Species Of Higher Vascular Plants Research Articles

Assessment of Plant Biodiversity and the Floristic Composition in the Black Irtysh River Valley (Kazakhstan)

The Black Irtysh River, a major tributary of the Ob River, traverses diverse ecological zones, influencing the distribution and composition of its floodplain vegetation. This study focused on the Black Irtysh River valley, a key segment of the Irtysh basin, to assess the current state of its plant communities. To compile expedition routes and a preliminary floristic list, a critical revision of more than 1000 herbarium sheets was carried out in the herbarium collections of Kazakhstan (Altai Botanical Garden and Institute of Botany and Phytointroduction). During the field season, a study of plant biodiversity was carried out along the entire coastline of the Black Irtysh. As a result, 217 species of higher vascular plants were identified (55% of those previously found in herbarium archives) from 139 genera and 43 families. The habitats of two Red Book species were discovered: Tulipa patens and Tulipa uniflora. It was found that the flora of the Black Irtysh is similar to the flora of the entire Zaisan depression, and families Poaceae, Asteraceae, Amaranthaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Rosaceae, and Fabaceae are predominant. Geobotanical surveys revealed that the species composition of plant communities is poor and similar among survey points. Only the western part of the river delta is characterized by high rates of projective cover and reserves of forage plants. The main factors of anthropogenic influence are fires, livestock grazing, and deforestation.

Study of chemical (macroelement) composition of plants growing in Kostanay Region

The article presents the results of research conducted on the content of some nutrients (Ca, Mg, C, P, K) in plants of different families on the territory of Amangeldinsky district of Kostanay region. As an object of research, the leading families were chosen: Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Asteraceae and Brassicaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Liliaceae, Apiaceae, Ranunculaceae. From 102 species of higher vascular plants growing on the surveyed territory, 80 species of economically useful ones were studied: medicinal (34), fodder (34), essential oil (6), food (7), 30 ornamental (30) and technical value (6). When studying the composition of chemical elements (macronutrients) of rangeland plants of the study area, it is shown that the maximum value of chemical element was 0.98%. It is indicated that nutrient elements mainly enter the plant through the root system from the soil. Data on the content of Ca, Mg, C, P, K in the root system and above-ground part of the studied plants showing different composition are given. According to the results of the analysis, the average value of the pastures showed that the percentage of calcium 0.98%, potassium 3.28%, carbon 46.27%, magnesium 0.17% and phosphorus 0.15% in the plots.

Sustainable use of economically valuable and conservation of rare plant species in Almaty region

The paper contains the results of the initial cadastral survey and integrated assessment of the components of the flora (plant resources, higher plants and algae) of the Almaty region (2021–2023), which occupies a leading position among the economically developed regions of the country. The reserves of raw materials of 18 plant species demanded by the domestic pharmaceutical industry discovered on the territory of 13 administrative districts are of practical value. Eleven species of medicinal plants can be recommended for industrial harvesting. It is important to note that conservation efforts are required to protect 118 rare species of higher vascular plants and three species of lower plants, such as algae – indicating the vegetation’s current condition in the region. For the first time, the region’s list of rare flora species includes 13 species that have been categorized into IV categories based on the criteria and categories of the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The results obtained will serve as a scientific basis for regular monitoring and forecasting of effective environmental activities that ensure the sustainable use and conservation of plant resources in the region.

Methods of phytocenology in ethnobotanical research

The paper touches upon some practical aspects of determining the type of plant community. The logical course of establishing the syntaxonomic affiliation is described. It is shown that the reliability of the experimental results depends on the quality of the source material. The Center of Oriental Manuscripts and Xylographs of IMBT stores herbarium material collected during a dialectological expedition in 1957 in the Dzhidinsky and Mukhorshibirsky districts of Buryatia. For experimental determination of vegetation, herbarium collections from the Dzhida region, represented by 30 sheets, were used. As a result of the determination, 26 species of higher vascular plants belonging to 26 genera and 13 families were identified. In the course of testing species for syntaxon diagnoses, it was found that most of the species we identified were distributed within the syntaxa of the class Cleistogenetea squarrosae. These are steppe plant communities. Using cartographic material, it is possible to establish a search/study area within administrative boundaries. Further narrowing the search area (the size of the territory), and clarifying the geography of syntaxa according to the localities of the descriptions, makes it possible to exclude or include in the analysis those syntaxa that with a high probability may end up in a given territory.

