Study of the vascular plants diversity in the surroundings of the Kytalyk Research Station (Arctic Yakutia)

The local flora (LF) surrounding the research station at the Kytalyk Resourse Reserve was studied in detail and an annotated checklist is presented. Species composition of Kytalyk area flora is compared with the LF in three neighboring areas in the lower reaches of the Indigirka River. These localities had differing topography, therefore their species richness varied. The LF of the Kytalyk Research Station area numbered 131 vascular plant species from 66 genera and 28 families. Low species richness is explained by the prevalent flat and homogenous lowland topography. We found new and the northernmost in this region locations of several boreal and hypoarctic species (Moehringia lateriflora, Salix myrtilloides, Alnus fruticosa, Polygonum tripterocarpum, Orthilia obtusata, Pedicularis pennellii, Utricularia intermedia, U. minor, Triglochin maritima). The taxonomic structure of all four floras is similar, however in the Kytalyk area the Fabaceae, Lycopodiacea and Gentianaceae families were not found, whereas the proportion of Salicaceae, Caryophyllaceae and Scrophulariaceae was higher than in the other LF. We estimated species behavior with landscape activeness scores. Non-active stenotopic species with low abundance comprise 42% of the flora and species with broad-ecological tolerance comprise 18% of the flora. Phytogeographical latitudinal groups (arctic, hypoarctic and boreal) are almost equally represented in the LF. Geographical and taxonomic structure of the LF confirm its position in the bioclimatic subzone D

Study of the vascular plants diversity in the surroundings of the Kytalyk Research Station (Arctic Yakutia)

The local flora (LF) surrounding the research station at the Kytalyk Resourse Reserve was studied in detail and an annotated checklist is presented. Species composition of Kytalyk area flora is compared with the LF in three neighboring areas in the lower reaches of the Indigirka River. These localities had differing topography, therefore their species richness varied. The LF of the Kytalyk Research Station area numbered 131 vascular plant species from 66 genera and 28 families. Low species richness is explained by the prevalent flat and homogenous lowland topography. We found new and the northernmost in this region locations of several boreal and hypoarctic species (Moehringia lateriflora, Salix myrtilloides, Alnus fruticosa, Polygonum tripterocarpum, Orthilia obtusata, Pedicularis pennellii, Utricularia intermedia, U. minor, Triglochin maritima). The taxonomic structure of all four floras is similar, however in the Kytalyk area the Fabaceae, Lycopodiacea and Gentianaceae families were not found, whereas the proportion of Salicaceae, Caryophyllaceae and Scrophulariaceae was higher than in the other LF. We estimated species behavior with landscape activeness scores. Non-active stenotopic species with low abundance comprise 42% of the flora and species with broad-ecological tolerance comprise 18% of the flora. Phytogeographical latitudinal groups (arctic, hypoarctic and boreal) are almost equally represented in the LF. Geographical and taxonomic structure of the LF confirm its position in the bioclimatic subzone D

Study of the vascular plants diversity in the surroundings of the Kytalyk Research Station (Arctic Yakutia)

The local flora (LF) surrounding the research station at the Kytalyk Resourse Reserve was studied in detail and an annotated checklist is presented. Species composition of Kytalyk area flora is compared with the LF in three neighboring areas in the lower reaches of the Indigirka River. These localities had differing topography, therefore their species richness varied. The LF of the Kytalyk Research Station area numbered 131 vascular plant species from 66 genera and 28 families. Low species richness is explained by the prevalent flat and homogenous lowland topography. We found new and the northernmost in this region locations of several boreal and hypoarctic species (Moehringia lateriflora, Salix myrtilloides, Alnus fruticosa, Polygonum tripterocarpum, Orthilia obtusata, Pedicularis pennellii, Utricularia intermedia, U. minor, Triglochin maritima). The taxonomic structure of all four floras is similar, however in the Kytalyk area the Fabaceae, Lycopodiacea and Gentianaceae families were not found, whereas the proportion of Salicaceae, Caryophyllaceae and Scrophulariaceae was higher than in the other LF. We estimated species behavior with landscape activeness scores. Non-active stenotopic species with low abundance comprise 42% of the flora and species with broad-ecological tolerance comprise 18% of the flora. Phytogeographical latitudinal groups (arctic, hypoarctic and boreal) are almost equally represented in the LF. Geographical and taxonomic structure of the LF confirm its position in the bioclimatic subzone D

Applications of Local Floras for Floristic Subdivision and Monitoring Vascular Plant Diversity in the Russian Arctic

The local flora method has been used by Russian botanists for studying vast wilderness areas. The method strives to determine the total flora within a certain limited area and provides comparable data for spatial comparisons between different locations and temporal comparisons at the same location. Complete vascular plant diversity was sampled in 240 localities with an area between 100-300 km2 each throughout the Russian Arctic. These data were incorporated in a specially developed Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). This database provides a unique opportunity to study spatial gradients of different floristic variables. Pair-wise similarity of species composition and proportions of various phytogeographical groups in local floras were used in a floristic subdivision of the Russian Arctic. The floristic units derived by this method often resembled subprovinces of Yurtsev (1994), but there were also several areas of non-alignment. Application of local floras for monitoring of temporal changes has several constraints. However, nine local floras were re-visited 20-70 years after the initial survey. Increases in the number of Boreal and Hypoarctic species were recorded in the southern local floras. Standardized methods and the use of modern technical tools for accurate documentation could enable use of this approach at observatories across the Arctic.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author