TO THE STUDY OF HIGHER VASCULAR PLANTS AND LICHES OF THE KARDASHYNKA SWAMP WITHIN THE NYZHNYODNIPROVSKYI NNP

Kardashynka swamp is the largest swamp not only in the Kherson region, but also in the entire steppe zone of Ukraine. According to the results of the study of the part of the Kardashynka swamp, which in 2015 became part of the Nyzhnyodniprovskyi National Nature Park and is located in the Kherson region between the villages of Kokhany of Holoprystansky and Solonets of Oleshkivsky districts, 214 species of vascular plants were recorded, which belong to 194 genera and 83 families. The leading families of flora are: Asteraceae (31 species), Cyperaceae (19), Poaceae (15), Lamiaceae (10), Fabaceae (9), Brassicaceae (8), Rosaceae (9), Caryophyllaceae (8). We have not identified the species included in the Red Book of Ukraine in the studied area. Among the regionally rare species, the growth of: Alnus glutinosa, Quercus robur, Dryopteris carthusiana, Fraxinus excelsior, Nymphaea alba, Carex lasiocarpa was observed. The basis of vegetation is compiled of: in the swamps −Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn., Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud., Iris pseudacorus L., Frangula alnus Mill., Typha angustifolia L., Urtica dioica L., Tephroseris palustris (L.) Rchb., Carex elata All., Carex pseudocyperus L., Hottonia palustris L. Poa bulbosa L.; in the meadows – Plantago major L., Alsine media (L.) Vill., Cerastium glutinosum Fries, Lathyrus palustris L.,; Poa bulbosa, Poa palustris L., Carex acuta L., Carex acutiformis Ehrh., Melilotus albus Medik., Trifolium arvense L., Glechoma hederacea L. Juncus effusus L., and in reservoirs - Lemna minor L., Lemna trisulca L. , Nymphaea alba L., Nuphar lutea (L.) Sm., Myriophyllum sp. Lichen biota is represented mainly by epiphytes on the bark of Salix sp. and Populus alba. On the bark of Populus alba, a typical for this area species Xanthoria parietina, Amandinea punctata, Scholiciosporum chlorococcum, Physcea adscendens, Physcia tenella are presented. Also, we note that among the priority areas for the development of nature reserves is the possibility of expanding the territories. One of such objects, which, eventually, can be included in the boundaries of NNP "Nyzhnyodniprovskyi", is the designed botanical reserve of national importance "Kardashinka swamp". The part of the territory is already included to the economic zone of NNP "Nyzhnyodniprovskyi". Key words: swamp, species, sozophytes, national nature park

Communities with Myrica gale L. in mires of the Gulf of Finland coast (St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region)

Сommunities of Myrica gale L. (sweet gale), their ecology and geography in coastal mires of the Gulf of Finland within St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region on the Southeastern border of their range are described based on 70 relevés, made in 1981–2018. This species is included in the Red Data Books of Russia (2008), Leningrad Region (2018), St. Petersburg (2018), and Republic of Karelia (2007). The distribution of the communities in the studied area is as follows (Fig. 1) — the Yuntolovskiy reserve (the largest population), vicinity of the Lisiy Nos ­settlement, forest-park “Gagarka”, Tarkhovskiy Mys, Yuntolovskiy fo­rest-park (within St. Petersburg); vicinity of the Pesochnoe ­settlement, the Bolshoy Berye­zovyy Isl., near the port “Primorsk” (the Nor­thern coast of the Gulf of Finland) and the vicinity of Bolshaya Izhora ­settlement (Southern coast of the latter) in the Leningrad Region area. Communities are found mainly in coastal mires of various types (raised bogs, transitional mires, fens) in the place of former lagoons and in inter-dune depressions in different trophic conditions; most diverse in the last two. Communities are assigned into 12 associations, two of which with the shrub layer formed by Myrica gale. Sphagnetum myricosum galis is the most common association in transitional mires (Table 3). The communities are two-layers: Myrica gale shrub one and closed moss layer of Sphagnum species of diffe­rent ecological groups. The association is subdivided into 3 subassociations by dominanting Sphagnum species and groups of determinant species: sphagnosum angustifolii, sphagnosum flexuosi, and sphagnosum teretis. The communities of this association are located­ in newly formed mires, and their species composition is in the process of formation. These are succession stages between the fens and transitional mires. The ass. Myricetum caricosum lasiocarpae (table 4) includes communities of fens with close (50 to 80 %) Myrica gale shrub layer. Carex lasiocarpa is the dominant of the herb layer, in some communities there is the lower herb sublayer of Comarum palustre. There is no moss layer. Association Myricetum comaroso–betulosum with sparse Betula pubescens 5–12 m high tree layer is also recorded in fens (Table 4). Communities of the ass. Salicetum myricoso–paludiherbosum with the dominance of shrub willows and Myrica gale are rather widespread in coastal fens. They have closed (up to 100 %) shrub layer formed by various willows and M. gale. The composition and cover of paludal herbaceous species is variable, the only constant, sometimes abundant, species is Comarum palustre. The association is subdivided into 3 subassociations (salicosum phylicifoliae, salicosum phylicifoliae-myrsinifoliae and salicosum rosmarinifoliae-myrsinifoliae) according to the dominating willows and mire grasses. Besides the above associations with high abundance of Myrica gale, this species occurs with low abundance in the communities of other, often widespread mire associations, as their coastal variants (Tables 2–4). The discussed community types in the Leningrad Region and St. Petersburg have regional features and differ in species composition from the sweet gale communities of Western and Northern Europe. Due to the rarity in the European part of Russia communities with both low abundance and dominance of Myrica gale need protection as well as their habitats.

