Peculiarities of forming and functioning of the high-mountain forests of the Severo-Chuiskiy range (Central Altai)

Larch forests are most common in the modern high-mountain forests of the Altai. Some relic old-growth Siberian stone pine forests are ingrained to them. Our investigations are fetched out the modern Siberian stone pine forests is the final stage of post-fire succession but the reaching of the stage was possible only in periods with high precipitation levels. The cause which prevents forming of such forests in the modern period in a long time required for the succession as post-fire succession is developing by the inhibition model: successional predecessor species (larch) prevent colonization of successor species (Siberian stone pine) until the disturbance will damage the predecessor population. As a result reaching of the stone pine tree stage may require several hundred years. The fires are usually prevent reaching of this stage.