Vegetation Of Russia Research Articles

Three decades of remote sensing subarctic vegetation in northern Russia: A case study in science diplomacy

Abstract The vegetation at and beyond the northern edge of the world’s boreal forest plays an important though imperfectly understood role in the climate system. This is particularly true within Russia, where only a small proportion of the boreal land area has been studied in depth, and little is known about its recent evolution over time. We describe a long-term collaboration between institutions in Russia and the United Kingdom, aimed at developing a better understanding of high-latitude vegetation in Russia using remote sensing methods. The focus of the collaboration has varied over time; in its most recent form, it is concerned with the dynamics of the Russian boreal forest during the 21st century and its relation to climate change. We discuss the support framework within which it has been developed and reflect on its relationship to science diplomacy. We consider the factors that have contributed to the success of a decades-long international collaboration and make recommendations as to how such joint efforts can be encouraged in future.

ТАКСОНОМИЧЕСКАЯ СТРУКТУРА ЭКСПОЗИЦИОННОГО ГЕРБАРИЯ МУЗЕЯ ЗЕМЛЕВЕДЕНИЯ МГУ

The article considers the botanical collections of the exposition herbarium of the Moscow State University Earth Science Museum, presented in the departments “Natural Zones” (halls No. 17-20) and “Physical and geographical areas” (halls No. 21-24). 732 herbarium samples of plants and lichens belong to 583 species (including 549 species of vascular plants, 16 mosses and 18 lichens), 336 genera (319 vascular plants, 11 mosses and six lichens) and 110 families (97 vascular plants, eight mosses and five lichens). As a biocollection of dried plant samples, as a resource for storing and studying biodiversity, and as a component of the natural botanical exposition of the MSU Earth Science Museum, the herbarium demonstrates the richness and diversity of flora and vegetation of Russia and the world, enabling its accessibility for research and the educational activities of the Museum.

The current state of the steppe vegetation classification system in the Volga region

Steppe vegetation in the Volga region is one of the predominant types of vegetation. At present, it has survived only in areas inconvenient for human economic and recreational activities. Its research is necessary to understand the structure and composition of zonal vegetation and distribution patterns to predict changes in the modern vegetation cover. The relevance of studying the steppe vegetation of the Volga region is also due to the creation of the project “Vegetation of Russia”. We studied the steppe vegetation of the Volga region in the period from 2011 to 2020 from the standpoint of the J. Braun-Blanquet approach. Field studies covered all the diversity of the steppe vegetation represented in the region-herb-rich grass steppes, herb-grass steppes, grass steppes and desert and their psammophytic, petrophytic and halophytic edaphic variants within Ulyanovsk, Penza, Samara, Saratov, and Volgograd Oblasts, the western part of Orenburg Oblast and the northern part of Astrakhan Oblast. The syntaxonomic analysis of our own materials and literature data made it possible to establish 65 associations, 47 subassociations and 2 variants. They are assigned to the class Festuco-Brometea, the orders Festucetalia valesiacae, Helictotricho-Stipetalia, Tanaceto achilleifolii-Stipetalia lessingianae and the alliances Festucion valesiacae, Agropyrion pectinati, Centaureion sumensis, Stipion korshinskyi and Tanaceto achilleifolii-Stipion lessingianae.

Растительность класса Scheuchzerio–Caricetea fuscae Tx. 1937 в районе горного массива Янганапэ (восточный макросклон Полярного Урала)

Растительность класса Scheuchzerio–Caricetea fuscae Tx. 1937 в районе горного массива Янганапэ (восточный макросклон Полярного Урала)

