Rare plants of Halmersale mountain vicinities (Northern Urals): Eco-phytocoenotic preferences, population structure and protection

The aim of our research was to study the distribution, define the eco-phytocoenotic preferences and assess the state of rare and protected plants coenopopulations in the Yugyd Va National Park (Komi Republic). There is a lack of data on vegetation and plant species diversity of this region. Population studies devoted to rare and protected plants included in the Red Data Book of Russia and the Komi Republic had not been performed here earlier, too. We conducted field investigations in July 2016. The study area is located on the western macroslope of the Northern Urals in the vicinities of Halmersale Mountain (63.81N, 59.15E) in the basin of the Halmerya river, upstream the Shchugor river. We used a complex of standard geobotanical (Korchagin AA and Lavrenko EM, 1964; Voronov AG, 1973; Yurtsev BA, 1995; Ipatov VS and Mirin DM, 2008) and floristic (Yurtsev BA and Kamelin RV, 1991) methods to describe eco-phytocoenotical conditions of the habitats under study. We described the vegetation cover of the key section on sample plots along ecological profiles created considering the latitudinal gradient during the route survey of the territory. The local flora of the key section was studied using the route method examining all encountered ecotope types and plant communities confined to them. The length of radial routes was 8-10 km. Lists of species composition are documented by herbarium collections from the Institute of Biology, Komi Scientific Center, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SYKO). The names of vascular plants are given according to SK Cherepanov, considering the latest modifications in the Red Data Book of the Komi Republic. To study the conditions of coenopopulations, we used approaches and methods of plant population biology (Uranov AA and Serebryakova TI, 1976; Serebryakova TI, 1977; Serebryakova TI and Sokolova TG, 1988; Zaugol'nova LB et al. 1993). Ontogenetic spectra were typified according to the "delta-omega" classification (Zhivotovsky LA, 2001), determining age (Д) and effectiveness (ю) indices. In each habitat, we laid transects which were then divided into plots where individuals at different onthogenetic state were registered. An individual plant of seed origin was used as a counting unit; in case of particulation, partial cluster was used as a counting unit. For coenopopulations, we determined the area (m¹), the number of individuals, density (ind/m²), restoration index (young to adult individuals ratio); then, the onthogenetic spectrum of coenopopulations (ratio of plants of different onthogenetic states expressed as a share in the total number of individuals). The flora of the study area includes 272 species of vascular plants from 163 genera and 59 families. We found 23 rare species in the Komi Republic (8.5% from the total species number): Anemonastrum biarmiense (Juz.) Holub, Cardamine bellidifolia L., Cryptogramma crispa (L.) R. Br., Diapensia lapponica L., Gypsophyla uralensis Less., Harrimanella hypnoides (L.) Cov., Hedysarum arcticum B. Fedtsch., Lagotis uralensis Schischk., Leucorchis albida (L.) E. Mey., Loiseleuriaprocumbens (L.) Desv., Oxyria dygyna (L.) Hill, Phyllodoce caerulea (L.) Bab., Pinus sibirica Du Tour, Polemonium boreale Adams. subsp. nudipedum (Klok.) R. Kam., Polypodium vulgare L., Ranunculus sulphureus C.J. Phipps, Rhodiola quadrifida (Pall.) Fisch. et C.A. Mey, R. rosea L., Silene paucifolia Ledeb., Tephroseris atropurpurea (Ledeb.) Holub, Thymus talijevii Klok. et Shost., Veronica alpina L. andXamilenis acaulis (L.) Tzvel. Rhodiola rosea and Anemonastrum biarmiense is in the Red Data Book of Russia. For eight species, we got the data on the area, number, onthogenic and sexual structure of populations, which extends the knowledge about their biology and eco-phytocoenology and indicates their modern state in Yugyd Va National Park. Anemonastrum biarmiense and Rhodiola rosea established plant communities of all altitudinal belts (mountain forest, light forest, mountain tundra belts and the belt of mountain stony deserts). These species often grow together forming a population up to 1000 plants and indicate a stable self-reproduction. Gypsophila uralensis and Silene paucifolia are strictly confined to warm stony slopes of southern exposition and establish patched dwarf shrub-lichen tundra (618-755 m above sea level). The population state of these species was assessed as relatively stable, but incomplete spectra and low number of young individuals require close monitoring and regulation of the populations. Tephroseris atropurpurea preferred open sites in mountain tundra (615-1220 m above sea level) and formed populations with а high share of generative individuals (up to 78.3%). Findings of eastern populations of Cryptogramma crispa and southern Rhodiola quadrifida population are important for ecology and distribution of these relic species. The species are locally distributed and require close monitoring. The article contains 2 Figures, 1 Table and 40 References.

Keywords

Authors

References