The "Knyagynya" tract as a center for the preservation of the phytological identity of the Eastern Podillia

Purpose. To describe the phytodiversity of the "Knyaginya" Tract - a complex natural monument of national importance. Methods. Field, cartographic, analytical, descriptive, comparative, expeditionary, bioindicative, statistical, systemic, biomonitoring. Results. The diversity of phytocenoses of the "Knyaginya" Tract - a complex natural monument of national importance with an area of 53 hectares, located within the boundaries of the Pischanska settlement territorial community of the Tulchyn district of the Vinnytsia region - was established. The importance of the object of the nature reserve fund for the formation of the regional econetwork of Eastern Podillia was clarified. The species richness of various phytocenoses of the relatively small area of the studied object is substantiated. 527 species of higher vascular plants were identified, of which 440 are autochthonous and 87 are adventitious, which is 43.5% of the total phytodiversity of Eastern Podillia, which includes 1210 species. In terms of the number of species, the studied area is one of the most valuable reference areas of the region's plant gene pool. Conclusions. In order to preserve the rare phytodiversity of Eastern Podillia, it is proposed to expand the boundaries of the complex natural monument "Knyaginya" Tract.

Quantitative evaluation of the drivers of species richness in a Mediterranean ecosystem (Cape, South Africa).

Mediterranean ecosystems have a high vascular plant species richness (SR) relative to their surface area. This SR, representing the balance between speciation and extinction, has been attributed to multiple mechanisms that result in both high rates of speciation and/or low rates of extinction. An abiding question is, however, what is special about Mediterranean ecosystems that enables this high SR? Apart from the long-term climatic stability of the region, SR has also been related to resource availability, the many individuals hypothesis, resource spatial heterogeneity, temporal heterogeneity and biotic feedbacks. Spatial patterns of species richness were related to climatic, edaphic and biotic variables and to spatial variability within the Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) of South Africa. Boosted regression tree models were used to explore the strength of relationships between SR and environmental predictors related to each hypothesized mechanism. Water availability (i.e. precipitation) was a stronger predictor of SR than potential evapotranspiration or temperature. Scarcity of nutrients was also related to SR. There was no indication that SR was related to the density of individuals and only temporal heterogeneity induced by fire was related to SR. Spatial heterogeneities of climatic, edaphic and biotic variables were strongly associated with SR. Biotic interactions remain difficult to assess, although we have some evidence for a putative role in regulating SR. While the lack of ecosystem-resetting disturbances (e.g. glaciation) is undoubtedly a key requirement for high species accumulation, predictably, no one explanation holds the key to understanding SR. In the GCFR high SR is the product of a combination of adequate water, nutrient scarcity, spatial and temporal heterogeneity, and possibly biotic feedbacks.

High vascular plant species richness in the Usumacinta River Basin: a comprehensive floristic checklist for a natural region in the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot

