Siberian Plant Research Articles

Comparative Analysis of Foliar Diseases of Some Native and Non-Native Tree Species in Belarus and Siberia

Urban green spaces are known to be subjected to additional anthropogenic stress. Using native plants in monoculture, i.e., planting trees of the same species, may favour disease outbreaks and plant death. Non-native plants to be used in large cities for creating sustainable plantations are being searched for worldwide. Meanwhile, it is necessary to control plant pathogens in the variable conditions of the region and natural habitat. In Siberian cities, non-native European trees are used, and non-native Siberian plants are introduced in Belarus. This article reports long-term observations of foliar fungal pathogens attacking 21 woody plants (19 European, 2 Siberian) in Siberian and Belarusian cities. In both regions, 48 leaf fungal pathogens were detected, with powdery mildew fungi predominating in Belarus and leaf spotting fungi prevailing in Siberia. In both research regions, the greatest number of fungal species was found on Syringa vulgaris L. In Siberia, many pathogens were found on the non-native European plant Berberis vulgaris (9 species) and native plant Caragana arborescens Lam. (8 species). We have not detected the pathogens on European plants: Acer campestre L., Acer platanoides L., Euonymus europaeus L., Lonicera caprifolium L. in urban green areas in Siberia, while we have identified one to four foliar fungal pathogens on these plants in Belarus. To sum up: more pathogens were found on native plants in Siberia and Belarus; some leaf pathogen species (Sawadaea tulasnei (Fuckel) Homma, Erysiphe alphitoides (Griffon & Maubl.) U. Braun & S. Takam., Cladosporium syringae (Oudem.) Montem., Erysiphe syringae Schwein., Erysiphe palczewskii (Jacz.) U. Braun & S. Takam.) followed their host plants (Acer tataricum L., Syringa vulgaris L., Caragana arborescens Lam.) when introduced into new areas; and some local pathogens were also observed to spread to the non-native plants of closely related species.

Продолжительность жизненного цикла и зимостойкость древесных интродуцентов в сухостепной зоне Хакасии

The introduction of woody plants began in Siberia in the middle of the 18th century. We aimed at determining the limiting factors affecting the life expectancy and winter hardiness of introduced plants of different geographical origin in the dry-steppe zone of the Republic of Khakassia. The research objects of were plants of different geographical origin and age, growing in the arboretum of the Research Institute of Agricultural Problems of Khakassia. Long-term studies have identified the plants with the highest life expectancy from the flora of Siberia, such as Larix sibirica Ledeb., Pinus sylvestris L., Caragana frutex (L.) C. Koch.; trees from the flora of other regions, such as Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim., Crataegus maximowiczii Schneid., Salix babylonica L., Larix leptolepis (Sieb. et Zucc.) Gord., Morus alba L., Acer Semenovii Rgl. et Herd., A. tataricum L., Fraxinus lanceolata Borkh., A. negundo L. and shrubs, such as Corylus heterophylla Fisch. ex Trautv., Berberis tibetica Schneid., B. sphaerocarpa Kar. et Kir., Philadelphus caucasicus Koehne, Syringa Josikaea Jacq., S. vulgaris L., Eleagnus argentea Pursh. The majority of winter-resistant species are of Siberian (80 % of them are hardy) and Far Eastern (60 %) origin. The main limiting factors affecting the life expectancy of Siberian plants are found: low winter hardiness and noncompliance of edaphic conditions with the biology of the studied species; for non-regional species (in addition to the above mentioned) – low atmospheric humidity during flowering and early completion of the life cycle. The dependence of plant resistance in dry conditions on its geographical origin and ecological group has been found. The most adapted to local conditions of the dry-steppe zone of the Republic of Khakassia were representatives of Siberian and Far East flora.

