The current state of the collection fund of the Laboratory of Ornamental Plants of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the main criteria for the formation of large collections in it’s composition

Коллекционный фонд лаборатории декоративных растений (ЛДР) ГБС РАН существует с 1947 г. В настоящее время в его состав входят декоративные многолетники из 221 рода и 57 семейств (1039 видов и разновидностей, а также 5047 сортов и садовых форм). Современная политика формирования коллекций в основном направлена на создание крупных и/или оригинальных собраний. Цель представленной работы состоит в изучении количественных и качественных характеристик современного коллекционного фонда лаборатории декоративных растений ГБС РАН, а также структурных особенностей крупных коллекций в его составе. В интродукционных исследованиях наиболее широко использованы эколого-фитоценотический метод и метод родовых комплексов. В структуре видовой части коллекционного фонда ЛДР доминируют представители флор Европы, Азии и Северной Америки, так как эти регионы традиционно считаются наиболее перспективными донорами материала для интродукции декоративных растений. Преобладающими экологическими группами в его составе являются лесные, степные и луговые виды. При формировании сортовых коллекций реализованы различные подходы. Отечественные селекционные достижения доминируют в коллекциях Syringa, Lilium и Phlox. На создание выборки зарубежных сортов, представляющих историю селекции культуры, сориентирована коллекция рода Paeonia. История селекции культуры в СССР наиболее полно представлена на базе коллекции Clematis. Основные этапы микроэволюционного развития культуры продемонстрированы на примере родов Astilbe и Iris. Аспект сохранения ретро-сортов наиболее полно реализован на коллекции Hemerocallis. Подбор перспективного для условий региона сортимента – основное направление расширения коллекции рода Rosa. Аспект отбора наиболее перспективных раннецветущих сортов у культур с поздними сроками цветения наиболее успешно реализован для Dendranthema и Symphyotrichum. На подбор перспективного для условий средней полосы России ассортимента, отражающего морфобиологическое разнообразие культуры, сориентированы коллекции Hosta и Tulipa. Для целей селекции используются ресурсы коллекций Dahlia, Astilbe и Iris. Collection fund of the Laboratory of Ornamental Plants (LOP) MBG RAS has been in existence since 1947. Currently, it includes ornamental perennials from 221 genera and 57 families (1039 species and varieties, as well as 5047 varieties and garden forms). The current policy of forming collections is mainly aimed at creating large and/or original collections. The purpose of the present work is to study the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the modern collection fund LOP MBG RAS, as well as the structural features of large collections in its composition. The most widely used methods in the introduction studies are the ecological-phytocenotic method and the method of generic complexes. The structure of the species part of the collection fund of the LOP is dominated by representatives of the flora of Europe, Asia and North America, since these regions are traditionally considered the most promising donors of material for the introduction of ornamental plants. The predominant ecological groups in its composition are forest, steppe and meadow species. When forming varietal collections, various approaches are implemented. Domestic breeding achievements dominate the Syringa, Lilium and Phlox collections. The collection of the genus Paeonia is aimed at creating a sample of foreign varieties that represent the history of culture selection. The history of culture selection in the USSR is most fully presented on the basis of the Clematis collection. The main stages of microevolutionary development of culture are demonstrated by the example of the genera Astilbe and Iris. The aspect of preserving retro varieties is most fully implemented on the Hemerocallis collection. The selection of a promising assortment for the conditions of the region is the main direction of expanding the collection of the genus Rosa. The aspect of selecting the most promising early-flowering varieties in crops with late flowering dates is most successfully implemented for Dendranthema and Symphyotrichum. The Hosta and Tulipa collections are focused on the selection of a range that is promising for the conditions of the central part of Russia, reflecting the morphobiological diversity of the culture. For breeding purposes, the resources of the Dahlia, Astilbe, and Iris collections are used.

