The specific features of the reproductive biology of the rare species Gueldenstaedtia monophilla Fisch. (Fabaceae)

Inessa Selyutina,Davaajav Darikhand,Elena Konichenko,Natalia Igay

doi:10.1051/bioconf/20213800111

Inessa Selyutina, Davaajav Darikhand + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/20213800111

Copy DOI

Abstract

The seed production of the rare species Gueldenstaedtia monophylla has been investigated in 19 coenotic populations in the territories of Russia (Central Altai) and Mongolia (the north-western part). G. monophylla reproduces exclusively by seeds and is characterized by the low number and density of the plants in the populations. Its populations have a high proportion of generative plants: from 31 to 84% from the total number of the plants. The plants of G. monophylla have a small number of generative shoots, varying from 1 to 6 per plant. The number of flowers on the plants is low, too, and varies in the populations on average from 1.2 to 15.3 per plant. The potential seed production (PSP) varies considerably from 13.5 to 308.6 ovules per plant. The real seed production is much lower, to constitute from 6.2 to 74.5 seeds per plant. The low seed production, fructification that occurs not every year, and scanty populations make the species vulnerable.

Highlights

Gueldenstaedtia monophylla is a rare species which occurs in the alpine-steppe zone of central, rarer south-eastern Altay, in Tuva and in Mongolia
G. monophylla is in the Red Book of RF [4] with the status of 3 (R) – a rare species, and in the Red Book of Mongolia [5], with the rarity category being B2ab (iii)
Seed preproduction is the only way of reproduction and spread of this species

Summary

Introduction

Gueldenstaedtia monophylla is a rare species which occurs in the alpine-steppe zone of central, rarer south-eastern Altay, in Tuva and in Mongolia. G. monophylla has a disjunctive habitat covering arid low-mountain and middle-mountain terrains of Central Asia. The species grows on dry stony and rubble-covered slopes, on rocks and rocky alluvial deposits, outcrops of limestones, on sand of low thickness and on saliferous pebble beaches [1, 2, 3]. G. monophylla is in the Red Book of RF [4] with the status of 3 (R) – a rare species, and in the Red Book of Mongolia [5], with the rarity category being B2ab (iii). The habitat of this species is relatively small, as well as the number of preserved populations. The peculiar biology of this species, the narrow environmental range, and the increased anthropogenic load on the habitats – all these factors lead to the risk of local reduction and extinction of individual populations and jeopardize the species as a whole

Objectives

Methods

Results