New locations of rare species in the flora of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic

Abstract

Various types of forest and meadow plant communities of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic (CentralCaucasus) from the steppes to the alpine were examined by the route method during floristic investigations in 2018–2019. New locations of five rare species of vascular plants of the region natural flora were found (Picea orientalis (L.)Peterm., Taxus baccata L., Betula raddeana Trautv., Acer trautvetteri Medw., Eriophorum angustifolium Honck.). Exactlocations for another five rare species within the previously designated areas were also identified (Pojarkovia pojarkovae(Schischk.) Greuter., Scopolia carniolica Jacq., Hypericum nummularioides Trautv., Securigera orientalis(Mill.) Lassen,Galanthus alpinus Sosn.). The article presents the data on the floristic finds, indicating the coordinates of specific locations,species habitat preferences in region, the number of populations, the species distribution in the Caucasus, and informationof inclusion in the Red Books of adjacent regions. The rarest vascular plant species for the native flora of the KabardinoBalkar Republic are Galanthus alpinus, Scopolia carniolica, Pojarkovia pojarkovae. All three species were revealed inmountain territories subject to high recreational (trampling by tourists, picking up flowers) and economic (grazing) loads.All three species were revealed in mountain territories. The findings of isolated populations of Picea orientalis, Taxus baccata, Betula raddeana, Acer trautvetteri provided new information about the distribution and ecology of these rarespecies listed in the latest edition of regional Red Data Book. For these species, the categories of rarity status acceptedin the Red Book of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic are confirmed. Galanthus alpinus, Scopolia carniolica, Pojarkoviapojarkovae, Hypericum nummularioides, Securigera orientalis, Eriophorum angustifolium are proposed for inclusion inthe next edition of the Kabardino-Balkar Red Data Book. The most endangered state was identified for Picea orientalis,for which only two habitats in the region are reliably known and those are subject to intense anthropogenic impact.