Floristic Region Research Articles

Using fire, planting, and topsoil translocation for restoration in South African Fynbos: assessing the success and cost‐effectiveness of various restoration treatments

The successful restoration of endangered habitat types at a low cost is of vital importance. We tested how successful and cost‐effective six combinations of restoration treatments were in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. Treatments were applied to an area that was primarily covered invasive alien grasses. Treatments that tested combinations of burning, direct sowing of seed, and planting of seedlings, aimed to test the synergistic effect of three treatment factors. Topsoil translocation aimed to determine if this, combined with planting, can restore native shrub cover and whether the addition of mulch and seed can improve overall success. The mechanical removal of invasive grasses, sowing and planting, were tested in the absence of fire. Both topsoil translocation treatments and the treatment that had been burned, sown and planted (“Burn‐sow‐plant”) led to plant species richness resembling near‐pristine plots and approximately 30% higher than the burn‐only treatment (“Burn”). Native shrub cover was the highest for treatments which included planting. Survival for planted species was 36–41% higher for Burn‐sow‐plant. The contribution of sowing was low, with 9–16% of species sowed being present across treatments. We show that topsoil translocation can be successful if combined with planting. Burn‐sow‐plant was most successful at a reasonable cost, despite planting being expensive, whereas Burn and Burn‐sow were less successful, but cheaper. The treatment in which grass was removed before sowing and planting was the least successful and most expensive. We conclude that the most successful treatments are not necessarily the most expensive.

A tough nutlet to crack: Resolving the phylogeny of Thesium (Thesiaceae), the largest genus in Santalales

AbstractWith over 350 species, Thesium is the largest genus in Santalales. It is found on all continents except Antarctica; however, its highest diversity is in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa where approximately half the species occur. Thesium samples of ca. 590 collections from throughout its entire geographic range were obtained and nuclear ribosomal ITS sequenced from 396 accessions representing 196 named taxa and 30 currently unnamed taxa for a total of ca. 230 species. In addition, two chloroplast genome spacers (trnDT, trnLF) were sequenced from 269 and 315 accessions, respectively. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods were employed to generate gene trees and infer phylogenies. The value of the morphological characters traditionally used in the taxonomy of the genus and previous infrageneric classifications are discussed. Broad scale relationships were generally congruent among the ITS and the chloroplast trees. For example, both the nuclear and chloroplast trees support the presence of Eurasian and African clades. In contrast, major incongruence was detected between nuclear and chloroplast trees for a number of taxa including the recently described T. nautimontanum that is sister to the entire African clade on the ITS tree. Although the causes of this incongruence are currently unknown, a novel form of chloroplast capture is hypothesized. A hypothesis of the biogeographical history of the genus based on our molecular phylogeny is presented.

Ecological-cenotic analysis of the flora of the north-western part of the Altai-Sayan floristic province

Ecological-cenotic analysis of the flora of the north-western part of the Altai-Sayan floristic province

A.P. Khokhrjakov and the botanical geography of the Okhotsk-Kolyma Region

The Magadan period in life and scientific career of the remarkable botanist A.P. Khokhrjakov is described. He devoted a significant part of his creative life to this mountainous harsh, but amazing edge of our country. Botanical geography became one of the focuses among a wide range of his scientifi c interests during that period of intensive study of flora and vegetation of the vast mountainous territories of the Magadan region and neighboring territories. A deep multidimensional analysis of flora with the allocation of its geographical and genetic elements together with a thorough attention to the endemic and relict species, became an outcome of these studies. That basis allowed him to approach an understanding of the formation and development of the flora of various regions, making his original contribution to the development of botanical, geographical and floral zoning of Northeast Asia. Numerous publications by A.P. Khokhrjakov remain in demand and serve as necessary sources of information on this complex and distinctive mountain flora.

