Monitoring of vegetation in the coastal zone of Lake Vshivoe

Abstract

The article presents the results of the current state of flora of the coastal zone of Vshivoe Lake. This is a natural drainless water body at the watershed of the Grachevka and Egorlyk rivers. The composition and structure of plant biodiversity were identified and GPS coordinates for rare and endangered plant species were established. In the course of expeditionary studies of the coastal zone 30 m wide, we observed the disappearance of the water mirror and the increase of steppe vegetation species, the appearance of trees, shrubs. Throughout the entire coastline in the association Phragmites australis + Typha latifolia with a dense projective coverage of 81 to 98% grows 125 species of higher vascular plants belonging to 37 families and 95 genera. The species composition of coastal-water vegetation in 2022, compared to 2014, has decreased by one species, the species composition has changed in favour of weeds, there is afforestation of the territory at the expense of shrubs, they become more to 3-5 pcs per 100 m². Anthropogenic and climatic factors led to an increase in the number of steppe species from 24 to 32 and ruderal species from 17 to 32 species in 2022 compared to 2014. Four species of sedges, Carex riparia, C. melanostachya, C. hordeistichos, C. vulpina, were found and determined from 8 previously discovered rare species of the Red Books of the Russian Federation and Stavropol Krai, were found and determined: Tulipa biebershteiniana, Bellevalia sarmatica, Iris halophila, Iris taurica, Paeonia tenuifolia, Adonis vernalis, Dactylorhiza incarnata, Anemone sylvestris, which is 6.78 % of the floristic composition of the area. It was established that the majority of rare and endangered species populations in natural habitats are growing with a predominance of vegetative and juvenile individuals.