Structural and Functional Peculiarities of the Plants of Yakutia

Climate change in a global scale may have a significant impact on the functioning of the main Yakutian ecosystems (taiga, tundra, steppes, mountains, etc.). Studies on photosynthetic activity have shown that the plants of Yakutia, growing under the specific light conditions with a predomination of orange-red rays, assimilate more solar radiation during the day. Homeostatic growth and development of the woody plants in Yakutia during the short vegetation period is provided by the high rates of the physiological processes (photosynthesis and transpiration) at relatively low dark and night respiratory expenses for growth and maintenance. A high variability in the photosynthesis and dark respiration of the woody plants testifies the excellent adaptation of Larix cajanderi to the peculiar climatic conditions of the cryolithozone. The dynamics of the hydrothermal regime of the soils is in many respects determined by the continuous process of soil thawing, which stops only at the beginning of winter. This process is closely linked to the specific characteristics of the vegetation. Under a warming climate the direction of the pedoturbation processes, directly affecting the cycle of the main organogens in the ecosystem, will be the dominant factor leading to an increase in the productivity of the forests of the cryolithozone. The production process of Yakutian tree populations under conditions of climate warming will be generally limited by endogenous factors, especially stomatal conductance, but also by exogenous ones, i.e. the provision of plants with water and mineral organogens, especially with nitrogen.