Background: Mesoamerica is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots on the planet. Despite significant efforts made over two centuries to contribute to the floristic knowledge of this region, our understanding of its flora is still scattered and uneven.
 Questions: What is the magnitude of the vascular plant species richness in the Usumacinta River Basin?
 Study site and dates: Usumacinta River Basin (Guatemala and Mexico), 1838-2018.
 Methods: We compiled the checklist by systematizing the floristic information acquired from various sources derived from numerous floristic and ecological studies.
 Results: We recorded 6,977 species, 1,892 genera and 274 families. The largest numbers of species (5,746) and records (58,859) correspond to the Mexican portion of the Usumacinta River Basin, compared to its Guatemalan counterpart (4,445 species and 19,952 records). The most species-rich families were Orchidaceae (598 species), Fabaceae (512), and Asteraceae (476). The prevalence of these and all other families with significant contributions to the flora varied among three elevation-defined sectors into which the Usumacinta River Basin was subdivided (lower, middle, and upper basin).
 Conclusions: The Usumacinta River Basin is a strategic region for plant biodiversity conservation as it hosts almost one third of all vascular plant species known for Mesoamerica and ca. 6 % of the entire flora in the Americas. Further botanical exploration should focus on those areas of the basin for which little or no information is available in order to gain a better appreciation of its flora.

SPECIES DIVERSITY OF THE FLORA OF THE WESTERN HLYNIANSKA AREA OF THE DUBRIVSKE PRIMARY KAOLIN DEPOSIT

We describe the results of the study of the flora of regenerated and transformed vegetation on the territory of the Zahidno-Glynske section of the Dubrivske deposit of primary kaolin. The authors determined the species composition of higher vascular plants and mosses in the studied area. They made a brief analysis of the ecological features of the distribution of individual species or their systematic groups. They also made a short analysis of the ecological features of the distribution of individual species or their systematic groups. In particular, we established a connection between the features of the ecosystem structure and the ratios of representatives of different plant families, and also constructed a syntaxonomic scheme of plant groups based on the principles of the Brown- Blanke ecological and floristic school. During the research, we discovered 151 representatives of the flora. Among them are 143 species of higher vascular plants from 33 families and 9 species of mosses from 7 families. The most numerous are the families Poaceae (24 species), Asteraceae (21 species), Rosaceae (14 species), and Fabaceae (10 species). The vegetation of the studied area belongs to 13 classes, 19 orders, 35 unions, and 40 associations. There is an active restructuring of settlements with constant reformatting of the econiche packaging during the process of natural restoration of the vegetation cover with the help of primary autogenous successions. Empty econiches are formed here. They can potentially be inhabited, both by rare representatives of biota and habitats and by dangerous synanthropic species. For example, these habitats become vulnerable to the introduction of invasive species of transformers, which threaten rare biota components, ecosystem stability processes, agriculture, and human health. In this regard, territories, where active mineral extraction is carried out or restored after its termination, should be under constant monitoring regarding floristic and phytocenotic diversity. No species included in the IUCN Red List, the European Red List, annexes, and resolutions to the Berne Convention, Red Book of Ukraine, and to the list of regionally rare species were found on the territory. The invasive species-transformer Solidago canadensis was located on the territory. It is in the early stages of penetration and transformation of habitats of renewable natural vegetation.

Monitoring of vegetation in the coastal zone of Lake Vshivoe

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.

Comments on the article “Set of additions and changes to Check-list of the flora for the Republic of Buryatia between 2001 to 2020” about the flora of the Baikalsky Reserve

This article analyzes the materials of the “Set of additions and changes to the check-list of the flora of the Republic of Buryatia from 2001 to 2020”. Corrections and comments are given on 50 species of higher vascular plants, both erroneously cited as novelties, and, on the contrary, absent from the original publication, regarding the territory of the Baikalsky State Nature Reserve and its buffer zone. Two taxa amongst omitted in the source material are included in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation (Aconitum paskoi subsp. arcto-alpinum and Asplenium sajanense), and 10 species are alien for the flora of Buryatia (Achillea ptarmica, Alchemilla baltica, Atriplex sagittata, Carthamus tinctorius, Centaurea phrygia, Convolvulus inflata, Epilobium tetragonum, Persicaria maculosa, Setaria pumila, Sorghum halepense). Several plant species actually were firstly recorded for Buryatia earlier than the period from 2001 to 2020 or have been already known for this territory much earlier; Rhynchospora alba is one of such species, and it is included in the all the editions of the Red Data Books of the Republic of Buryatia. In some cases of references to early indications and herbarium collections, modern ideas about the taxonomy of groups and ranges of species are considered for clarification.