Shall we promote natural history collection today?—Answered by reviewing Ernest Henry Wilson’s plant collection process in China

Plant diversity exploration needs to be accelerated because many species will go extinct before their discovery and description, and many species-rich regions remain poorly studied. However, most contemporary plant collections prefer to focus on a specific group, which hinders the exploration and conservation of plant diversity. Therefore, we need an alternative approach to the dilemma at hand. The comprehensive Natural History Collection (NHC), which existed throughout the pinnacle of biodiversity exploration in the 20th century could be considered. We explore Ernest Henry Wilson’s (one of the most successful naturalists in the 20th) plant collections in China as a case to illustrate the advantages of NHC and discuss whether NHC deserves to be promoted again today. From multiple sources, we gathered 19,218 available specimen records of 11,884 collecting numbers assigned and analyzed the collected species, the collection's nature, and restored four routes of his explorations. Results reveal that Wilson's specimens were collected from 28 prefecture-level cities and 38 county-level regions of 7 provinces or municipalities, they belong to 200 families, 1046 genera, 3794 species, and 342 infraspecific taxa, approximately 41 %, 22 %, 10 %, 5 % of Chinese plant families, genera, species, and infraspecific taxa respectively. The Wilson case study shows that NHC is particularly effective in emphasizing species discovery and conservation, recording ecological information, understanding a region's flora, and developing landscape applications. Therefore, we strongly advocate for the expansion of natural history collections in species-rich regions. Furthermore, we recommend the employment of specialized collectors, the enlistment of international cooperation, and the standardization of guidelines for future NHCs.

Survey of the apocynaceae family in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil deposited in Recife herbaria

The Apocynaceae Juss. family is dispersed throughout the tropical and subtropical zones of the world, considered one of the largest families of angiosperms. Diverse, its individuals are trees, shrubs, herbs, and lianas. In Brazil, it occurs in all its biomes, with the Atlantic Forest being the most expressive. In the states of Pernambuco and Paraíba, the most found genera are Allamanda, Aspidosperma, Mandevilla, and Plumeria. The aim of this study was to survey the species of Apocynaceae recorded in the state of Pernambuco through the cataloging of herbaria in the city of Recife-PE. Visits were made to the herbaria to observe the collected species and verify the list found in the digital collection of SpeciesLink using the accession numbers. The catalog obtained from the collection was organized in an Excel spreadsheet to construct a table and graph that demonstrate the most frequent genera and species. A total of 1968 species of Apocynaceae are recorded in the herbaria of the city of Recife, with the most prominent genera being Mandevilla, Aspidosperma, Allamanda, Himatanthus, Tabernaemontana, and Rauvolfia. The high frequency of appearance of certain genera in Pernambuco is evident when comparing the records of this study with the existing literature. Therefore, it is of great importance to conduct research focused on the family and its representatives to better understand the region's flora and further explore the potential of this family.

A past–present–future lens of environmental change: blending applied paleoecology and participatory system dynamics modeling at a conservation site in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa

Landscapes are social–ecological systems (SESs) that produce ecosystem services, which change over time in response to environmental, biotic, and social drivers. Failure to consider this variability, and the feedbacks that can stabilize or destabilize systems, can have consequences for sustainable ecosystem services provision. This study applies a conceptual meta-framework, past–present–future lens, to interpret changes in land cover and ecosystem services within the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) of South Africa. Paleoecology (fossil pollen, spores, and charcoal) and participatory system dynamics modeling were used to explore long-term variability in provisioning ecosystem services (plant biodiversity) and the drivers of this variability (fire and herbivory) at Elandsberg Private Nature Reserve (Elandsberg PNR). From ca. 1800s, the paleoecological record suggests that environmental changes, particularly a transition to unpalatable Elytropappus-dominated vegetation, were driven by grazing and that an ecological threshold was crossed in ca. 1950s due to agricultural intensification. Participatory system dynamics was used to identify feedbacks in the dynamic SES structure. The ecological model replicates the paleoecological results and, furthermore, suggests that in the future, returning the system to within historical ranges variability may require sustained reductions in both grazing and fire over decades. This innovative approach blends paleoecology and participatory system dynamics to provide an evidence-based understanding of temporal variability and feedbacks for policymakers and land-use managers to inform sustainable land management.

