As part of the implementation of the key innovative project, field work was completed to collect samples for the extra estimates of the diversity and structure of plant communities and ground cover in 347 model areas at the Lyalsky test site in compliance with the approved methodology.
Specialists at the departments of soil science, forest biology problems of the North, flora and vegetation of the North at the Institute of Biology of the Komi Scientific Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences participated in the sampling. According to the preliminary estimates, most of the studied plant communities have traces of human activity, as indicated by stumps and traces of wildfires. Spruce, pine, birch, and aspen are the predominant tree stands. In some areas, there is an admixture of fir, single larch trees. Among forest formations, in descending order, the largest areas are occupied by pine, small-leaved and spruce forests. Over 150 species of vascular plants, habitats of rare and protected species were noted at the test site in the living ground cover: Lobaria pulmonaria (Red Data Book of the Russian Federation), Neckera pennata (Red Data Book of the Republic of Komi), and Platanthera bifolia (Appendix to the Red Data Book of the Republic of Komi — biological observation). A register of photographic materials has been compiled for each relascopic site.