Nature conservation significance of Plav-ІІ, Yamny peat ecosystems of Zhytomyr region

The materials of the Report on environmental impact assessment of peat extraction of the Plav-II deposit in the administrative boundaries of Olevskyi district of Zhytomyr region were analyzed. Nature conservation studies of peat ecosystems of Plav-II, Yamny have been carried out. We do not recommend the development of peat deposits. The territory of the planned activity (the southern section of the Yamny peat deposit) is partially located on the territory of the Emerald Slovechanskyi Kriazh (UA 0000173) facility. Among the animal species included in the Red Book of Ukraine, Lanius excubitor Linnaeus, 1758, Lyrurus tetrix Linnaeus, 1758 were recorded. In the last case, a hen with chicks was noted. This fact testifies to the importance of this locality for the reproduction of the species, since the hatching and hatching of the offspring in grouse takes place in the foci of their moulting in the spring. In addition to the mentioned species, the noted Crex crex Linnaeus, 1758 is a species included in Appendix II of the Berne Convention, ratified by Ukraine. For the first time, new habitats of six plant species listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine were discovered: Carex chordorhiza Ehrh., Carex heleonastes Ehrh. Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soó (Orchis incarnata L.), Utricularia intermedia Hayne, Salix lapponum L., Salix myrtilloides L. Noted regionally rare species of flora: Parnassia palustris L., Nymphaea candida C. Presl., Carexlimosa L. Monitoring such rare species of higher vascular plants as Andromeda polifolia L., Drosera rotundifolia L., Rhynchospora alba (L.) Vahl, etc. need research. Habitat types from resolutions of the Convention on the Conservation of Wild Flora and Fauna and Natural Habitats in Europe (Bern Convention): C1.222 Floating Hydrocharis morsusranae rafts — Hydrocharis morsus-ranae, D2.3 Transition mires and quaking bogs. One of the features of the flora and vegetation of the Plav-II tract is the absence of adventive, invasive plant species (with the exception of Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott). On the other hand, on the drained Yamny peatland, phytoinvasions appear massively, but in comparison there is a much greater and sozologically important diversity of avifauna. It is recommended to create a reserve of local importance Plav-II, as well as justify rehabilitation and renaturalization measures in the Yamny peatland.

On the characteristics of vegetation of the “Elandinsky stones” nature monument of regional importance (Altai Krai) Елесова Н. В.

Flora and vegetation data of the nature monument of regional importance “Elandinsky stones” (Tselinnyy district, Altai Krai) are given. Flora comprises 283 species of higher vascular plants, including 2 rare species: Paeonia hybrida, Stipa pennata. Vegetation is represented by petrophyte forb-feathergrass steppe, rare for Bijsk-Chumysh upland, forb-grasses meadow, birch forests and bushes.

Features of the floristic composition of communities with the participation of Malus sieversii on the territory of “Zhongar - Alatau” National Park

Dzungarian Alatau mountain is a unique place of agrobiodiversity concentration. The apple forests consisted of the red book species Malus sieversii (Ledeb.) M. Roem. in combination with Abies sibirica Ledeb. and Populus tremula L. form a pronounced altitudinal-climatic band within 1200-1600 m in Dzungarian Alatau. In this article the features of the floristic composition of M. sieversii communities in four gorges of the Zhongar-Alatau National Park (Pikhto-voye, Mushabay, Kok-Zhota and Krutoye) were revealed. Plant species characteristic of the apple forest belt are shown. In the studied communities, there are 138 species of higher vascular plants from 110 genera, 42 families. The leading families in terms of the number of species are Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Rosaceae, Poaceae, Lamiaceae. Generic coefficient was revealed as 79.7 %. The ecological and geographical analysis of the noted species indicates that the floristic richness of the communities is mainly due to the natural conditions of growth, the leading of which are the height, exposure, moisture content of the substrate, and the closeness of the crowns of the tree canopy. In addition, the degree of anthropogenic impact on communities is of great importance.