On Amateurism in the 18th-Century Russian Science: The Case of Grigory Demidov and His Garden in Solikamsk

This article describes the case of Grigory Demidov from the dynasty of the wealthiest industrialists in 18th-century Russia, with an emphasis on his scientific amateurism and contribution to botany. Summarizing the literature on Demidov as a “botanophile”, the article offers a rethinking of the process of formation of his botanical interests. In line with the nobility’s tradition, Grigory set out to create a “paradise” with exotic plants on his estate in the Ural city of Solikamsk. There is a widespread historiographic belief that Demidov’s fascination with botany emerged due to Georg Steller, the naturalist with the Second Kamchatka Expedition, who had allegedly stayed in Solikamsk in 1739 en route to Siberia. However, our comparison of the archival sources and materials concerning Steller’s journey casts doubt on this hypothesis. On the contrary, in his letter to the botanist T. Gerber, written during the same period, Demidov recounted his experience of collecting endemic plants, including medicinal herbs, his desire to learn more about their taxonomy and nomenclature. Grigory’s amateur interest in the “science of plants” and his pharmaceutical skills were noted by Academicians G. F. Müller and I. G. Gmelin, who visited Solikamsk in 1742. Therefore, it is no coincidence that Steller, on the way back to St. Petersburg, in the spring of 1746 stayed with Demidov to salvage the plants collected during the Expedition. After Steller’s sudden death, Grigory became the owner of a vast collection of rare Kamchatka and Siberian plants. This collection enabled Demidov to begin exchanging seeds with professional botanists, primarily with Carl Linnaeus, in 1748. His correspondence with Linnaeus demonstrates an impressive progress in Grigory’s botanical experience and knowledge. The article argues that Grigory Demidov’s fascination with botany arose when he collected and cultivated ornamental and medicinal plants on his own. Professional botanists had only guided this process but had not initiated it. Nevertheless, Grigory Demidov’s amateur skills and scientific aspirations allow to place his name among the major actors in botany. Even Linnaeus himself had mentioned Demidov’s contribution to botany in his world-famous treatise, Species plantarum.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ РАСТИТЕЛЬНОГО ПОКРОВА БИОЛОГИЧЕСКОГО ЗАКАЗНИКА «МАЙСКИЙ»

The projected reserve in the Maya River basin represents typical intact ecosystems of the Western Okhotsk region, consisted of larch, cedar and alder-dwarf communities. Spruce forests are marked by fragments and are interspersed in vegetation along stream valleys and leeward slopes. The basin of the Maya Polovinnaya River is located in the contact area of the Okhotsk-Kamchatka, East Siberian, Ural-Siberian and, to a lesser extent, Manchurian flora. Mountains of the Maisky, Ushkansky and Atagsky ranges include plant communities of high latitudes (Arctic) and plants circumpolarly distributed in Europe, Asia and North America. The main core of the flora is formed by Okhotsk-Kamchatka plants of Beringian origin and East Siberian plants that arose on the ancient uplift of the Angarid continent. On the one hand, this determines the species diversity, and, on the other hand, it makes many plant communities unstable. Over 45% of taxa are at the limit of their distribution.

Siberian plants in the collection «Alpine Slides» in the Peter the Great Botanical Garden of Komarov Botanical Institute of RAS

The article assesses the richness of the collection fund of Siberian plants that grew in the historical periodfrom 1954 to 1963 and grow in the modern period from 2011 to 2020 in the collection “Alpine Slides” of the Peter the GreatBotanical Garden. The main purpose of this article was to assess the preservation of the collection fund of Siberian andpartly Central Asian plants in the historical aspect. It was necessary to identify the plant species that are most resistant tocultivation in the conditions of St. Petersburg. As a result of the comparison, it was found that at present the collection fundof plants is quite poor, compared to the selected historical segment, and it needs to be replenished. The most stable in thecollection were 22 species, as they existed in the collection both in the selected time periods and exist at the present time.The age of individuals of individual species reaches almost 80 years – Brunnera sibirica, Bergenia × ornata, Actaea dahurica,A. simicifuga, Nepeta sibirica, Spodiopogon sibiricus and others. In the modern period of time, more than 20 species didnot pass the initial introduction test and existed in the collection for no more than 2–3 years. These include Viola altaica,Mertensia sibirica, Peucedanum baicalense, Orostachys thyrsiflora and others.

Siberian plants shift their phenology in response to climate change.

