ГОРЕЧАВКА ЛЕЖАЧАЯ GENTIANA DECUMBENS L. FIL. (GENTIANACEAE) – РЕДКИЙ РЕЛИКТОВЫЙ ВИД ФЛОРЫ ЮЖНОГО УРАЛА

The Bashkir Trans-Urals (the eastern part of the Republic of Bashkortostan) includes the low mountains and foothills of the eastern slope of the Southern Urals, as well as the adjacent Sakmaro-Tanalyk and Kizilo-Urtazym plains. The vegetation is forest-steppe and steppe. Despite the small amount of precipitation (350-450 mm/year), there are quite a lot of mires, especially in the northern part of the study area. Mires are located mainly on the slopes of mountains and hills and at their foothills, in endorheic basins, in river floodplains, and often have a large area (up to several hundred hectares). All mires are eutrophic, their vegetation cover includes paludified birch and black alder forests and treeless reed, reed-sedge, moss-sedge plant communities. In 2023, more than 240 mires were identified in the Bashkir Trans-Urals, 60% of the total area of which (more than 8 thousand hectares) were disturbed as a result of drainage and peat extraction. There are very few publications about the distribution and the state of populations of rare plant species in the mires of the study area. The aim of this work is to summarize and to analyze the data on the representation of rare species of vascular plants in the mires of the Bashkir Trans-Urals. Currently, in the mires of the Bashkir Trans-Urals, 32 rare plant species in need of protection have been identified, including 25 species (Table 1) listed in core list of the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan [Martynenko, 2021], as well as 7 species are included in the Appendix II to this book, i.e. “List of flora and fungi that require special attention to their condition in the natural environment and monitoring in the Republic of Bashkortostan” (Carex dioica, Ranunculus lingua, Salix myrtilloides, Salix pyrolifolia, Saussurea parviflora, Baeothryon pumilum, Utricularia intermedia). Two species (Liparis loeselii. and Orchis militaris) are included in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation [Order ..., 2023]. The largest number of rare mire species belong to the families Orchidaceae (11 species) and Cyperaceae (4 species). About 80% of these rare species are stenotopic and have a fidelity score for the mire ecotope III-V. Therefore, the destruction or degradation of their habitats will lead to the disappearance of their local populations in the Bashkir Trans Urals. Little is known about the population size of rare species growing in the mires of the Bashkir Trans-Urals. Local populations of these species are often small and usually consist of several dozen, rarely hundreds of individuals (Carex serotina, Dactylorhiza russowii, etc.). For few species, for instance, Orchis militaris, the subpopulation size within the mire can amount to several thousand individuals, but, depending on weather conditions, there are extreme fluctuations in the number of plants in different years. A decrease in the number or disappearance of subpopulations of rare plant species depends on different factors, i.e., fluctuations in the water level in lakeside mires, the habitat degradation along the edges of mires due to grazing and haymaking (Artemisia laciniata), drying out of mires due to a decrease in the groundwater level after droughts (Liparis loeselii, Saxifraga hirculus), drainage, peat extraction, peat fires and recreation. Currently, populations of rare and protected species of vascular plants have been identified in 58 mires. The most valuable for the protection of rare species of vascular plants are the mire vegetation complexes of the natural monuments “Nurok Mire”, “Karpis Mire”, “Starobalbukovskoye Mire” [Muldashev et al., 2020]. Most of the mires of the Bashkir Trans-Urals, where habitats of rare species have been identified, do not have conservation status. Searching for new locations and monitoring local populations of rare plant species are a necessary for organizing effective protection of the biodiversity of this region, which is characterized by a high degree of agricultural development. Factors causing a reduction or disappearance of local populations of rare species in the mires of the Bashkir Trans-Urals are the consequences of drainage, fluctuations in the water level in lakeside mires, grazing and haymaking along the edges of mires, drought and recreation.