DISTRIBUTION AND COENOFLORA OF DAPHNE ALTAICA (THYMELAEACEAE) – A RARE ENDEMIC SPECIES FROM EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN

Daphne altaica is a rare endemic species from East Kazakhstan, which is of great scientific interest. As a result of the study, data were obtained on the distribution and coenoflora of the rare endemic species Daphne altaica in East Kazakhstan. The concentration of habitats falls on the floristic regions 22. Altai and 23. Tarbagatai. The distribution of the species is limited by the Kalba, Southern Altai, Sarymsakty, Narym, Azutau, Ulba, Uba, Tarbagatai, Western Tarbagatai and Saur ridges. When studying the coenoflora of D. altaica, the completeness of the species composition of the communities was established. The coenoflora of D. altaica includes 175 species of higher vascular plants belonging to 127 genera and 42 families. The results obtained are necessary for monitoring and searching for historical habitats of D. altaica, compiling the route of field expedition trips, finding areas in natural habitats, and establishing phytocenotic relationships in D. altaica communities.

Ecological and phytocenotic characteristics of plant communities of Nitraria schoberi L. in Dagestan

For the first time, an ecological-phytocenotic classification of communities of Nitraria schoberi L., widespread in the territory of the Republic of Dagestan has been developed. 29 geobotanical descriptions were carried out on sample plots (SP) taking into account the floristic composition, as a result of which 7 formations, 14 groups of associations and 27 associations were identified. In the course of research, 179 species of higher vascular plants were identified in communities with the participation of Nitraria schoberi. The largest was the Nitrarieta schoberi formation with 7 groups of associations and 14 associations, in which 128 species of vascular plants grow.

Rare fraction of spontaneous flora of the garden and park landscapes of the Middle Pobuzhzhia

On the territory of the garden and park landscapes of the Middle Pobuzhzhia 31 species of higher vascular plants that have national or regional protection status have been revealed or cited in literature. Of these, 9 species are listed in the current edition of the Red Data Book of Ukraine, 10 species have regional protection status in Vinnytsia region and 20 species in Cherkasy region. National Dendrological Park «Sofiyivka» NAS of Ukraine has the largest number of species from the Red Data Book of Ukraine (8 species): Tulipa quercetorum, Euonymus nana, Scopolia carniolica, Allium ursinum, Pulsatilla pratensis, Pulsatilla patens, Trapa natans, Epipactis helleborine, Neottia nidus-avis. Only by one rare species were revealed in the Pechersky (Scopolia carniolica), Sokiletsky (Pulsatilla pratensis), Verkhivsky (Trapa natans) and Kryzhopilsky (Epipactis helleborine) parks. Phytoindication assessment of the identified localities showed that the most of them are on the border or even outside their ecological-coenotic amplitude by one or more factors, which indicates their vulnerability to external influences. Currently, the greatest threat to the existence of species at present is the recreational load, so according to the Law on the Red Data Book of Ukraine, they all need proper protection measures.

Botanical reserve “Juniper grove at the balka of Kanly-Dere named after Novella Vavilova” in the Crimea

The materials of the study of the botanical reserve «Juniper grove at the balka Kanly-Dere beam named after Novella Vavilova» are presented: vegetation, floristic composition, sozological status of species. The vegetation is a digressive variant of shiblyaks, transformed into a Juniperus deltoides community in combination with forb-grass steppes. The flora list includes 170 species of higher vascular plants, including 10 adventitious species, 3 endemic to the Crimea and 21 rare species. The Red Book of the Russian Federation includes 5 species, the Red Book of the Republic of Crimea - 6, the European Red List (ERL) - 12, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants (IUCN) - 11, the International Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) protects 3 species.