Siberia has undergone dramatic climatic changes due to global warming in recent decades. Yet, the ecological responses to these climatic changes are still poorly understood due to a lack of data. Here, we use a unique data set from the Russian 'Chronicles of Nature' network to analyse the long-term (1976-2018) phenological shifts in leaf out, flowering, fruiting and senescence of 67 common Siberian plant species. We find that Siberian boreal forest plants advanced their early season (leaf out and flowering) and mid-season (fruiting) phenology by -2.2, -0.7 and -1.6days/decade, and delayed the onset of senescence by 1.6days/decade during this period. These mean values, however, are subject to substantial intraspecific variability, which is partly explained by the plants' growth forms. Trees and shrubs advanced leaf out and flowering (-3.1 and -3.3. days/decade) faster than herbs (-1day/decade), presumably due to the more direct exposure of leaf and flower buds to ambient air for the woody vegetation. For senescence, we detected a reverse pattern: stronger delays in herbs (2.1days/decade) than in woody plants (1.0-1.2days/decade), presumably due to the stronger effects of autumn frosts on the leaves of herbs. Interestingly, the timing of fruiting in all four growth forms advanced at similar paces, from 1.4days/decade in shrubs to 1.7days/decade in trees and herbs. Our findings point to a strong, yet heterogeneous, response of Siberian plant phenology to recent global warming. Furthermore, the results highlight that species- and growth form-specific differences among study species could be used to identify plants particularly at risk of decline due to their low adaptive capacity or a loss of synchronization with important interaction partners.

«Имена собственные отдельных сибирских растений»: выставка Ботанического музея Сибири

«Имена собственные отдельных сибирских растений»: выставка Ботанического музея Сибири

Secondary metabolites in in vitro cultures of Siberian medicinal plants: Content, antioxidant properties, and antimicrobial characteristics

Introduction. Wild-crafting leads to the local extinction of many medicinal plants that are rich in phenolic substances. In vitro cultivation of cells and organs of higher plants can be the optimal solution to this problem. The research objective was to study the biosynthetic activity of in vitro extracts of wild Siberian plants.
 Study objects and methods. The study featured callus, cell suspension, and hairy root extracts of such Siberian medicinal plants as Eleutherococcus senticosus, Codonopsis pilosula, Platanthera bifolia, and Saposhnikovia divaricata. They were obtained by in vitro cultivation using modified nutrient media of Murashige and Skoog and Gamborg. The content of secondary metabolites was studied using the methods of thin-layer and high-performance liquid chromatography. A set of in vitro experiments tested the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the extracts.
 Results and discussion. All the samples demonstrated a high content of secondary metabolites of phenolic nature. Flavonoglycosides, apigenin, and rutin were found to be the predominant biologically active substances in the callus extracts. Flavonoglycosides dominated in the suspension extracts. The root extracts contained more caffeic acid, rutin, ecdysteroids, quercetin, apigenin, cardiofolin, and coleofolide than the callus and suspension cultures. The list of prevailing secondary metabolites in the root extracts included rutin, apigenin, coleofolide, and quercetin. All the extracts showed antimicrobial and antioxidant activity.
 Conclusion. All the extracts demonstrated good antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Therefore, they can be used for the production of pharmaceuticals and biologically active food supplements as they can be helpful against infectious diseases, as well as oncological, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases linked to oxidative stress.

Siberian Plants and Natural Mineral Salts for Dietary Supplements

Siberian Plants and Natural Mineral Salts for Dietary Supplements

Hemeroby and homotoneity of plant communities: can we detect evident codependencies?

The results of codependency analysis of 9 qualitative and 4 quantitative measures of plant communities homotoneity with statuses of their naturalness based on the application of the indicator value scale of hemeroby tolerance of South Siberian plants are presented. The highest correlation with level of naturalness was performed by qualitative multiplace measure of similarity by Jaccard.

Substantiation of vitamin and mineral composition stability of Rubus saxátilis L. berries

For the purpose of continuous research and development of technology for Siberian plant raw material processing as well as obtaining finished products with increased nutritional and biological value, both mineral and vitamin composition of stone brumble berries (Rúbus saxátilis L.) growing in Krasnoyarsk Territory and harvested in various years, were studied. The stone brumble berries were found to be rich in magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and in vitamins P and C. The analysis of the mineral and vitamin composition of stone brumble berries (Rúbus saxátilis L.) of various years of harvest proved the raw material studied to be a promising stable source of vitamins, macro- and micronutrients. Thus stone brumble berries (Rúbus saxátilis L.) can be recommended as a source of valuable biologically active substances in food production.