The article presents a review of data on a rare endemic species of the flora of the Republic of Bashkortostan (RB) – Pimpinella tomiophylla (Woronow) Stank. (Apiaceae). The species is included in the third edition of the Red Data Book of the RB [2021] in the following status: category 2 – a species that is declining in abundance and/or distribution; vulnerable species (VU); II priority (Bashkir Cis-Urals). The article provides the following information about the species: conservation status; nomenclature reference; morphological description; distribution in the republic; brief ecological and phytocenotic characteristics; features of biology; modern data on condition of the local population; limiting factors; measures for the protection. The species was first described for science in 1931 from Mount Tratau (RB, Ishimbai district) according to herbarium collections in 1915 and 1926 (LE) [Voronov, 1931; Flora of the USSR, 1950]. In the republic, P. tomiophylla is a poorly studied species and is located within a narrow local range. At present, the species is reliably known only from one point – the territory of the natural monument «Mount Tratau» (UFA) [The Red Data Book…, 2021]. The species occurs in plant communities with typical petrophytic species. It grows mainly in the lower part of the western and southwestern slopes of the mountain. The known population of the species is numerous. In recent years, the recreational load on the populations of rare species on Mount Tratau, including the species P. tomiophylla, has increased, which will inevitably lead to a reduction in the area and number of its population. The necessity of a set of additional measures for the protection of P. tomiophylla in situ and ex situ is substantiated.

The species Halerpestes sarmentosa (Adams) Kom. (H. salsuginosa auct. non Greene) is one of the rare species of the family Ranunculaceae Juss. in the flora of the Republic of Bashkortostan (RB). The species is included in the Red Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan, 3rd edition [2021] with regional protection status: 1) rarity status category: 2 – species declining in number; 2) endangered status category: vulnerable species; 3) conservation status: II priority (it is necessary to implement one or more special measures to preserve the species in the Bashkir Trans-Urals). In the republic, two locations of the species are known in the Abzelilovsky region (the shores of Lake Muldakkul and Lake Chebarkul). In the Bashkir Trans-Urals, the species is located on the western border of its range.The geographical distribution, features of ecology and biology are considered, limiting factors, measures taken and necessary to conservation this species are considered.

We began a targeted study of the entomofauna of the Chelyabinsk and Kashtak forests in 2007, and in the period from 2010 to 2023 were carried out regularly from spring (May) to autumn (September), annually performing from 5 to 10 expedition trips. In addition, after the publication in 2017 of the second edition of the Red Data Book of the Chelyabinsk Region, we also conducted annual monitoring of the status of populations of protected, rare, and vulnerable species throughout the region. The purpose of this work is to highlight the main results of the study of protected, rare and some little-known insects living in the territories of the natural monuments «Chelyabinsk (urban) forest» and «Kashtaksky forest». The material was collected along regular routes and key areas, including water bodies (streams, rivers, ponds, temporary reservoirs) and coastal biotopes. The length of the routes, depending on weather conditions and specific tasks, ranged from 3 to 15 km. They covered almost all the most typical types of communities, incl. partially transformed by man. We used manual collection, catching using a mowing net, air and water entomological nets. The abundance was determined by adults by direct counting the number of individuals per unit area (within 1 hectare) or count strip. 18 regional Red Data Book species have been identified, belonging to 10 families and 6 orders: in the Chelyabinsk forest there are 12 species from 9 families and 6 orders, in the Kashtak forest there are 11 species from 7 families and 4 orders. These are three species of status category II (declining in numbers) – Anax imperator, Bombus maculidorsis, B. pratorum, 14 species of status category III (rare) – Ophiogomphus cecilia, Leucorhynia caudalis, Sago pedo, Ranatra linearis, Parnassius apollo, Bombus distinquendus, B. hypnorum, B. lucorum, B. muscorum, B. serrisquama, B. terrestris, B. veteranus, Megachila rotundata, Bombylius major and one species of status category IV (uncertain status) – Laphria gibbosa. We classified 26 species from 15 families and 7 orders as rare and little-known (little studied). We consider Anas parthenope, Aeschna isosceles, Decticus verrucivorus, Meloe proscarabaeus, Iphiclides podalirius, Pieris brassicae, Glaucopsyche alexis, Apatura iris, Limenitis camilla, L. populi, Euphydryas maturna, Vanessa atalanta, Aglia tau, Oeneis tarpeja, rare. Megarhyssa perlata, Rhyssa persuasoria, Conops flavifrons. Little-known species, the biology and ecology of which have not been sufficiently studied (not only in forest conditions) are Libellula fulva, Sympetrum pedemontanum, Scaphidium quadrimaculatum, Ostoma ferruginea, Peltis grossa, Raphidia ophiopsis, Coenonympha hero. The only possible inhabitants of the Chelyabinsk Forest are the Chazara briseis and the Coenonympha oedippus, but this seems doubtful. A considerable number of «Red Data Book» species indicates that today, despite experiencing significant anthropogenic impact, our forests are still reserves of biodiversity and provide the necessary conditions for life even for species included in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation (2021): Anax imperator (category 5), Saga pedo (category 2), Parnassius apollo (category 2). Seven species living in forests are also protected in regions neighboring the Chelyabinsk region – in the Republic of Bashkortostan (3 species), Kurgan (6), Orenburg (2), Sverdlovsk (3) regions.

