The synopsis of the genus Spiraea L. s. l. (Rosaceae Juss.) of the Altai mountain country

A synopsis of the genus Spiraea L. in Altai Mountain Country, which includes 7 species, is presented. Thesynopsis contains references from the basic floristic treatments regarding Altai, relevant synonyms, information on typespecimens, ecology, and geography. Original key for Spiraea species of Altai is given.

Moss occurrences in Salair-Kuznetsk Region (Altai-Sayan mountain country)

In the flora of large regions, mosses comprise about a quarter of the total diversity of higher plants. However, now mosses are the least studied group of higher plants. Data on moss species distribution are fragmentary, especially in Russia with its vast expanse and low density of botanists. The author for many years has been studying the bryoflora of various areas of the Salair-Kuznetsk Region. In addition to the herbarium collection, the author's bryological relevés were organised as a Database. It stores all the assembled information for the years about the locations of the species, including when the specimens were not placed in the herbarium. The article describes three datasets that were arranged from the author's databases for three geomorphological units in the northwest of Altai-Sayan mountain country (South Siberia). Together, these three units are combined into the Salair-Kuznetsk Region. The datasets are: 1. Moss occurrences in the Kuznetsk upland. The dataset consists of 3940 occurrence records and includes both preserved specimens (1135) and ‘human observations’ of the author (2805). The material was collected mainly from 1992-2011; some samples collected by A. N. Vasiliev in 1970-1971 (165) were also taken into account. A total of 312 moss taxa belonging to 135 genera and 41 families are reported for the region. 2. Moss occurrences in Salair Ridge. The dataset consists of 2442 occurrence records and includes both preserved specimens (553) and ‘human observations’ of the author (1889). The material was collected mainly from 1992-1996; a total of 231 moss taxa belonging to 119 genera and 35 families are reported for the region. 3. Moss occurrences in Kuznetsk Depression. The dataset consists of 1690 occurrence records and includes both preserved specimens (281) and ‘human observations’ of the author (1409). The material was collected mainly from 2007-2014; a total of 155 moss taxa belonging to 85 genera and 30 families are reported for the region. All the records are geo-linked. The uncertainty of coordinates in metres varies from 500.0-10000.0 m for the earliest records that are geo-linked by topo-map, to 10.0-100.0 m for records after 2003 that are geo-linked by GPS. The article summarises the results of the author's long-term bryological investigations in the Salair-Kuznetsk Region (northwest of Altai-Sayan mountain country, South Siberia). In total, 8072 occurrence records for 366 moss species from 148 genera and 41 families are published for the territory. The datasets contribute to filling gaps in the moss species distribution and ecology.

Virali and Artistic Background Change

Humans carried the ideas that came to their minds to the people through the arts. Artists are those who have the power to express the arts to others through their culture. The role of such artists in the Sangam era was of great importance. Ninga had a place in the kingdom and in the battlefields. In Sangam songs, the words for the artist were Panar, Porunar, Kuiluvar, Vayiriyar, Viraliyar, Kuttar, Kannular and Patiniyar. Although all of these are generic, there is a subtle difference between the names in terms of musical instruments' playing, dancing, and singing skills. Of these, Viraliyar is a feminist and singer. Virali is a performer who leads a nomadic life. Virali, who excelled in receiving gifts, exemplified the success of kings through their arts. The literature shows that they received valuables gifts like mountain, country, gold, jewelers when they sang songs in praise of the kings. In perumpanatrupadaiviralis beauty was lauded from head to toe. The detailed description is present inkesathipatha. From these descriptions we can get to understand their significance. Such a beautiful and elegantviralis transferred intoparaththiyarover a period of time.

Virtual Herbarium ALTB: collection of vascular plants of the Altai Mountain Country

The herbarium of the South-Siberian Botanical Garden of Altai State University (ALTB) houses the largest collection of plants from the Altai Mountain Country (AMC), an area that extends across Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. The collection of ALTB includes more than 450,00 specimens, making it the seventh largest in Russia and the fourth largest amongst Russian university herbaria. Altai State University (ASU), the home of ALTB, is one of the most important centres of academic education and research in Siberia and the Russian Far East. It is a sociocultural centre that provides a distinguished learning environment for undergraduate and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields, meeting the needs of today's knowledge-based post-industrial society and contributing to regional development. It actively promotes international cooperation and strategic collaboration amongst countries of the AMC in the fields of science, education and culture. In particular, the activities of the South-Siberian Botanical Garden include: development of measures to protect rare and endangered plant species, research on the flora and vegetation of the AMC, preparation and publication of a multi-volume work "Flora Altaica", monographic study of individual plant groups, conducting laboratory classes, summer practicals and special courses. The main purpose of this article is to attract the attention of the scientific community to the botanical research of transboundary territory of the Altai Mountain Country (Russia, Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia) and to the future development of digital plant collections in partnership with Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The Virtual Herbarium ALTB (Russian interface - altb.asu.ru) is the largest digital collection of plants from the transboundary territory of the Altai Mountain Country and the main source of primary material for the "Flora Altaica" project (http://altaiflora.asu.ru/en/). Since 2017, when Altai State University became a GBIF data publisher, data from the Virtual Herbarium ALTB has been exported to the dataset "Virtual Herbarium ALTB (South-Siberian Botanical Garden)" in GBIF. Currently, it includes images and data from 22,466 vascular plants, of which 67% have geographic coordinates (accessed on 30.03.2021). Most of the specimens have been collected since 1977, with the most intensive collecting years being 1995–2008. In 2019, the label-data table of the Virtual Herbarium ALTB was modified to bring it into conformity with the Darwin Core specification (http://altb.asu.ru/). This effectively solved the major impediment to sharing plant diversity data from the AMC and adjacent regions in a multilingual environment.

