Zoogenic Factor of Siberian Pine Restoration in the Mountain Taiga Forests of East Sayan
The storing of Siberian pine nuts by Nucifraga caryocatactes is a key factor of Pinus sibirica distribution and restoration at the East Sayan. The amount of Pinus sibirica young generation and murine rodent number were determined in drying stands, in burnt-out forests and in cut-over lands of different age to assess the zoochoric activities of the nutcracker and to define the impact of small mammals on the process of Pinus sibirica regeneration. A complex analysis of the received data allows us to update the known information about nutcracker activity and preferences in distribution of nut stocks and their influence on the development of Siberian pine seedlings.