Monitoring of protected fungi species by methods of modern information technologies

Currently there are 215 specially protected natural areas of various categories in the Republic of Bashkortostan, which is 7.2 % of the total area. These indicators are less than the all-Russian level; moreover, specially protected areas are located unevenly. In the conditions of intensive development of the mining industry, the landscapes of the Bashkir Trans-Urals are especially vulnerable, which accounts for the smallest share of protected areas. The article considers the prospects for organi­zing specially protected natural areas in the southern part of the Irendyk ridge within the Baymak district of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The purpose of work is the development of recommendations for a specially protected natural areas network development of the Republic of Bashkortostan within the Bashkir Trans-Urals. The object of the research is a network of specially protected natural areas (SPNA) in the Republic of Bashkortostan. The subject is the prospects for the development of the PA network in the Republic of Bashkortostan, with an emphasis on the Bashkir Trans-Urals. The methods included collecting and summarizing existing information, route and distance studies. The territory is characterized by high biological and landscape diversity. Mountain steppes are the place of growth of relics and endemics, there are 10 species of such in the study area, 41 species of rare and endangered plants are noted. Examples are bedrock outcrops (diabases) in the ridge of the Schrau-Tau, Kynyshtau massifs near the village Baishevo, which are evidence of underwater volcanism in the Paleozoic; jasper and jasper-containing rocks, which are a part of the Jasper belt, the basin of the ancient lake Sagykul. In the southern Irendyk, an abnormally high concentration of archaeological sites is recorded, which also need protection and protection. The study area meets the requirements of the organization of protected areas of the regional level and is promising for a specially protected areas network development of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

of the Southern Urals, candidate of biological sciences, senior researcher at the laboratory of Geobotany and Plant Resources of the Ufa Institute of biology of the Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, honored ecologist of the Russian Federation Albert Akramovich Muldashev in connection with his 70th anniversary, which was celebrated on August 25, 2024. The species Potentilla muldaschevii Kniaz. et Semerikov (family Rosaceae) is a narrow-local endemic of the Southern Urals (Uchalinsky Uplands). This species was described in 2006 from the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan (RB) by famous scientists from Yekaterinburg M.S. Knyazev and V.L. Semerikov [2006]. The species is included in the Red Data Book of the RB 3rd edition [2021] with the regional protection status: 1) rarity status category: 1 – endangered species; 2) endangered status category: endangered species (EN – Endangered); 3) conservation status: II priority (it is necessary to implement one or more special measures to preserve the species in the Southern Urals). This species is very rare. In the RB, the species is known from 3 points in the Uchalinsky district: the Maly Irendyk ridge west of the village Tungatarovo (locus classicus), ridges to the north and south of the village of Polyakovka [Knyazev, Semerikov, 2006; materials of the LE Herbarium and the SVER Herbarium; Red Data Book…, 2021]. In the Chelyabinsk region, the species is found on the limestone Ustinovskie cliffs along the right bank of the Miass River (Miass district) [materials of the CSUH Herbarium; Knyazev, Semerikov, 2006; Red Data Book…, 2017].

The issue of the conservation status of Trifolium alpestre L. (Fabaceae) on the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan is considered in the article. The species was included in the first edition (2001) and the second edition (2011) of the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan (category and status: 3 – rare species). The article provides the following information about the species: morphological description with an indication of the main diagnostic features; modern data on the distribution of the species in the republic, new finds of the species in the Bashkir Cis-Ural; brief ecological and phytocenotic characteristics; features of biology (according to data from literature sources); modern data on the number and state of local populations; limiting factors; adopted and recommended protection measures, data on the possibility of preserving the species in culture. Currently, the state of Trifolium alpestre on the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan can be considered satisfactory. There are no direct threats to the species. It has been established that the species is distributed much more widely in the Republic of Bashkortostan (the species is known from more than 30 points in 16 administrative districts) than previously assumed (it was known in 16 points in 12 administrative districts during the preparation and publication of the Red Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan in 2011). The species shows significant tolerance to adverse factors and tends to increase in number. It is satisfactorily provided with territorial security The data presented in the article fully justify the possibility of excluding the species Trifolium alpestre from the list of the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan and including it in the regional list of species that need biomonitoring – «List of flora and fungi objects that are not included in the Red Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan, but need special attention on the territory of the republic to their state in the natural environment and monitoring».