Natura Siberica: Challenging Entry in OrganicCosmetics Business

The case study analyzes the organic cosmetics and toiletries industry, along with its major players, and opportunities and challenges, with special focus on Natura Siberica. To investigate how the brand has been successful at home and abroad, the study also analyzes its marketing mix and internationalization strategies. Natura Siberica is not only natural and herb-based cosmetics but also the first Russian certified organic cosmetics. It uses Siberian herbs and plants in production, with the objective to offer youth and beauty to consumers’ skin and hair. The organization has 70 brand stores in Russia and six foreign countries, while its products are available in more than 40 countries. With the predicted growth of the global organic cosmetics market, the brand has significant opportunities to expand into new product lines and geographic markets in future. In addition, it needs to promote its sustainable business model to the customers. On the other hand, the organization needs to confront the competitive pressure from existing players and potential new entrants offering organic beauty products. It also needs to emphasize its image as a global brand instead of the Russian origin in order to successfully enter in markets like the USA.

Enzymatic treatment of Rubus saxatilis L. wild growing berries: technological parameters optimization

The influence of pectolytic (Vinoferm zymex) and cellulolytic (Bryuzaim BGX) enzymes treatment on Rubus saxatilis L. berries’ processing became subject of this study, aimed at forming a complex of technological operations providing for increase in efficiency of Siberian plant raw material processing thus leading to obtaining planned amounts of final product with increased nutritional value from reduced amounts of food stock. Mathematical modeling of the dependence of the juice yield on the duration of the treatment process and the concentration of enzyme preparations was carried out. Application of enzyme preparations of pectolytic and cellulolytic action for increase of level of technological perfection of reception of berry juice is proved.

A Study of Siberia's Medicinal Plants Used in Homeopathy.

A current priority of national health care in Russia is to expand the range of drug substances, based on naturally occurring compounds, to use for treating socially significant diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The main objective of our study was to compile a contemporary list of Siberia's 'homeopathic plants', describing for each plant the corresponding therapeutic indications or main symptoms of disease. The textbook, Global Resources of Homeopathic Medicinal Raw Materials, was used to scrutinize the 709 species that are allowed for use in Russia, designating each of the 709 as either indigenous or non-indigenous to the region of Siberia. A homeopathic repertory, containing description of more than 1,800 single-component homeopathic medicines, was used to identify Siberia's medicinal plants used in homeopathy, along with the medical indications of each. The medicinal plants of Siberia used in homeopathy comprise 137 species of flowering plants, gymnosperms and sporophytes, belonging to 52 families. The most represented are the Compositae, Rosaceae, and Lamiaceae families. The inventory of Siberian plants has allowed us to identify the plants of this region used in homeopathy and will help to inform research on additional species with the potential for introduction into homeopathic practice.

Фитотоксичность почвосубстратов на основе шлаков металлургического производства, используемых в рекультивации

The aim of the study. To estimate the influence of various metallurgical slags on the initial stages of plant growth and development. The study location and time. Vegetation experiment was conducted in laboratory where during 2 weeks plants were grown on mixed soil-slag substrates under favourable air temperature and humidit, substrate moisture and illumination rate of 1500 lux. Methodology. To conduct phytotoxicity testing we followed the protocol described by the federal standard GOST R ISO 22030-2009, using one species of the monocotyledonous plants (oats Avena sativa L., cultivar “Rovesnik”) and one species of dicotyledonous plants (radish Raphanus sativus var. Sativus, cultivar “Saksa”). Four slags produced at the EVRAZ West Siberian plant by different technologies were used: white non-ferrous, blast furnace, converter and electrofurnace ones. The concentration of slags in soil-slag mixtures used as growth substrates, were 0 (soil);12.5; 25; 50 and 100% (pure slag). The data obtained were analyzed by descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Main results. The growth and development of both radish and oats plants were not impeded by electrofurnace slag in all concentrations tested. The white non-ferrouswas found to be phytotoxic for both species in high concentrations only (50 and 100%). The converter and blast furnace slags had phytotoxic effect on radish only in their pure form, while for oats growth these slags were found to be harmful at 50% concentration. Conclusion. At the initial stages of plant growth and development three of the four studied metallurgical slags were found to have phytotoxic effect only in very concentrations in the substrates. Therefore to develop perspective technologies of slag use in recultivation we recommend to conduct longer vegetation and field experiments with lower slag concentrations for growing plants that can be really used for specific recultivation purpose, e.g. mixtures of legumes, grains and herbs, as well as woody bushes.

