Influence of Hydrogeological and Hydrochemical Environmental Factors on the Formation of Seaside Plant Communities in the Estuaries of the White Sea and Cheshkaya Bay in the Barents Sea

Abstract Despite the abundance of visual data, the influence of hydrogeological and hydrochemical factors on the phytocenosis of the coastal vegetation of the White and Barents seas has been poorly studied. This article uses nonmetric scaling to demonstrate that the coastal vegetation communities are heterogeneous and tend to be associated with specific habitats based on their composition and structure. The coastal vegetation communities are influenced by a complex of factors related to the aquatic environment. Tides, storm surges, salinity, and pH levels have the greatest impact on the formation of coastal vegetation. Of these, tides and storm surges are the leading factors in the formation of phytocenosis of different types of marshes. Surf has a significant impact on the formation of beach plant communities. An original classification of hydrogeological and hydrochemical factors affecting coastal phytocenosis is presented.