The vascular flora ecological diversity in the mid-field woodlots situated on the agricultural outskirts of Wrocław

The paper presents an analysis of the ecological requirements and sociological-ecological relations of 403 species of vascular plants recorded in 82 mid-field woodlots located among crop fields in the agricultural outskirts of Wrocław. The aim of the research and analyses was to determine what is the species composition of these woodlots and whether they are ecologically more similar to those situated in environment of farmlands or urban wastelands. The authors assumed the latter. It was found that the mid-­ -field woodlots occupied less than 1% of arable land and were located exclusively in close proximity to the city’s administrative borders, and more than half of them were related to the hydrographic network of the area. Their flora, in general assessment, shows a great variety in terms of water requirements and has the features of woodlots described from typically agricultural areas. This applies to the dominance of forest, shrub and meadow species with a constant, usually not exceeding 20%, share of ruderal plants and a small number of weeds in crops. Thus, the assumption that the flora of the studied woodlots will show signs of ruderalization to a large extent has not been confirmed. 72% of species occurred in no more than 10 objects, which shows that the described ecological diversity of the flora studied is based on single or few locations. The most frequent species were nitrophilic and in over 50% they represented a group of shrub communities. The list of the species recorded with estimation of their frequency is provided.

Introduction of meadow species of the genus Thalictrum L. in the dendrological park “Druzhba” in Precarpathian region

The article presents a short issue on the distribution of Thalictrum L. in the flora o Precarpathian region. The introductional pecularities of Thalictrum flaum L., Thalictrum aquilegifolium L., Thalictrum minus L., та Thal- ictrum simplex L. on the collection sites of the dendrological park “Druzhba” are revealed. Examples of phenophases of ontogenesis of species in soil and climatic conditions of the dendropark, their adaptation to new growing conditions under the influence of cultivation and care of plants are given. It is shown how it affects the appearance of populations of all species, their height, features of growth of individuals, flowering, fruiting. A brief description of the medicinal properties of some species and their decorative value is given.

Rapid Decreasing of a Selected Plant Species Distribution Within Recent Decades as an Illustration of Gradual Local Extinction of Low-Productive Wet Meadow Species in Central Europe

This study provides an illustration of the contemporary extinction trend of a selected wet grassland species, Pedicularis sylvatica, within a region of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, Czech Republic. Historically, it was a relatively common species in the study region, but it has been severely reduced in recent decades due to the abandonment of the traditional management of the grasslands, or inappropriate management practices, including extensive drainage, fertilisation, and liming. Low precipitation in recent years, a depleted soil seed bank, inbreeding in small, isolated populations, the inability to germinate, and the emergence of seedlings can also play an important role. After personal resurvey, P. sylvatica was not confirmed on 28 % of the localities where it was documented between two and 20 years ago. In a selected south-eastern subregion, only one of 19 localities persist nowadays. A steep decrease of local subpopulations of P. sylvatica points to the holistic problem of both the low-productive wet meadow species’ extinctions and their habitat collapses in central Europe. Without proper protection and management, it is likely that low-productive wet meadows will continue to decline and, in the next few decades, only a fraction of today’s already faint frequency will remain within a few higher-elevated subregions.

Biodiversity of the meadow floristic complex of the ridge Ketpen-Temerlik

This article presents results of long-term studies of the meadow flora of the Ketpen-Temerlik ridge within Kazakhstan and China. The article presents an analysis of the meadow floristic complex of the Ketpen-Temerlik ridge. The taxonomic diversity of species composition of meadow floristic complex, biomorphological analysis of life forms of meadow species, and also the belonging of meadow species to different geographical types of areas. A detailed floristic analysis of meadow flora made it possible to identify 624 species of vascular plants belonging to 230 genera and 47 families. According to the main taxonomic groups of plants, the meadow flora is represented by the Magnoliophyta department, which accounts for 82.2% of the total species composition, and only an insignificant percentage is in the Liliopsida department, 17.1%. The ratio of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants in meadow flora is 1: 4.8. The total number of monocotyledons covers 107 species or 17.1% of the total number of species, there are 517 species of dicotyledonous plants or 82.2%. Analysis of the largest families of meadow flora made it possible to identify 16 largest families by the largest number of species, which contain 504 species. Analysis of the species richness of the genera of flora are: Potentilla, Carex, Ranunculus, Taraxacum, Astragalus, Silene, Veronica. The leading genus of meadow flora accounts for 25.1%. The article considers a boreal nature of the meadow flora. The article reveals a large presence among the meadow flora of Ketpen-Temerlik of mountainous middle asian species with an area limited to the territories of Mountainous Middle Asia.