Лекарственные растения в атласном картографировании

Medicinal plants are an important natural resource of the country, used for medicine and healthcare needs. Cartographic study of the natural resource potential of medicinal plants remains an actual proposal for contemporary ecological geographical and resource researches. The paper concerns the state of medicinal plants mapping in our country, specifics of cartographical display and description. More than 30 scientific reference, popular science complex and special federal and regional atlases including maps of medicinal plants have been published during 1964–2014 period in Russia. Medicinal plants distribution is most fully displayed in the “Atlas of natural ranges and resources of medicinal plants of the USSR”. The Atlas contains about 180 maps of ranges for 234 plants species. Contemporary atlases are represented by the National Atlas of Arctic [2017] and the Medical-Geographical atlas of Russia “Healing springs and plants” [2019] created by scientists of the Lomonosov Moscow State University (the Faculty of Geography). The last atlas contains ranges of officinal plants, permitted by the RF Ministry of Healthcare for usage by scientific medicine. This atlas contains 37 maps of 72 plants’ species (1 : 30 000 000) at the background of the Map of Zones and Altitudinal Types of Vegetation of Russia. This atlas is the first popular science publication containing comprehensive information about state and distribution of officinal plants species, about problems of their use and protection accompanied by physiographic, climatic, biogeographical, medical-geographical maps.

Л. Г. Раменский: украинские ученики и коллеги

The present paper that follows the series of publications in «Vegetation of Russia» devoted to L. G. Ramensky (Golub, 2013, 2014, 2017 a, b, 2018), deals with the short period of his work at the Ukrainian Institute of Applied Botany (1928–1930) and his role in the training of scientific personnel for the Ukraine. The funds of the Central State Archives of the Higher Authorities and Administration of the Ukraine, the Russian State Archives of Economics, the St. Petersburg branch of the Archives of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the archives of the Federal Scientific Center for Feed Production and Agroecology named after V. R. Williams served as the major data for this paper.

Phenological Characterization of Forest Vegetation in Russia (the Krasnoyarskii Krai) Based on Satellite Data

Phenological Characterization of Forest Vegetation in Russia (the Krasnoyarskii Krai) Based on Satellite Data

Елена Анатольевна Волкова (к юбилею исследователя растительности гор, степей, пустынь, лесов, лугов, болот)

On May 3, 2018 Elena Anatolievna Volkova ce­lebrates her anniversary. She is a highly qualified phytogeographer, thoughtful field researcher, expert in mountain vegetation of Asia, tireless traveler. The field of her scientific interests is the regularity of vegetation cover, small- and large-scale mapping of vegetation in different regions of Eurasia. She has made a great contribution to the study of the composition and structure of vegetation cover of complex and inaccessible arid and subarid mountain areas of Central Asia. E. Volkova began to work in deserts and steppes of Kazakhstan, and then 15 years studied arid plain and mountain regions of Mongolia. In Joint Soviet-Mongolian complex biological expedition of Academies of sciences of USSR and Mongolian People’s Republic E. Volkova investigated the deserts of Alashan Gobi, Trans-Altai Gobi and Dzhungarian Gobi. The result of these field works was a publication on the study of the relationship between the composition and structure of plant communities with the petrographic composition of rocks in melkosopochniks in different subzones and provinces of Gobi (Volkova, 1976); together with E. I. Rachkovskaya original vegetation maps of these extra-arid territories were created (Rachkovskaya, Volkova, 1977, 1980, etc.). The collected data on mountain vegetation were used to produce the vegetation map of Mongolia in the National Atlas (Karta..., 1990) and the monograph “Botanical geography of Mongolian and Gobi Altai” (Volkova, 1994). E. Volkova has made two vegetation maps: of Asia in atlas “Our Earth” (Волкова, 1996) and (together with I. Fedorova) of the World (scale 1: 60 000 000) for “Resources and Environment: World Atlas” (Volkova, Fedorova, 1998). In 2003 the monograph “Botanical geography of Kazakhstan and Central Asia (within the desert area)” was published in which E. Volkova is the author of a large section “Vegetation cover of mountains” and sub-section “Mountain provinces” in the section “Principles and basic units of regionalization” (Volkova, 2003a, b). After the collapse of the Soviet Union, most of the arid areas of the country became inaccessible for research, and E. Volkova’ interests have turned to the vegetation of the Northwest of European Russia (Le­ningrad Region). The Botanical Institute of Russian Academy of sciences organized complex researches for the purpose of inventory of natural complexes and their components in territories valuable for nature protection, and also of areas of economic importance. The result of this work was the organization of natural protected areas in the Leningrad Region and Saint Petersburg and the publication of the “Atlas of natural protected areas of St. Petersburg” (Atlas..., 2013, 2016) and 11 collective monographs (2001–2017) in which E.Volkova is the constant co-editor and author of the sections on vegetation. E. A. Volkova has published about 190 works, including articles in the journals “Proceedings of theRussianGeographical Society”, “Botanical journal”, “Vegetation of Russia”, “Biosphere”, the “Geobotanical mapping” (Volkova, Khramtsov 2018). She conti­nues to be an active field researcher and preparing new articles and monographs.