Notes on Potentilla (Rosaceae) of Altai. 8. A new species with a disjunctive area for the flora of Kazakhstan

For the first time, the Potentilla laciniosa is reported for the flora of Kazakhstan and Altai Mountain Country with the exact location. After a large disjunction of the range, the species was found in the Kyzylbeltau mountains of the Urdzhar region in the southwestern part of the Tarbagatai ridge. Some morphological characters of the new finding are discussed in comparison with closely related taxa and data on the genome size obtained for the first time from seeds using the method of flow cytometry. The lectotypification of Potentilla laciniosa is carried out on the basis on the investigated herbarium material and literature sources.

POSSIBILITIES OF THE SAGA GIS IN THE STUDY AND MAPPING OF THE DEBRIS FLOW HAZARD OF THE BAIKAL MOUNTAIN COUNTRY

The possibilities and limitations of SAGA GIS for processing DEM and remote sensing materials of free access in the interests of specialized mapping of debris flow hazard in the Baikal region are considered. The results of processing the SRTM and ASTER GRID DEMS, as well as the spectrosonal images obtained from the Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 satellites in the SAGA environment are compared. The most effective tools of GIS-analysis of territories from the point of view of the potential hazard assessment of debris flows based on remote sensing data are determined.

Notes on Potentilla (Rosaceae) of Altai. 7. New findings in the flora of Kazakhstan

The article presents a new data on distribution of 12 taxa of Potentilla L.in Kazakhstan. The plants were gathered on the territory of the East Kazakhstan Region (EKR) within the Altai Mountain Country (AMC). P. radiata Lehm. from the Kalbinsky ridge and P. rhipidophylla Soják from the Ukok Plateau proved to be the new species for Kazakhstan. P. radiata is mentioned for the first time for the AMC flora. The new locations are indicated for the other 10 species previously known in the flora of the EKR. One of them, P. asiatica (Th. Wolf) Juz., is mentioned for the first time for Rudny Altai and the Ukok Plateau. For the first time P. × angarensis Popov, P. pensylvanica L. and P. thuringiaca Bernh. ex Link. are mentioned for the Kalbinsky ridge and P. gelida C. A. Meyer subsp. boreoasiatica Jurtzev et Kamelin – for the Ivanosky ridge. P. agrimonioides M. Bieb. and P. tergemina Soják are new species for the Tarbagatay ridge of Katon-Karagay region, both are also mentioned for the first time for the flora of the Katon-Karagay State National Nature Park (KKSNNP). The article presents a key developed to identify P. radiata and related species of the territory of the EKR. In addition to Potentilla species, a new location of Farinopsis salesoviana (Steph.) Chrtek et Soják (Potentilla salessowii), a rare shrub for the flora of EKR, is mentioned. The labels of the studied samples are fully quoted; comments are given to all discussed species. The samples of the presented taxa are kept in the herbarium fund of the KKGNPP, duplicate materials have been deposited in the Herbarium of Altai State University (ALTB; Russia, Barnaul).

“Hadji Abrek” by M. Y. Lermontov: to the question of genesis of the poem and authenticity of the folklore basis

The subject of this article is the origins of the poem “Hadji Abrek” by M. Y. Lermontov, question of location where the events take place, as well as the question of the possible impact of folk poetic oeuvres upon the work of Mikhail Lermontov. The article describes different opinions and interpretations (within the format of the article) on the topic, to the exclusion of “emphatic” commentaries and remarks. The object of this research is folklore and historical materials that contribute to revelation of idea of the poem, description of the protagonists, characterization of the Caucasian and Dagestan folklore, the echoes of which are traces in Lermontov’s poems.  The authors underline that geographical and ethnographic “nuances” were used by Lermontov to describe the forming picture in the mountain country. The novelty of this study consists in analysis of the material testifying that the inclusion of “installations” of another nation is substantiated in the poem, not just because it is somewhat of a tribute to romanticism, but it is also marks Lermontov’s comprehension of the folklore as an untouchable ”heart” of culture and ethnic uniqueness. The acquired results contribute to the scientific Caucasian studies and Lermontov studies. The conclusion is made of folklore in Lermontov's poem indicates a number of defining characteristics that allowed determining individual expression of poet's work. It is reflected in selection of the examples of folk poetry, peculiar regard to the sources, and their deflection in the poem.

A system of genus Potentilla L. s. str. (Rosaceae Juss.) and his species composition in the flora of Altai Mountain Country

The system of the genus Potentilla L. s. str. and its species composition is given for the flora of the AltaiMountain Country (AMC). The structure of the genus is represented by 11 sections. Multifidae with 33 species is the mostmultitudinous of them. The sections of Fasciculato-pilosae and Fragarioides include one species for each. The generalcomposition of the genus on the territory of the AMC is represented by 78 species and 2 subspecies. Aditionally, forP. × chemalensis, recently described from the Altai Republic, new locations are given.

The family Liliaceae Juss. in flora of Altai Mountain Country

This work gives the list of representatives of the family Liliaceae Juss., growing on the territory of AltaiMountain Country (AMC) according the materials of Herbarium ALTB including data from digital collections NS (NSK),MW, E, CAS, PE, B and G. As the analysis’ result of literary sources, herbarium funds and observations of representativesin nature the data on the distribution of taxa in botanical-geographical areas of AMC were specified, the data on theecology of taxa and data on the storage location of the type material were updated.