The influence of environmental factors on the relationship between pine forests and steppes in the steppe depressions of the Baikal region

The article discusses the influence of abiotic factors (light, temperature, humidity) on the distribution of pine communities (Pinus sylvestris) in the forest-steppe zone of the Baikal region. The effect of illumination in open spaces on the number of sprouts of pine, as well as on the projective cover of the grass cover was studied. The closeness of pine crowns reduces the degree of illumination in the lower tiers of forest communities and contributes to an increase in the number of shoots of pine. In turn, in clearings and burns, an increase in illumination leads to an increase in the temperature of the soil surface and an increase in the projective cover and height of the grassy layer.