Vegetation cover of the river Vyatka flood plain protected areas

The paper presents results of 4 protected areas investigation within the river Vyatka flood plain. We have conducted a floristic research in accordance with a hierarchy system of floristic complexes by a type-class-group principle, and classified vegetation. 3 types of floristic complexes (forest, meadow, and water), 2 classes (hilltop-flood plain, ridge and natural) and 8 groups of floristic complexes were defined. Small-leaved forest floristic complexes is presented by the following forest types: mixed-herbs-Aegopodium aspen forest, mixed-herbs aspen forest, herbaceous boggy birch forest, cowberry birch forest, aspen-linden birch forest, bilberry-herbaceous birch forest, and mixed-herbs-Filipendula alder forest. Dark coniferous floristic complexes are presented by bilberry spruce and herbaceous spruce forests. Light coniferous forest floristic complexes are: cowberry-herbaceous pine, green-moss-cowberry pine, and stone-bramble-herbaceous pine forests. Broad-leaved forest floristic complexes are presented by flood-plain oak and aspen-linden herbaceous forests. Oak ( Quercus robur L.) is also marked as an undergrowth component of deciduous and coniferous phytocoenoses. Flood-plain meadow floristic complex is formed by gramineous-mixed-herbs and Filipendula-Calamagrostis-mixed-herbs associations. Former river-bed floristic complex is marked within all studied objects. Communities with high level of biodiversity are restricted to water and hilltop-flood-plain ecotopes. Species richness of studied communities varies within 15 to 43 species. Less diverse ecotypes are ridge types. Investigated floristic complexes are habitats of rare and relict species of Kirov Region flora. The study of partial flora composition is a base for vegetation monitoring.