Siberian plants: untapped repertoire of bioactive endosymbionts

Endosymbionts are microorganisms present in all plant species, and constitute the subject of interest among the scientific community. These symbionts have gained considerable attention in recent years, owing to their emerging biological roles. Global challenges, such as antimicrobial resistance, treatment of infectious diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis, cancer, and many genetic disorders, exist. Endosymbionts can help address these challenges by secreting valueadded bioactive compounds with various activities. Herein, we describe the importance of plants inhabiting Siberian niches. These plants are considered to be among the least studied organisms in the plant kingdom worldwide. Barcoding these plants can be of interest for exploring bioactive endosymbionts possessing myriad biological properties. A systematic survey of relevant scientific reports was conducted using the PubMed search engine. The reports were analyzed, and compiled to draft this review. The literature survey on Siberian plants regarding endosymbionts included a few reports, since extremely few exploratory studies have been conducted on the plants in these regions. Studies on the endosymbionts of these plants are highly valuable, as they report potent endosymbionts possessing numerous biological properties. Based on these considerations, this review aims to create awareness among the global scientific community working on related areas. This review could provide the basis for barcoding novel endosymbionts of Siberian plants and their ecological importance, which can be exploited in various sectors. The main purpose of this review is to create awareness of Siberian plants, which are among the least studied organisms in the plant kingdom, with respect to endosymbionts, among the scientific community.

Accessible Metabolites from Siberian Plants for Development and Production of Innovative Drugs

Accessible Metabolites from Siberian Plants for Development and Production of Innovative Drugs

Accessible Metabolites of Siberian Plants as a Source of Innovative Drugs

Accessible Metabolites of Siberian Plants as a Source of Innovative Drugs

More than just a plant: cushion plants as biodiversity protectors in high mountains of Siberia

The Siberian cushion plants have been little studied. This research aimed to reveal their morphological and ecological features as enabling them to survive and to protect biodiversity in a changing environment. The research was conducted in the Altai Mountains, Russia, at 1750–4000 m a.s.l. The temperature of cushion plants, the surrounding air and soil were studied. Substrate samples from cushions and topsoil were taken and analysed. Indices of hydrolytic acidity, loss on ignition and percentage of humus, phosphorus and nitrogen were taken into account in soil analysis. Bryophytes and vascular plants inhabiting cushions were studied. Fifty-four cushion plant species were classified into six morphological types based on the cushion skeleton construction and divided into ‘obligate’ and ‘facultative’ cushion plants. The temperature inside the cushions is much more stable, than that of their environment. Accumulation of organic matter within the cushions and in the sphere of their vital functions represents a process of local primary soil formation and makes cushion plant communities indifferent to the ground quality. The functional features of the cushion plants allow them to occupy high-mountain habitats and to be the centres of communities including other plants and animals, which can be found in an extreme environment only within or near the cushions, increasing the biological diversity of the alpine mountain zone.

Kiritchkovia, a replacement name for Sibiriella Kiritchkova & Kostina (Ginkgoopsida: Karkeniales)

AbstractA new generic name Kiritchkovia is established for the Jurassic foliage of Siberian plants replacing Sibiriella Kiritchkova & Kostina, 2005, which is a junior homonym of fossils Sibiriella Fajzulina, and parahomonym of fossils Siberiella Radcz. and Siberiella Korde. Two new combinations, Kiritchkovia aksarinii and Kiritchkovia koltogorica, are also effected.