Первая экспедиция Л. Г. Раменского и ее значение в его творческой биографии

Первая экспедиция Л. Г. Раменского и ее значение в его творческой биографии

Динамика активности синтаксономических центров России и процессы их интеграции

The history of «rooting» and current state of the Braun-Blanquet approach in Russia are discussed. The process began only in the 1960s, when a more favorable climate has developed in Soviet science, and researches showed interest in the following international principles of vegetation classification. However, at that time they used, as a rule, palliative options in which «Russian» criteria (dominants) were combined with «floristic» ones. As a rule, such schemes were not successful and gave rise to imbalances in syntaxonomy. After the year 1981, when the VI All-Union conference on the classification of vegetation was held in Ufa, Soviet geobotany moved to a «strict version» of the Braun-Blanquet approach. However, at that period there were no journals in the USSR that were ready to published papers with phytosociological tables. For this reason, phytocenologists have used the resources of All-Union Institute of scientific and technical information (VINITI), which provided a free-accepted manuscript deposit, published abstracts of these papers in Refereed journal and for a modest fee sent copies to all interested specialists. The data of the deposited papers became a base for the first variant of the Prodromus of vegetation of Russia, which included 72 classes, 148 orders, 309 alliances and 74 suballiances. Since the year 2001, when the journal «Vegetation of Russia» was organized in Saint-Petersburg, both the high professional level of editorial board and the competent reviewers provide the publication of papers in strict accordance with the Braun-Blanquet approach (including the «International code of phytosociological nomenclature»), that greatly stimulated the development of syntaxonomy in Russia. Five syntaxonomic centers (Far East-Siberia, Ufa, Saint-Petersburg, Togliatti, Bryansk) have been formed. The information of their publication activity (see Table) for the periods 2001–2005, 2006–2011 and 2012–2016 years in all centres (in particular in the Far East-Siberia and Ufa) shows the number of publications is constantly increasing. This gives the hope that in the foreseeable future the Russian syntaxonomists will be able to materialize the multi-volume edition «The Vegetation of Russia».

Екатерина Ивановна Рачковская (к юбилею исследователя растительности Казахстана, Средней и Центральной Азии)

On September 17, 2017 Ekaterina I. Rachkovskaya has celebrated her 90-year anniversary. She is the well-known researcher and expert of Asian steppe and desert vegetation. Her field routes cover vast areas of the inner part of Eurasian continent: Kazakhstan, Middle Asia, Mongolia, China. The scientific interests of E. I. are manifold — vegetation mapping and subdivision, botanical geography, structure of vegetation cover, ecology, etc. In the process of making maps and monographs describing the vegetation of large areas, E. I. Rachkovskaya united researchers from different regions and institutions, so most of her publications are in collaboration with other scientists. The main stages of her scientific pathway: 1954–1955 — study of the Northern Kazakhstan steppes with the aim of making vegetation map and natural subdivision (Karta…, 1960; Isachenko, Rachkovskaya, 1961). 1957–1968 — participation in Biocomplex expedition of the Academy of sciences of the USSR in Central Kazakhstan (Biokompleksnye…, 1969, 1976). 1964–1966, 1968 — the work in East-Kazakhstan cartographic expedition of Komarov Botanical Institute (Karamysheva, Rachkovskaya, 1973, 1975). 1971–1990 — the work in Soviet-Mongolian complex biological expedition of the Academy of sciences of the USSR and Academy of sciences of the Mongolian People Republic (Rachkovskaya, 1993; Karta …, 1995). 1976–1989 — Turanian cartographic expedition of Komarov Botanical Institute (Vegetation map…, 1995; Rachkovskaya, Khramtsov,2000; Botanical …, 2003). Since 1985 — the work in Kazakhstan (Vegetation …, 2010; Botanical-geographical …, 2010). E. I. Rachkovskaya has published about 200 papers, monographs and maps (list of publications see in: Volkova et al., 2007). Unique relevés of the Kazakhstan steppes made by E. I. in the mid of the last century are widely used at present (Korolyuk, 2017). She continuous to publish her data in the journal “Vegetation of Russia” (Rachkovskaya, 2016) and in “Geobotanical mapping”.

