Park vegetation
Forest vegetation
The flora of the Braslav Lakes National Park is closely linked to the geomorphological, soil and landscape structure of the region. The leading role in the vegetation is played by forests.
Forests belonging to the spruce-broadleaf subzone occupy 66.8% of the national park territory or 34.2 thousand hectares. They are located in several tracts: Boginsky forest, Vidzovskaya forest dacha, Belmont forest, Druyskaya forest dacha, Boruny forest.
The territory of the national park is dominated by coniferous forests (67.1%). Pine forests predominate, occupying 49.5%. Spruce forests (17.6%) and birch forests (24.1%) are relatively widespread. Less common are black and grey alder forests, occupying 5.5% and 0.7% of the territory, respectively.
Broadleaf forests (oak, maple, linden and ash forests) occupy 0.4% of forested land. Minor areas are occupied by aspen (1.9%) and willow (0.2%) forests.
Most forests are represented by middle-aged stands, occupying 77% of the entire forested area of the park. Young stands are represented by 16%, maturing ones – by 4.7% of the forest area. Mature and overmature ones account for 1.8% of the forest fund. The most common groups of forest types are blueberry and mossy. Within the park there are standard forest areas aged 100-130 years, represented by pine, oak and ash.
Meadow vegetation
About 9% of the national park territory is occupied by meadows, including 2% of natural origin. It is represented in approximately equal proportions by upland and lowland meadows (hayfields and pastures). Only a few percent is floodplain herbaceous vegetation, occupying narrow spaces along rivers, streams and lake shores. Upland meadows are confined to watersheds and slope elevations. They are mainly represented by fine-grass meadows, sweet-spiked meadows, white-bearded meadows and quake meadows. The floristic composition of the grass stands of these meadows is quite rich.
Lowland meadows are located in deep basins, flood-free valleys with abundant moisture. Here, moisture-loving species predominate - pike, dog bent grass, black sedge, cornelian cornelian grass, tussock grass.
Among the meadow phytocenoses, 16 rare, unique and economically valuable grass communities, included in the international protection lists, are noted for their growth.
Marsh vegetation
The marshland areas and individual marshes of the National Park are interconnected with each other, as well as with lakes, forest streams and rivers, and form a single complex wetland system, which is characterized by the presence of all types, categories and plant associations of marshes known for the region. In general, the marshes on the territory of the National Park occupy an area of 8435.0 hectares. At the same time, the share of open marshes is only 2008.0 hectares (4.39%).
The types of bogs and the peat deposited in them are determined by the nature of the water-mineral nutrition and by ecological-phytocenotic features (the composition of the modern plant cover and the presence of plant remains in the peat). Raised bogs are covered with water in the spring, the high level of which remains all summer. Significant water content and the stagnant nature of moisture determine the specificity of the plant cover. Therefore, only a small number of species grow here: Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), cotton grass (Eriophorum vaginatum L.), common bog beetle (Andromeda polifolia L.), marsh cranberry (Oxycoccus palustris Pers.), small-fruited cranberry (Oxycoccus microcarpus Turcz. Ex Rupr.), marsh wild rosemary (Ledum palustris L.), blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum L.), and bog myrtle (Chamaedaphne calyculata L.). The main background of phytocenoses is created by sphagnum mosses. Pine-cotton grass-dwarf shrub-sphagnum plant communities predominate. The share of raised bogs is insignificant - only 2.4% of the marsh ecosystems of the national park.
Lowland bogs are characterized by strong water flow and significant water content in the spring. In summer, the water level decreases. Such a hydrological regime determines the great wealth and diversity of both plant species and phytocenoses. The forest-forming species here include black alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.), downy birch (Betula pubescens L), spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), and, less often, pine. The ground cover is abundant in marsh grasses and sedges; sphagnum mosses are usually absent or rarely found on micro-elevations. The most typical representatives of lowland bogs are Carex elongate L., Carex acuta L., Carex vesicaria L., Iris pseudacoris L., Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex Steud., Equisetum fluviatile L., and Calla palustris L. Herbaceous lowland bogs are flowing, mainly floodplain, and are represented by treeless sedge and sedge-reed communities. Black alder-grass, black alder-sedge, pubescent birch-grass, and willow-reed-grass associations are typical for forested grassy bogs with less flowage. This type of bog dominates in the territory of the National Park (69.8% of bog ecosystems).
Transitional bogs (27.7% of the National Park's bog ecosystems) are characterized by medium water content; flowage can vary from very weak to significant. Therefore, the composition of the vegetation cover varies greatly, with pine and downy birch sedge-sphagnum communities predominating. Both eutrophic and meso- and oligotrophic species of bog plants participate in the formation of the vegetation. The most typical for transitional bogs are bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliate L.), marsh cinquefoil (Comarum palustre L.), rough-fruited sedge (Carex lasiocarpa Ehrh.), swollen sedge (Carex rostrata Stokes), as well as shrubs: gray willow (Salix cinerea L.).
Aquatic vegetation
According to the growing conditions, there are 3 groups of plant formations: above-water plants (aerohydrophytes), plants with floating leaves (pleistohydrophytes), submerged plants (euhydrophytes). Each group of formations is located in certain habitats and depths.
Associations of emergent plants are widespread at depths from the water's edge to 1.3 m. This group of plants includes hygrophytes and aerohydrophytes. Hygrophytes are represented by formations of wetland (coastal-aquatic) vegetation, which is found in swampy areas of the coast or heavily silted areas of the littoral near the coastline. They are widespread from the water's edge to a depth of 0.3 m. The group of hygrophytes includes reed canary grass (Phalaroides arundinacea (L.) Rauschert), common or marsh calamus (Acorus calamus L.), needle-footed rush (Eleocharis acicularis). They do not form a continuous belt, but as an admixture they grow mainly in reed and reed thickets.
Aerohydrophytes are represented by formations of air-aquatic (semi-submerged) plants. Associations of this group occupy depths from the water's edge to 1.3 m, sometimes encountered on the shore, in flooded and temporarily flooded areas. The group of aerohydrophytes often includes lake bulrush, narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia L.), broad-leaved cattail (Typha latifolia L.), southern reed (common reed) (Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.), fescue reed (Scolochloa festucacea (Willd.) Link), floating bur-reed (Sparganium emersum Rehm.), arrowhead (Sagittaria sagittifolia L.) (shallow-water form), umbrella rush (Butomus umbellatus L.), river horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile L.), plantain water plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica L.).
Plants with floating leaves or pleistohydrophytes grow in wind-protected bays or reed-bulrush thickets, where emergent plants dominate. Representatives of the pleistohydrophyte group are: common polyrhiza (multi-root) (Spirodela polyrhiza (L.)), small duckweed (Lemna minor L.), amphibian knotweed (Persicaria amphibia (L.)), yellow water lily (Nuphar lutea (L.) Sm.), pure white water lily (Nymphaea candida J. et C. Presl), floating pondweed (Potamogeton natans L.).