Berberis aquifolium Pursh - New Species for the Flora of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan

Geobotanical, floristic, systematic, ecological studies were carried out to study the flora and vegetation of the administrative regions of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. The purpose of the study was to study flora and vegetation, to look for new taxa of wild and cultivated flora of the region. Before our research (1970), in the flora of Nakhchivan the Berberidaceae family was represented by only 3 species of the Berberis genus: B. integerrima Bunge, B. iberica Steven, B. vulgaris L. During long-term (1970-2023) research, we identified 3 more species: B. heteropoda Schrenk, B. thunbergii f. atropurpurea and during the expedition on May 10, 2023, the species Berberis aquifolium Pursh was found. It was introduced as a highly ornamental shrub. Thus, based on literary sources and the results of our research, it has been established that 14 wild and cultivated species (and two forms) of barberry are widespread in Azerbaijan. During the research, attention was paid to the habitat conditions of the newly identified taxa, their morphobiological, useful and bioecological features were studied for further rational use. Barberry species are valuable useful plants. Because of the research, it is recommended to create plantations of industrial importance for rational, long-term use, improve, increase productivity, and protect natural thickets and their populations.

Improved Understanding of the Macrofungal Diversity of Mongolia: Species Richness, Conservation Status, and An Annotated Checklist

In this study, we updated and revised the checklist of macrofungi, along with the distribution of phytogeographical regions and the regional conservation status in Mongolia. The checklist comprises 677 macrofungal species belonging to 284 genera and 119 families in the country. Based on previous studies, 18 species are currently invasive to Mongolia. In this checklist, only four species are endemic to Mongolia. Among the 677 species, the regional conservation status of 51 species was previously assessed as threatened in the country. Furthermore, we collected all available occurrence records from various sources. A total of 4733 occurrences of 655 species across Mongolia were analyzed for species richness based on a 0.5° × 0.5° grid cell size. We found the records to be unevenly distributed across Mongolia, where records from the northern and central parts dominate. Among these, we identified 43 grids with a high diversity of macrofungal species. Most of these grids did not reside inside by protected geographical areas.

Revision of Seriphium plumosum (Gnaphalieae: Asteraceae) in southern Africa with description of new species in Seriphium

Seriphium plumosum L. from southern Africa has been shown to comprise at least seven distinct species based on analysis of morphological, environmental, and multilocus DNA sequence data. On that evidence, Stoebe burchellii Levyns, Stoebe virgata Thunb., and Stoebe vulgaris Levyns are reinstated in Seriphium, and four new species are described, viz., Seriphium alto-argillaceum Z.Shaik, Se. burrowsii Z.Shaik, Se. crypticum Z.Shaik, and Se. dunensis Z.Shaik. Four of these species are endemic to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa, and one is so far known from a single high-elevation locality. We present a key to species in the Seriphium plumosum complex, and for each species provide a formal description with accompanying images, typification and synonymy, with distribution maps based on verified field-collected and herbarium specimens.

The faunistic diversity of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the South African Cape Floristic Kingdom

Spider species distribution in the Cape Floristic Kingdom (CFK) was compiled as part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA), whose main aim was to create a relational database for the country’s arachnid fauna. Data from the CFK was extracted from taxonomic and faunistic published papers, as well as unpublished faunistic survey data in national collections. A total of 11 500 records from 130 localities were recorded in the CFK until the end of 2023, representing 62 families, 334 genera and 960 species, with two further families (Synotaxidae and Theridiosomatidae) only known from undescribed species. This represents 42.4% of the total spider fauna of South Africa. For each species, the global and CFK distribution, as well as the level of endemicity and a conservation assessment using the IUCN Red List criteria, are provided. A total of 269 spp. (28.0%) are endemic to the CFK, 49 spp. (5.1%) are of special concern, and 229 spp. (23.9%) are Data Deficient. However, most of the species (682 spp., 71.0%) have a wide distribution with no known threats and are categorised as Least Concern. Salticidae is the most species-rich family (128 spp.), with 30 spp. endemic to the CFK, followed by the Gnaphosidae (107 spp.), Thomisidae (86 spp.) and Lycosidae (49 spp.), while six families are represented by a single species. The last decade has seen an exponential growth in the knowledge of spiders in South Africa, and there are certainly many more species that must still be discovered and described.

Ecosystem education in the outdoor learning: influence on the formation of value orientations towards regional flora

Ecosystem education in the outdoor learning: influence on the formation of value orientations towards regional flora

Hemeroby assessment of the flora of the north-western part of the Altai-Sayan province

Based on the regional flora studied by the authors (north-western part of the Altai-Sayan floristic province, subdivided into 13 operational botanical-geographical regions), an assessment of the degree of transformation of territories at the level of large units of the rank of botanical-geographical regions according to the structure of hemeroby tolerance of their floristic composition was made. This study revealed a rather close relationship between the distribution of species by ecological-coenotic groups and hemeroby classes. These indicators can be used for floristic zoning and assessing the level of anthropogenic transformation of flora.