Л. Г. Раменский — преподаватель Воронежского университета и его студенты

This paper follows the series of publications in «Vegetation of Russia» devoted to L. G. Ramensky (Golub, 2013, 2014, 2017). It describes a period of 1924–1928 when Ramensky worked at the Voronezh State University (VSU). This period of his life has previously been largely unknown even in the VSU. Furthermore, the author tries to follow the scientific life of Ramensky's students who have chosen the profession of phytocenologist. It turned out that events of 1924–1928 are difficult to restore, as a significant part of the VSU archive was lost during the World War II. Nevertheless, several new facts were found. Outstanding Russian botanists B. A. Keller (1874–1945) and B. M. Kozo-Polyansky (1890–1957) were colleagues by Ramensky at the VSU. Kozo-Polyansky, who was a head of the VSU Department of Botany, helped Ramensky's family to establish their life in Voronezh. He provided them with accommodation directly at the Department of Botany. The author found documents proving a previously unknown fact that Ramensky had worked at the VSU Department of Geobotany. However, after Ramensky left the University, this department was closed, and with time its existence at the VSU in 1920s was forgotten. The current Department of Botany and Myco­logy of the VSU, which will celebrate 100th anniversary in 2018, is not a successor of the Department of Geobotany. Two of the students who received education under the leadership by Ramensky at the VSU, M. V. Nikolaevskaya and I. A. Tsatsenkin, became professional geobotanists. M. V. Nikolaevskaya (1900–1950) worked with Ramensky for many years after graduation from the VSU. In 1932–1935 she participated in the inventory of natural forage lands of the USSR headed by Ramensky. Since 1936 until the end of her life Nikolaev­skaya held the position of a scientific researcher at the Voronezh State Nature Reserve. Classification of its vege­tation (Nikolaevskaya, 1971) became a result of her the long-term investigations. She was the first geobotanist in the USSR who applied Ramensky's indicator values for vegetation classification. I. A. Tsatsenkin (1905–1973) already in his second year at the VSU was involved as a student in geobotanical studies supervised by Ramensky. Since 1930, he permanently worked at the All-Union Williams Fodder Research Institute. Tsatsenkin was Ramensky's closest assistant in the course of the 1932–1935 campaign on the inventory of the natural forage lands of the USSR. In 1940–1943 he headed the Hay-and-pasture expedition to study the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. After Ramensky's death, Tsatsenkin, together with the staff of the institute, completed the work on the ecological indicator values of plants of the European part of the USSR (Ramensky et al., 1956).

О науке языком науки, или Как не надо писать научные статьи (открытое письмо авторам журнала «Растительность России»)

An attempt has been made to draw the attention of the authors of the journal “Vegetation of Russia” on the style of scientifi c papers, which suffers from numerous inaccuracies (frequent recurrence of words; unreasoned use of refl exive verbs, passive forms, anthropomorphisms, words-parasites; unnecessary complication of the text; uncertainty of argumentation; cumbersome constructions to express simple ideas; and many others). The author expresses her deep assurance that it is necessary and possible to write the scientifi c papers by using both the scientifi c and good literary languages. Numerous examples of bad writing style (in Russian) are given.

