Assessment of the Hygrophilous Component Productivity of the Phytobiota of the Mari El Republic

Abstract

Flora of hygrophilous communities of the Rivers Ilet and Malaya Kokshaga was made up of 48 vascular plant species from 30 families. The higher species diversity had the community located on the banks of the River Ilet - 36 species from 25 families. The most numerous family was Asteraceae, which contained 7 species (14.5%). The research has revealed the following dominant species in shoreline aquatic cenopopulations: the River Ilet –Scirpus lacustris L., Myosotis palustris (L.) L.; the dead arm of the River Ilet – Calla palustris L., Mentha aquatica L.; the River Malaya Kokshaga – Scirpus lacustris L., Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.; the dead arm of the River Malaya Kokshaga – Scirpus lacustris L., Equisetum fluviatile L. Тhe ecological spaces of the studied communities were slightly different in soil moisture, acidity and nitrogen content, they were confined to the semi-open or open spaces. Shoreline aquatic phytocenoses of the Rivers Ilet and Malaya Kokshaga were characterized by relatively high productivity, abiotic environmental factors (soil acidity and nitrogen content) had a significant influence on the accumulation of phytomass, cenopopulations of dominant species had a higher amount of biogenic elements (N, P).