Materials to the creation of the “Lady slipper grove” nature monument of regional importance (Altai Krai)

Materials on the flora and vegetation of the projected nature monument of regional importance “Ladyslipper grove” are given. Flora comprises 150 species of higher vascular plants, including 4 rare species: Cypripediumcalceolus L., C. macranthon Sw., C. ventricosum Sw., Orchis militaris L. The vegetation is typical for left-bank forest-steppe:birch, aspen and birch-aspen communities in combination with steppe meadows along the edges, and steppes with Festucavalesiaca.

Area Size of Flora Identification for Species Diversity Assessment

The problem of the area of flora identification in a particular territory is one of the most difficult and little discussed. Flora as a list of species of higher vascular plants is inextricably linked with two most important parameters: the size of the territory (in sq. km) and the number of species. The number of species must be sufficient to represent the main features of the flora for the climatic zone and local characteristics. For this, it is necessary to survey areas of different nature conservation status and anthropogenic transformation. We studied ten floras of the Samara-Ulyanovsk Trans-Volga region. The species discovery curve shows that with an increase in area from 100 km2, the number of species continues to grow and the end of a significant increase corresponds to an area of 400 km2, which is optimal. This area can be considered as minimum range of species composition of flora. The species composition of vascular plants of the considered territories reflects the main characteristic features of the flora: the number of species of vascular plants (610-812 species); the leading families are Asteraceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae, Brassicaceae and genera: Carex, Galium, Salix, Artemisia, Potentilla. We have come to a conclusion that on the territory of the forest-steppe zone of the Middle Volga it’s necessary to use test plots of at least 400 km2 when studying the geographical distribution of floras or carrying out their comparative analysis.

Биологическое разнообразие растений на территории охраняемого ландшафта «Раздорские склоны» (Ростовская область)

The article is aimed to assess the florocenotic diversity of the specially protected natural territory of the Rostov region ʺRazdorskie sklonyʺ. In the Rostov region there are 84 specially protected natural areas (PA), including the protected landscape ʺRazdorskie sklonyʺ. The PA consists of three cluster sites with a total area of 1117.64 hectares. The ʺRazdorskie sklonyʺ are a picturesque natural-historical landscape, typical for the right-bank slope of the Don valley. It has a long history of cultural development. Here there are feather grass steppes, the southernmost ravine upland forests, outcrops of pontic limestone-shell rocks, sands of the Yanovskaya formation and clay outcrops on the slopes, with a strip of alluvial floodplain. The vegetation of the right bedrock slope of the Don valley is distinguished by great formational variegation and mosaicism, due to the rapid and abrupt change of environmental factors in a rather limited space, which largely determines the richness and originality of its floristic complex. On the territory of the protected landscape, subzonal forb-sod grass, as well as hemipsammophytic (semi-sandy) and petrophytic steppes are present. Woody vegetation is represented by gully, floodplain forests and thickets of bushes. The vegetation cover of the ʺRazdorskie sklonyʺ is distinguished by a low degree of anthropogenic destruction and is quite representative in syntaxonomic and floristic terms. The flora of the protected landscape includes 693 species of higher vascular plants, including 29 taxa from the Red Books of the Rostov Region and the Russian Federation, a total of 183 taxa from the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (93 species) and the European Red List (145 species). Forest vegetation in the gullies of the protected areas is represented by ravine, floodplain forests and thickets of bushes. In the system of zoning of the ravine forests of the Lower Don, the ravine forests of the ʺRazdorskie sklonyʺ belong to one of the most southern regions – the Crimean-Donetsk region. Numerous cenopopulations of for-est ephemeroids form spring synusia in ravine forests and thickets of shrubs, being a temporary ʺcollective dominantʺ.