Afforestation of Extrazonal Steppes in the Baikal Region

The published paper presents the results characterizing structural-dynamical changes and anthropogenic destructions of forests, which form in the zones of contact between taiga and extrazonal steppe of Barguzin and Tunka Depressions (the Baikal Region). We have used perennial (for 22 years) geobotanical descriptions of model sites and made inventory large-scale geobotanical schematic maps on the base of field deciphering of aerophotographs of different years (1974- 2002). Soil-geobotanical profiling allowed revealing some links of edaphic conditions with structural-dynamical characteristics of forest cenoses of the above-mentioned areas of Pre-Baikal. The subject of studies is determination of the trends of forest cenoses development in the zones of contact between forest and extrazonal steppe. Such cenoses reflect structurally and dynamically changes occurring in natural zones on the background of climatic fluctuations under anthropogenic impact much more rapidly than zonal vegetation.