The paper summarizes the results of the analysis of the territorial protection maintenance of the wildlife species listed in the Red Data Book of the Nizhny Novgorod region. To assess the current state of territorial protection of rare wildlife species the database containing 3599 facts of registrations of the rare wildlife species on approved and projected protected areas of the Nizhny Novgorod region was compiled by the authors. In addition, authors have offered to recognize 5 levels of the protection maintenance: full, good, satisfactory, poor, and absent. Authors have evaluated the scale of changes in the rare wildlife species providing with territorial protection in the XX-XXI centuries as well. The territorial protection maintenance of the rare wildlife species in the Nizhny Novgorod region has grown significantly over the past 40 years. In 2001, the rare wildlife species listed in the Red Data Book of the Nizhny Novgorod region were known to inhabit only 195 protected areas. Now the rare species of animals, plants, fungi and lichens are protected in 227 approved protected areas, and 92 territories are projected for the protected areas establishing. In general, the territorial protection of rare species listed in the regional Red Data Book seems to be satisfactory, but need the significant improvement. It is necessary to create additional protected areas along with continued searching of rare species habitats.

The issue of the conservation status of the species Cephalaria uralensis (Murr.) Schrad. ex Roem. et Schult. (Dipsacaceae Juss.) в) on the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan is considered in the article. The species was included in the first edition (2001) and the second edition (2011) of the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan (category and status: 3 – rare species, the species is located on the territory of the republic at the northern and eastern borders of the range). The article provides the following information about the species: morphological description with an indication of the main diagnostic features; modern data on the distribution of the species in the republic, new finds of the species in the Bashkir Cis-Ural и South Ural (western macroslope); brief ecological and phytocenotic characteristics; features of biology (according to data from literature sources); modern data on the number and state of local populations; limiting factors; adopted and recommended protection measures, data on the possibility of preserving the species in culture. The state of the species Cephalaria uralensis at the present time on the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan can be considered satisfactory. The species shows significant resistance to adverse factors. It was found that the species is widespread in the republic much wider than previously thought. The species is satisfactorily provided with territorial protection, a significant part of its known populations are located within the boundaries of existing or projected specially protected natural areas. The data presented in the article substantiate the reasons for the exclusion of the species Cephalaria uralensis from the list of the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan and its subsequent inclusion in the regional list of observed species – «List of flora and fungi that need special attention to their state in the natural environment and monitoring (observed species)» [Red Data Book..., 2021].

The paper aims to assess the current scale and dynamics of the illegal search and seizure of archaeological artifacts from archaeological heritage sites in the Republic of Bashkortostan. The following tasks are highlighted: 1) to determine the current state of archaeological heritage sites (included in the unified state register) in the Republic of Bashkortostan; 2) to compare indicators of “black diggers” destructive activities to display its dynamics over the past decade; 3) to consider law enforcement practice in relation to black diggers in the Republic of Bashkortostan. The scientific and theoretical basis of the study is the results of monitoring the technical condition of archaeological heritage sites under state protection, included in the unified state register of cultural heritage sites; regulatory legal acts governing the protection of immovable cultural heritage sites. The methodological basis is field archaeological research, statistical analysis, comparison, and cartography. The study revealed a general deterioration in preservation of archaeological heritage sites included in the register in comparison with the 2010-2011 indicators, and found a significant increase in the number of archaeological sites subject to predatory excavations over the past 13 years. Cartographic analysis demonstrated a heterogeneous distribution of archaeological sites with traces of plunder, revealing a concentration of the latter in the Bashkir Trans-Urals and in the northwest of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The results of the study are practically applicable in state protection of cultural heritage sites. The continuing trend of predatory excavations followed by illegal removal of archaeological material will lead to mass destruction of archaeological heritage, which will negatively affect the possibilities of interpreting the results of archaeological research and subsequent reconstructions of historical and ethnocultural processes.

