Syntaxonomical survey of boreal oligotrophic pine forests in northern Europe and Western Siberia

Question: What is the syntaxonomical diversity of boreal oligotrophic pine forests in Western Eurasia? Location: Boreal zone of Northern Europe and Western Siberia. Methods: Classification of forest vegetation plots using Ward's clustering and the Braun‐Blanquet approach. Results: North European and West Siberian boreal oligotrophic pine forests can be assigned to the Vaccinio ‐ Piceetea Br.‐Bl. in Br.‐Bl. et al. 1939; Pinetalia sylvestris Oberdorfer 1957; Cladonio stellaris ‐ Pinion sylvestris Kielland‐Lund ex Ermakov et Morozova 2011, seven associations ( Cladonio arbusculae ‐ Pinetum sylvestris (Kielland‐Lund 1967) Ermakov & Ìîrozova 2011; Flavocetrario nivalis ‐ Pinetum sylvestris Morozova et al. 2008; Pinetum sibiricae ‐ sylvestris Makhatkov et Ermakov 2010; Hedysaro alpini ‐ Laricetum sibiricae Saburov 1972; Linnaeo borealis ‐ Pinetum sylvestris (Kielland‐Lund 1967) Ermakov & Ìîrozova 2011; Barbilophozio ‐ Pinetum sylvestris Br.‐Bl. et Sissingh in Br.‐Bl. et al. 1939; Bazzanio ‐ Pinetum sylvestris Kielland‐Lund 1967; Calamagrostio lapponicae ‐ Pinetum sylvestris Br.‐Bl. et Sissingh in Br.‐Bl. et al. 1939) and six subassociations. Syntaxonomical and geographical boundaries between the alliances Cladonio stellaris ‐ Pinion sylvestris and Dicrano ‐ Pinion (Libbert 1933) Matuszkiewicz 1962 were defined. Conclusion: We propose the concept of alliance Cladonio stellaris ‐ Pinion sylvestris , which includes all associations of oligotrophic pine forests within the boreal zone of Europe and Western Siberia. Analysis of a data set from Northern Europe and North‐western Siberia demonstrates a common set of ecological, floristic and phytocoenotic features of all types of oligotrophic pine forests. This supports Oberdorfer's concept of a single Eurasian order Pinetalia sylvestris .