Висшата флора на рида Венеца (Столова планина) над град Белоградчик (Северозападна България) и съдържащите се в нея лечебни растения

As a result of a field research performed of the vascular flora of the Venetsa Hill (Stolova mountain), which flora falls within the Balkan Foothill floristic region, there were 80 vascular species of 72 genera and 33 families established. Out of these 80 species, 38 were determined to be medicinal plants. Two species have been determined to be with Critical endangered (CR) status: Eranthis bulgaricus Stef. and Galanthus elwesii Hook. f. and one species was determined to be with category Vulnerable (VU): Melica altissima L. There are 10 tertiary relicts: Acer campestre L., A. monspessulanum L., Betula pendula Roth, Carpinus orientalis Mill., Corylus avellana L., Fraxinus ornus L., Syringa vulgaris L., Eranthis bulgaricus Stef., Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana (Lamb.) Holmboe, Populus tremula L. One quaternary relict is Sternbergia colchiciflora Waldst. & Kit.

TAXONOMIC DIVERSITY OF THE RANUNCULACEAE FAMILY IN THE TOBOL-ISHIM AND TURGAI FLORISTIC DISTRICTS OF KAZAKHSTAN

The purpose of the work is to assess the taxonomic diversity of the Ranunculaceae family in the Tobol-Ishim and Turgai floristic regions of Kazakhstan. The work is based on the results of field research (2018-2023), conducted using the traditional route reconnaissance method. Herbarium materials on this family stored in institutions were critically examined: Herbarium of the Institute of Botany and Phytointroduction, Almaty (AA), Herbarium of the Pedagogical Institute named after. U. Sultangazina, Kostanay (KSPI); MSU, Moscow (MW); Herbarium of Higher Plants of the Botanical Institute named after. V. L. Komarova (LE); Herbarium of the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Yekaterinburg (SVER).

Tall-forbs vegetation of the class Filipendulo-Artemisietea montanae Ohba 1973 from Kamchatka, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands

We describe three new associations and two subassociations of the previously known association of the tall-forb vegetation class Filipendulo–Artemisietea montanae Ohba 1973 from Kamchatka, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands. The association Cirsio kamtschaticae–Reynoutrietum sachalinensis Ohba 1973 nom. mut. was originally described on Hokkaido, and we recognised the subassociations typicum and urticietosum platyphyllae within it. Besides Hokkaido, communities of this association are also present on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. The association Aconito umbrosi–Koenigietum weyrichii ass. nov. is described from vegetation data collected in the mountainous regions of northern Sakhalin (the East Sakhalin Mountains), where communities form in the narrow valleys of mountain springs and streams with long-melting snow deposits. Communities of the association Symplocarpo renifolii–Petasietum gigantei ass. nov. are known from the Krillion Peninsula (southwestern Sakhalin) and nearby Moneron Island. A specific floristic and physiognomic feature of these communities is the layer of Symplocarpus renifolius under the canopy of giant forb species. The association Veratro oxysepali–Filipenduletosum camtschaticae ass. nov. unites tall-forb communities of Kamchatka. In these tall-forb thickets, common species are found in more southern territories, such as Artemisia montana and Petasites japonicus subsp. giganteus, as well as other species of the East Asian floristic region, are not present.

Composition and antioxidant potential of essential oil of Geranium macrorrhizum L. from different regions of Bulgaria

The common geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum L.) is the economically most important species of the genus Geranium, and is highly valued for its fragrance and medicinal properties. Object of the present study is the essential oil (EO) prepared by hydro-distillation of aerial parts and rhizomes of common geranium from four floristic regions of the country. Its quality was determined by GC-MS analysis. The antioxidant potential of G. macrorrhizum was evaluated by the DPPH method. Forty-two compounds were identified. In the EOs from the aerial parts, the compound in the most quantity was the sesquiterpene germacrone (from 51.41 to 62.58 %). In the EOs from the rhizomes, this compound was only 5.80-8.94%. The most common ingredient of the rhizome EO was another sesquiterpene: cis-β-elemenone in a quantity from 45.20 to 50.64%. Other nine compounds were present only in the rhizome samples, among which the sesquiterpene globulol was found in good quantities: 15.71 – 15.90%. Monoterpenes like α-terpinene and phellandrene, and sesquiterpenes like eudesm-11-en-4α,6α-diol and eudesm-7(11)-en-4-ol acetate were detected only in some EOs from the aerial parts. The radical scavenging potentials of the EOs were from 33.15 to 41.79 µmol TE/100 µg EO, the rhizome samples showing weaker antioxidant potential compared to the aerial parts. Pearson correlation coefficients between the main ingredients of the EOs from the aerial parts and the radical scavenging potential pointed to the strongest impact of germacrene A on thе antioxidant value. The large differences in the results are due to the different agro-ecological conditions under which the plants were grown.