The issue of the conservation status of Euphorbia glareosa Pall. ex Bieb. (Euphorbiaceae Juss.) on the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan is considered in the article. In the second edition of the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan [2011] this species was included in the regional list of rare species that need biomonitoring – «List of objects of flora and fungi that are not included in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan, but need special attention on the territory of the republic to their state in the natural environment and monitoring». The article provides the following information about the species: morphological description with an indication of the main diagnostic features; modern data on the distribution of the species in the republic; brief ecological and phytocenotic characteristics; features of biology (according to data from literature sources); modern data on the number and state of local population; limiting factors; adopted and recommended protection measures, data on the possibility of preserving the species in culture. On the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan, the species E. glareosa достоверно is known only from one point – the southern shore of Lake Aslikul in the Davlekanovsky district (the territory of the Asly-Kul natural park). In the republic, E. glareosa is a poorly studied species and is located at the edge of the range (at the eastern and northern limits of distribution). The known population is small 50-80 generative individuals). The population is subject to negative anthropogenic and natural influences. The species is poorly resistant to these influences. The species is on the verge of extinction. The data presented in the article fully justify the possibility of excluding the species Euphorbia glareosa Pall. ex Bieb. from the regional list of rare species «List of objects of flora and fungi that are not included in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan, but need special attention on the territory of the republic to their state in the natural environment and monitoring» and including it in «List of objects of flora and fungi listed in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan» (third edition, 2021) (category and status: 1 – endangered species).

At the present time water resources in the Republic of Bashkortostan (Russia) are exposed by negative anthropogenic influence. Natural processes also contribute to the depletion of water resources. The implementation of the water management system raises a number of methodological problems: the uncertainty of the criteria for assessing the ecological status of water bodies; the complexity of the relationship between the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the water body due to the regional natural, anthropogenic, climatic features of the territory. The aim of this study is to development of a method for calculating the risk of water resources depletion. The method was tested on the river Belaya (Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia) catchment area. In calculating of water resources depletion risk several parameters were taken into account in particular: the area of watershed, catchment data of surface water and groundwater, data of land use, the average annual runoff, karst phenomena, vegetation. In this paper we use the method of import of geo data containing the soil composition, vegetation, geological structure and forest to assess the ecological condition of the river Belaya. There are defined the catchment areas of the river Belaya, which required immediate management solutions. Mapping of the Belaya River catchment areas requiring immediate management decisions was carried out.

The first unofficial edition of the “Red Book of the Bashkir ASSR” was published in 1984. This Red Book was very different in structure from modern editions and had no official status. 170 plant species were included in this Red Book. In 1987, it was reissued with minor changes. These editions aroused great interest in the scientific community and significantly stimulated the study of rare species. The first official edition of the Red Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan (RB) in the section “Plants and Fungi” was published in 2 volumes in 2001 and 2002. In the new edition, the list of taxa was significantly revised. About 70 species were excluded and about 100 new species were included. Adhering to the principle of unity of the Red Books of the Russian Federation and regions, a number of spe- cies that are generally rare for Russia, but common in the Republic of Bashkortostan, was included in the Red Book by force. In 2011 and 2021, the 2nd and 3rd official editions of the Red Books of the Republic of Bashkortostan were published, respectively. They critically revised the list composition, included 232 species each, of which only 88 species were included in the 1984 edition. In total, 347 species were included in all editions, which is about 16% of the entire flora of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The Red Books played a huge role in protecting the biodiversity of the republic. They stimulated compre- hensive studies of rare species in many scientific centers. In the conditions of the Botanical Garden, more than 80 species were covered by research, i.e. 30% of the total number of “Red Book” species of the Republic of Bashkortostan. More than 10 botanical and 60 complex natural monuments were created to protect “Red Book” species. The data from the Red Book were widely used in the development of the mapscheme “System of Protect- ed Natural Territories of the Republic of Bashkortostan”, approved by the Government of the Republic of Bash- kortostan in 2004. Since 2002, an annual summary “Maintenance of the Cadastre of Rare and Endangered Species of Higher Vascular Plants of the Republic of Bashkortostan” has been compiled, the materials of which are used for the re- publication of the Red Book.

In the Republic of Bashkortostan, 13 epilithic moss species belonging to the genus Grimmia Hedw. have been found. An annotated list of species with information about the number of findings in different vegetation zones and a brief description of habitat conditions, as well as distribution map of species are provided. In study area, Grimmia species are more common in areas with volcanic rocks outcrops, i. e. the central part and the eastern slope of the Southern Urals, as well as in the Bashkir Trans-Urals. Habitat conditions of G. laevigata, G. longirostris and G. muehlenbeckii differ significantly by temperature and humidity. The species G. plagiopodia G. teretinervis, G. alpestris, G. anomala and G. tergestina are rare in Bashkortostan and recommended to be included in the appendix to the Red Data Book of the republic.