Forest History and the Present-Day Flora of the Saltykovsky Forest Park (Moscow Suburbs)

This article presents the results of a study conducted in the Saltykovsky Forest Park, located within a densely urbanized part of Moscow oblast. The study applies a multidisciplinary approach that combines floristic, palaeoecological, and historical-archaeological methods. Our findings show that the present-day flora of the forest park (within the boundaries of the protected natural area) is characterized by high species diversity and a relatively low proportion of alien species compared with urban forest parks in Moscow. The pollen analysis of peat deposits from a forest mire enabled reconstruction of the flora dynamics over the past 4200 years. This reconstruction reveals the composition and structure of primary broadleaf forests, periods of agricultural land use, and the timeframe during which present-day forest communities were formed. The first signs of a human activity on the watershed are dated back to the Bronze Age, with the most intensive land use occurring between the 16th and 18th centuries. The oldest part of the forest park (blocks 1, 3, and 4) consists of ecosystems that have developed on the former agricultural land over the last two to three centuries and have undergone several stages of restorative succession. Today, their floristic composition and vegetation structure closely resemble those of natural zonal forests typical for the region. The performed study underscores the significance of the Saltykovsky Forest Park, highlighting its role not only as a landscape architecture monument but also as a natural reserve that preserves elements of forest communities typical for the southern taiga subzone despite its location within a densely urbanized environment.