Geobotanical characteristics of plant communities with participation of rare species Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.

The article gives a geobotanical description and a floristic analysis of communities with the participation of the rare and relict species Alnus glutinosa in condition of Aktobe region. The aim of the study is to provide a geobotanical assessment of the current status of a rare, relict species of the Alnus glutinosa population, which was included in the Red Data Book of Kazakhstan. At present, the flora of the Aktobe region is not sufficiently studied. Conservation of the biodiversity of the Aktobe region flora is one of the most topical issues. In Aktobe region, due to the lack of grazing, felling of trees, using as fuel and the emergence of uncontrolled tourism and at the same time due to the lack of natural renewal of the area, these consequences lead to a quantitative reduction in the species. In this regard, it is necessary to study the species and organize protection and conservation measures. The results of the study showed that the plant Alnus glutinosa is rarely found in the flora of Kazakhstan and also the distribution areas are reduced. Of the three investigated points, plants from 24 families were identified. Plant communities of Alnus glutinosa are being studied for the first time in the Aktobe region. For the first time in the conditions of the Aktobe region, the habitat of black alder was discovered. The floral composition of plant communities of Alnus glutinosa grown in various ecological environments was revealed, the ratio of life forms and phytocenotic features were studied for the first time. In addition, alder felt mite and ground bug, damaging black alder, were identified from 3 studied populations. It has been established that the main reason for the spread of this pest is a very strong moistening of the ground on which sticky Alder grows. Results sequencing showed that the DNA sample under study belongs to the fungus Alternaria alternata.

«КӨКШЕТАУ» МҰТП «ОРМАНДЫ БҰЛАҚ» ФИЛИАЛЫНЫҢ ФЛОРА КОНСПЕКТІСІ

This article presents a summary of the flora and the results of the floristic analysis of plants growing on the territory of the «Kokshetau» state national natural park of the «Ormandy bulak» branch. During the study, the following signs of vegetation were identified: habitat in the study area; classification of life forms by K. Raunkier and I.G. Serebryakov; ecological group in relation to moisture; economic signifi-cance. A taxonomic analysis was also carried out and the ratio of genera and species was determined. The flora of the «Ormandy bulak» branch of the «Kokshetau» SNNP has 56 species, 54 genera and 27 families. The leading genera include Rosaceae Juss., Asteraceae Dumort, Ranunculaceae Juss., FabaceaeLindl. and Plantaginaceae Juss. Rubus L. and Galium L. they are the dominant genera. In addition, spe-cies listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan have been identified, these are Pulsatilla patens (L.) Mill. and Adonis vernalis L. In order to preserve the full biological diversity, and not only endangered species, it is necessary to assess the current state of regional flora and vegetation diversity, assess their structure and prospects for rational use.

Macrófitas da microbacia do rio Capitão Poço, Amazônia Oriental, Brasil: composição florística e chave de identificação para as espécies

ABSTRACT We aimed to characterize the floristic composition, detect the life forms, and provide an identification key for the macrophyte species of the Capitão Poço river micro-basin in the State of Pará, located in the Eastern Amazon. The collected specimens were identified and deposited in the HCP herbarium. We found 23 species distributed in 19 genera and 14 families of macrophytes. The families with the highest species richness were Cyperaceae (six spp.), Poaceae (three spp.), Onagraceae and Plantaginaceae (two spp. each). We present here the first record of Dichanthelium aequivaginatum from the Brazilian Amazon and the Northern region of Brazil. We suggest that floristic-taxonomic studies of macrophytes in the hydrographic basins of the northeastern region of Pará should be intensified in order to better understand the regional flora of this group.