Биогеографические карты для геопространственного анализа экологического потенциала территории России

The concept of ecological potential is realized by development of biogeographical and bioecological maps. Experience of preparation of a set of integrated bioecological maps of Russia of scale 1 : 8 000 000, displaying biot as a whole is presented. It includes maps – Zones and altitudinal zonality types of vegetation of Russia and adjacent territories, Ecoregions of Russia, Bioms of Russia. Maps are developed on the basis of allocation regional (ecological division) and typological (bioms diversity) divisions biote a cover. These divisions can serve basic units at geoinformation researches of modern ecological potential, a binding of the information according to a biodiversity and to a condition biote at national and regional levels. On them it is possible to make inventory of a biodiversity, the major parameter of ecological potential of landscapes, to choose characteristic and unique objects for monitoring and conservations, to planning the actions connected with sustainability progress lands and conservations ecosystems and other.They are directed on revealing of ecological potential of territorial units (zones ecoregions bioregions) through the ecological characteristic biote or on revealing of differentiation biote (zonobioms group of regional bioms regional bioms) through the characteristic of its ecology-typological variety.

Заметки о двух продромусах растительности России (1998, 2012)

The changes in the structure of the higher unit system from class up to suballiance within the Braun-Blanquet system are assessed on the base of comparison of two Prodromuses of the vegetation of Russia (Solomeshch, 1998; Ermakov, 2012).

(Рецензия) Е. Д. Лапшина. Растительность болот юго-востока Западной Сибири: Монография. Новосибирск, 2010. 186 с.

Progress floristic classification of the vegetation of Russia is obvious (Mirkin, Ermakov, 2010; Mirkin, Naumova, 2011). However, in the vast territory of the country are still many «white spots», vegetation which syntaxonomically not been studied. One of these large «white spots» — the vegetation of the bogs. For years, the «monopolist» in ecologo-floristic classification of wetlands was V. A. Smagin (student major Soviet bolotoved M. S. Boch). He studied the vegetation of wetlands of the Northern regions of the European taiga and the basin of Myriagon Surgut Polesie (Smagin, 1998, 2000, 2003, etc.). Peer-reviewed monograph on the vegetation of mires in Western Siberia can be considered as a breakthrough in the syntaxonomy of this type of vegetation. Moreover, as a result of the work of E. D. Lapshina picture of syntaxonomy of bog vegetation has changed so much that one can speak about a kind of «syntaxa of the revolution».

Zoya Karamysheva (to the anniversary of steppes' researcher)

In December 2009, celebrated the anniversary by Zoya V. Karamysheva — known researcher of steppe vegetation of Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, cartographer, Botanical geographer.

«Укоренение» метода классификации растительности по Браун-Бланке в СССР и России

Examines the history and current state of classification of vegetation based on the ecological-floristic criteria into the USSR and Russia. The method began to be introduced in practical work of the Soviet geobotanical in the 1970s, became popular in the 1980s. In the 1990s and the 2000s, the level classifications have increased and now meets international standards. Shows the role of the 6th All-Union conference on the classification of vegetation (Ufa, 1981) and the Journal «Vegetation of Russia» in the development of this classification.

Рудольф Владимирович Камелин (к 70-летию со дня рождения)

Among the eminent botanists, who headed the Russian Botanical Society — I. P. Borodin, V. L. Komarov, V. N. Sukachev, E. M. Lavrenko, A. L. Takhtajan and R. V. Kamelin, attitude to geobotanike was very different, and very nice and it is important to note that the incumbent President of the RBS in 2000, fully supported the initiative group of geobotanical of St. Petersburg, who decided to create their professional journal «Vegetation of Russia».

О научно-практическом семинаре «Проблемы синтаксономии: высшие единицы растительности России и стран СНГ» (Уфа, 25—26 октября 2007 г.)

The seminar differed from other scientific forums for two reasons. First, he was dedicated to the 70th anniversary of corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences RB, Dr. sci., Professor Boris Mikhailovich Mirkin is one of the key figures in the Russian development of syntaxonomy. Secondly, in this regard was identified relevant topic for discussion — the highest units of syntaxonomy of vegetation of Russia.