Evaluation of floristic richness of phytocenoses in the upper forest boundary of the Polar Urals
The article discusses the comparative significance of a number of factors predetermining floristic richness of phytocenoses in the upper forest boundary (180-300 m above sea level) on the slopes of Mount Chyornaya (the Polar Urals). To analyze the data (51 samples of biodiversity in the areas of different size in ecotopes with different moisture regimes) the CAIC informational criterion was used. It was found that floristic richness depended mostly on the ecotope water regime and the analyzed area. The factor of whether the phytocenoses belong to altitudinal belt was among the most valuable ones. The floristic richness is weakly connected with the factor of elevation above sea level. As for phytocoenotic characteristics, only the projective cover of herb-dwarf shrub layer is connected with the number of the registered species. This approach for the evaluation of various factors is an example of the comparative analysis of the causes of the floristic richness based on the methodology of the multimodal criterion.