Diversity and dynamics of hydrophilic flora of Lowland Polissya (on the example of the Sluch River basin)

Y Grokhovska,V Volodymyrets,S Konontsev

doi:10.15421/012138

Abstract

Study and analysis of hydrophilic flora diversity are important parts of environmental research due to various functions of vascular macrophytes in freshwater ecosystems, which deteriorate under the influence of anthropogenic activity and climate change. The aim of this study is to analyze the hydrophilic flora diversity (taxa, biology, ecology, and conservation status of species) and current population trends in the Sluch River basin, the largest tributary of the Horyn River (the Pripyat River basin), within the Polissya Lowland in the northern-west region of Ukraine. The list of hydrophilic flora is based on materials of the authors’ field researches in 2014–2020 within the upper and middle parts of the river basin, herbarium materials, and archive data. The study shows that the natural flora consists at least of 105 species of vascular plants belonging to 66 genera, 36 families, and 22 orders. Structural analysis shows the predominance of a few families in the systematic structure of the flora (Cyperaceae, Potamogetonaceae, Poaceae, Ranunculaceae, Plantaginaceae, and Typhaceae) and genera (Potamogeton, Carex); the dominant categories are hemicryptophytes and geophytes, entomophiles and anemophiles, heliophytes and hygrohelophytes. C- and S-strategists are dominant. This is the generally typical taxonomic and ecological structure of the hydrophilic flora of water bodies in the Pripyat River basin. The list of rare species includes 20 species from 15 genera and 12 families, for instance, species listed as vulnerable in The Red Book of Ukraine (Juncus bulbosus, Utricularia intermedia, Nymphoides peltata). Even rare and vulnerable species can form numerous populations in some localities, for example, Nymphoides peltata and Calla palustris. Five alien species were identified (Acorus calamus, Elodea canadensis, Zizania latifolia, Bidens frondosa, and Echinocystis lobata), some of which tend to expand and displace aboriginal species. In the future, it will be important to further study the structure and changes in the hydrophilic flora of the region under conditions of anthropogenic impact, to monitor the dynamics of populations of alien species, and to develop conservation measures for rare species and communities.

Highlights

Vascular macrophytes perform various functions in aquatic ecosystems: the plants synthesize primary organic matter, release oxygen into water, and fix atmospheric carbon; they are an organic substrate for river biocenoses generally
The natural hydrophilic flora of the river basin consists of at least of 105 species of vascular plants, which belong to 66 genera and 36 families (Table 2)
This study has shown that spontaneous hydrophilic flora of the Sluch River basin turned out to be relatively rich and typical for such water bodies in terms of taxonomic and ecological structure (Dubyna et al, 1993; Papchenkov, 2000, 2001; Chambers et al, 2008)

Summary

Introduction

Vascular macrophytes perform various functions in aquatic ecosystems: the plants synthesize primary organic matter, release oxygen into water, and fix atmospheric carbon; they are an organic substrate for river biocenoses generally. Communities of vascular aquatic plants are highly productive centers of biodiversity (French & Chambers, 1996; Gross et al, 2001; Grenouillet et al, 2002; Elser et al, 2007), create heterogeneous conditions in the aquatic environment and, increase the number of ecological niches for animals, allow prey to avoid contact with predators (Harrel & Dibble, 2001; Rennie & Jackson, 2005; Dibble et al, 2006; Casartelli & Ferragut, 2018; Law et al, 2019). The analysis of the dynamics of distribution of rare and alien plant species is an important component of phytomonitoring of water bodies, with the ultimate goal of regulating their numbers and preventing negative changes (Protopopova et al, 2006; Bilz et al, 2011; The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2014; Fleming & Dibble, 2015)

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