VASCULAR PLAN FLORA KUZOVOVO VILLAGE AS INDICATOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENT (ULLYAN VOLTAGE)

An analysis of the flora of vascular plants from 384 species, of which 109 species are adventitious, and the ratio of indigenophytes and synanthropophytes (excluding cultured species) is 1: 3 for the Kuzovatovo village. Veronica chamaedys, a boreal-nemoral forest-meadow species, is a botanical symbol of the Kuzovatovo settlement and is of interest for monitoring the flora of this area.

The Biodiversity Promotion Areas: effectiveness of agricultural direct payments on plant diversity conservation in the semi-natural grasslands of the Southern Swiss Alps

An agro-environmental payment for the management of the so-called ‘Biodiversity Promotion Areas’ (BPA) has been used to accomplish biodiversity conservation goals in Switzerland. These areas have been managed according to specific limitations on mowing dates and fertilizers. We assessed the regional-scale effectiveness of BPA implementation within Ticino Canton by answering the following questions: (i) is plant species diversity higher in BPA than in conventionally managed grasslands (CMG)? (ii) which are the differences between BPA and CMG in terms of climatic, topographical, ecological, and vegetation variables? (iii) which vegetation types, functional groups, and plant species are specifically related to BPA? A total of 242 vegetation surveys (64 in BPA and 178 in CMG, respectively) was carried out in 55 farms and the main climatic and topographic features were assessed. Differences in terms of plant diversity, ecological indicator and pastoral values, species functional groups, vegetation types, and indicator species between BPA and CMG were assessed. The BPA harboured a higher plant diversity. They were located in steeper areas, at higher elevations, and characterised by lower soil nutrient content, mowing tolerance, and pastoral value than CMG. Dry meadow species number and cover were higher in BPA, while nutrient-rich meadow species number was higher in CMG. The species associated to BPA belonged to a wider range of functional groups and 38% of them belonged to the national list for biodiversity promotion in agriculture, whereas no species associated to CMG belonged to that list. Thus, our results confirmed the effectiveness of BPA for biodiversity conservation for the Southern Swiss Alps.

Features of ground beetle (Coleoptera, Carabidae) assemblages in areas of meadow biocenosis with and without Sosnovsky’s hogweed (Heracleum sosnowskyi)

As a result of a study conducted in 2018, 41 species of ground beetles from 23 genera were identified in the Ushachsky District of the Vitebsk Region (Belarusian Lakeland) as a part of ground beetle assemblages of meadow biocenosis with clogging by the invasive Sosnovsky’s hogweed, whereas without clogging with hogweed 38 species from 21 genera were identified. Species Notiophilus biguttatus (Fabricius, 1779), Dyschiriodes globosus (Herbst, 1784), Bembidion quadrimaculatum (Linnaeus, 1761), Pterostichus oblongopunctatus (Fabricius, 1787), P. minor (Gyllenhal, 1827), P. nigrita (Paykull, 1790), Platynus assimilis (Paykull, 1790), P. krynickii (Sperk, 1835), Bradycellus caucasicus (Chaudoir, 1846), Ophonus laticollis (Mannerheim, 1825), Harpalus latus (Linnaeus, 1758), H. progrediens (Schauberger, 1922), Badister bullatus (Schrank, 1798) were recorded only in the biocenosis with clogging with hogweed. The species richness and the value of the biodiversity index of the ground beetle assemblages of the meadow biocenosis with clogging with hogweed were higher than these parameters of the ground beetle assemblages of the meadow biocenosis without hogweed. In the conditions of invasive hogweed thickets stratobionts boreholes dominated in the ground beetle assemblages (relative abundance 28.57 %), the participation of eurytopic (6 species, 20.37 %) and forest species (7 species, 12.01 %) was high, with a decrease in the share of participation meadow species (3 species, 1.37 %). For the biocenosis littered with hogweed, a high proportion of mesophiles (19 species, 52.44 %) was observed, against the background of a low proportion of mesogyrophils (9 species, 37.69 %).