carpathians are called lemon balm, mint, St. How? This is truly known only in the reserved Carpathians!