Species composition and resource potential of medicinal plants in spruce forests of the Leningrad Region

Data on the composition of the main types of medicinal plants growing in forested areas in the north-west of Russia are presented. The object of research is raw materials plants of the forest fund. Resource plant species were accounted for using a circular platform method with a radius of 178.5 cm (10 m2). At each accounting site, all species of plants were taken into account and the amount of projective coverage was set for each species. Based on the results of accounting work, the occurrence of each species at the study site was determined. According to the magnitude of occurrence and projective coverage, a conclusion was made about the abundance of this species and the prospects for its industrial harvesting. In total, 32 species of vascular plants and 8 species of mosses and lichens were identified under the canopy of acidic spruce. Of these, 18 species of vascular plants are classified as medicinal plants. Based on resource potential assessments, three species were identified as possessing significant potential for raw material procurement.