The Effects of Water Levels and Interspecific Competition on Two Carex Species in a Temperate Wetland of Northeast China

Zonation along a water level is the main spatial distribution characteristic of wetland plants. This is mainly because of the influences of hydrological conditions and interspecific competition, which finally narrow the fundamental niche of a species to its realized niche. In the present study, a controlled experiment was conducted in order to analyze the relationship between Carex lasiocarpa/Carex pseudocuraica and Glyceria spiculosa, in conditions of three competitive treatments at four water levels. The results showed that in no competition, C. lasiocarpa preferred low water levels, but this preference receded when competing with G. spiculosa. In contrast, C. pseudocuraica had greater preference for low water level when competing with G. spiculosa. The root/shoot ratios of the two Carex species decreased with increasing water levels, but they were almost unaffected by different competition treatments. With the increase in water level during full competition with G. spiculosa, the competitive ability of C. lasiocarpa showed an increasing trend, whereas a contrary trend was observed in C. pseudocuraica. Our results suggested the effects of water levels and their interactions with interspecific competition varied between the two Carex species and played an important role in determining spatial distribution patterns and potential community succession of wetland plants.

Modeling the Spatial Distribution of Three Typical Dominant Wetland Vegetation Species’ Response to the Hydrological Gradient in a Ramsar Wetland, Honghe National Nature Reserve, Northeast China

Water level fluctuations resulting from natural and anthropogenic factors have been projected to affect the functions and structures of wetland vegetation communities. Therefore, it is important to assess the impact of the hydrological gradient on wetland vegetation. This paper presents a case study on the Honghe National Nature Reserve (HNNR) in the Sanjiang Plain, located in Northeast China. In this study, 210 plots from 18 sampling line transects were sampled in 2011, 2012, and 2014 along the hydrological gradient. Using a Gaussian logistic regression model, we determined a relationship between three wetland plant species and a hydrologic indicator—a combination of the water level and soil moisture—and then applied that relationship to simulate the distribution of plants across a larger landscape by the geographic information system (GIS). The results show that the optimum ecological amplitude of Calamagrostis angustifolia to the hydrological gradient based on the probability of occurrence model was [0.09, 0.41], that of Carex lasiocarpa was [0.35, 0.57], and that of Carex pseudocuraica was [0.49, 0.77]. The optimum of Calamagrostis angustifolia was 0.25, Carex lasiocarpa was 0.46, and Carex pseudocuraica was 0.63. Spatial distribution probability maps were generated, as were maps detailing the distribution of the most suitable habitats for wetland vegetation species. Finally, the model simulation results were verified, showing that this approach can be employed to provide an accurate simulation of the spatial distribution pattern of wetland vegetation communities. Importantly, this study suggests that it may be possible to predict the spatial distribution of different species from the hydrological gradient.

Torymus ventralis (Fonscolombe) and Torymus maculatus sp. n. from Finland, and Torymus maculosus sp. n. from Corfu, Greece (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Torymidae)

Two new species of Torymus with maculated forewings are described: T. maculatus sp. n. from southern Finland and T. maculosus sp. n. from Corfu, Greece. Both species are related to Torymus ventralis (Fonscolombe). Findings of T. ventralis in Finland are presented. The species is known as a parasitoid of Planetella (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), although no Torymus was reared from subterranean galls of Planetella sp. on Carex lasiocarpa Ehrh. (Cyperaceae) in Finland. The only parasitoids to emerge from these galls were Eurytoma truncata (Boheman) and Eupelmus vesicularis (Retzius).

ОСОКОВО-СФАГНОВЫЕ СООБЩЕСТВА БОЛОТ ЦЕНТРАЛЬНОЙ ЧАСТИ ПРИВОЛЖСКОЙ ВОЗВЫШЕННОСТИ, "БОТАНИЧЕСКИЙ ЖУРНАЛ"

Охарактеризованы растительные сообщества болот центральной части Приволжской возвышенности с участием Carex lasiocarpa, C. rostrata, C. limosa и Rhynchospora alba. Они отнесены к шести ассоциациям: Sphagno fallacis—Caricetum lasiocarpae; Comaro palustris—Caricetum lasiocarpae; Sphagno fallacis—Caricetum rostratae; Comaro palustris—Caricetum rostratae, Sphagno angustifolii—Caricetum limosae ass. nov. и Spagno—papillosi—Rhynchosporetum albae nom. nov. Сообщества двух последних ассоциаций в изучаемом регионе находятся на южной границе распространения.

Dewfall Monitoring in Wetland Ecosystem

Dew is a crucial factor of water cycle in wetland ecosystem. This study aims to investigate the dewfall in Carex lasiocarpa marsh in the Sanjiang Plain. The experiment was carried out during the growing season from mid-May to mid-October in 2008 and 2009. Dew was monitored by woodsticks. Results indicated that dew intensity in 2008 was lower than it in 2009 obviously because of the much higher relative humidity in 2009. But annual dewfall was almost the same, which reached 8.76 mm and 8.38 mm in 2008 and 2009, respectively. The dew intensity reached the peak in August in both years. The Carex lasiocarpa marsh was the important site for the dew deposit.