Dataset for vascular plants in the Red Data Books of Transbaikalia: species distribution and pathways towards their conservation

The dataset of the Red Data Book vascular plants of Transbaikalia was created based on the latest editions of the Red Data Book of the Republic of Buryatia and the Red Data Book of the Zabaikalsky Krai (Russia). The dataset provides the most updated information regarding the distribution of 271 rare vascular plants (2920 distribution records). The distribution of the studied species was recorded during field surveys using GPS navigators, georeferenced from herbarium specimens, and digitised from printed distribution maps. Each entry in the dataset has various attributes, including belt zone, distribution, ecological, and life-form group features. Distribution patterns for various groups of rare and endangered species were analysed by means of QGIS 3.10 software. Our study has revealed a number of localities of vascular plants listed in the Red Data Book and clarified their distribution within the federal Protected Areas of Transbaikalia, among which Tunkinsky National Park has the highest diversity. Distribution of some rare and endangered species falls under federal protection, but some plants, including endemic species, require better protection. Analysis of various belt zones and distribution groups showed their distinct spread within the study region. Among the studied species, mesophytes and short rhizome perennial plants prevailed. It is also important to preserve vascular plants in the Red Data Book outside Protected Areas. Hence, information from our dataset can be useful for conservation monitoring programmes. Our study provides a basis for future conservation activities and can be applied in the establishment of new Protected Areas or Important Plant Areas in Transbaikalia

Global distribution and evolutionary transitions of angiosperm sexual systems

Angiosperm sexual systems are fundamental to the evolution and distribution of plant diversity, yet spatiotemporal patterns in angiosperm sexual systems and their drivers remain poorly known. Using data on sexual systems and distributions of 68453 angiosperm species, we present the first global maps of sexual system frequencies and evaluate sexual system evolution during the Cenozoic. Frequencies of dioecy and monoecy increase with latitude, while hermaphrodites are more frequent in warm and arid regions. Transitions to dioecy from other states were higher than to hermaphroditism, but transitions away from dioecy increased since the Cenozoic, suggesting that dioecy is not an evolutionary end point. Transitions between hermaphroditism and dioecy increased, while transitions to monoecy decreased with paleo-temperature when paleo-temperature >0℃. Our study demonstrates the biogeography of angiosperm sexual systems from a macroecological perspective, and enhances our understanding of plant diversity patterns and their response to climate change.acceptedVersio

Siberian plants shift their phenology in response to climate change

Siberia has undergone dramatic climatic changes due to global warming in recent decades. Yet, the ecological responses to these climatic changes are still poorly understood due to a lack of data. Here, we use a unique data set from the Russian ‘Chronicles of Nature’ network to analyse the long-term (1976–2018) phenological shifts in leaf out, flowering, fruiting and senescence of 67 common Siberian plant species. We find that Siberian boreal forest plants advanced their early season (leaf out and flowering) and mid-season (fruiting) phenology by −2.2, −0.7 and −1.6 days/decade, and delayed the onset of senescence by 1.6 days/decade during this period. These mean values, however, are subject to substantial intraspecific variability, which is partly explained by the plants' growth forms. Trees and shrubs advanced leaf out and flowering (−3.1 and −3.3. days/decade) faster than herbs (−1 day/decade), presumably due to the more direct exposure of leaf and flower buds to ambient air for the woody vegetation. For senescence, we detected a reverse pattern: stronger delays in herbs (2.1 days/decade) than in woody plants (1.0–1.2 days/decade), presumably due to the stronger effects of autumn frosts on the leaves of herbs. Interestingly, the timing of fruiting in all four growth forms advanced at similar paces, from 1.4 days/decade in shrubs to 1.7 days/decade in trees and herbs. Our findings point to a strong, yet heterogeneous, response of Siberian plant phenology to recent global warming. Furthermore, the results highlight that species- and growth form-specific differences among study species could be used to identify plants particularly at risk of decline due to their low adaptive capacity or a loss of synchronization with important interaction partners

Global distribution and evolutionary transitions of angiosperm sexual systems

Angiosperm sexual systems are fundamental to the evolution and distribution of plant diversity, yet spatiotemporal patterns in angiosperm sexual systems and their drivers remain poorly known. Using data on sexual systems and distributions of 68453 angiosperm species, we present the first global maps of sexual system frequencies and evaluate sexual system evolution during the Cenozoic. Frequencies of dioecy and monoecy increase with latitude, while hermaphrodites are more frequent in warm and arid regions. Transitions to dioecy from other states were higher than to hermaphroditism, but transitions away from dioecy increased since the Cenozoic, suggesting that dioecy is not an evolutionary end point. Transitions between hermaphroditism and dioecy increased, while transitions to monoecy decreased with paleo-temperature when paleo-temperature >0℃. Our study demonstrates the biogeography of angiosperm sexual systems from a macroecological perspective, and enhances our understanding of plant diversity patterns and their response to climate change

Rare Legumes (Fabaceae Lindl.) in Buryatia: Geographic Distribution, Eco-Coenotic Confinement, Population Diversity, and Conservation Challenges

Комплексное исследование редких видов растений позволяет провести оценку состояния их популяций и разработать меры по их охране. В последние годы проведены детальные исследования редких бобовых на территории Республики Бурятия, что позволило выявить новые местонахождения, особенности ареалов видов и характер структуры их популяций. Цель исследования – обобщение имеющейся информации с учетом современных данных для разработки конкретных рекомендаций по охране редких видов бобовых на изучаемой территории. Исследование популяций изучаемых видов и растительных сообществ с их участием осуществляли традиционными методами. Анализ распространения видов проведен на основе базы данных локалитетов редких растений, разработанной для Республики Бурятия и включающей актуальную информацию из последнего переиздания Красной книги для данной территории. Рассмотрены хорология, эколого-ценотическая приуроченность и структура популяций редких видов семейства бобовых (Fabaceae Lindl.) в Бурятии. Проведена комплексная оценка структуры популяций ключевых видов с учетом особенностей их фитоценотической и географической приуроченности. Изученные популяции редких бобовых большей частью являются неполночленными (часто отсутствуют пре- и постгенеративные особи), дефинитивными, нормальными, зрелыми. Мономодальные спектры характерны для ценопопуляций из ненарушенных и малонарушенных местообитаний с пиком на средневозрастных особях. При наличии антропогенного воздействия или других экзогенных факторов наблюдаются бимодальные онтогенетические спектры. Стратегия охраны изучаемых видов должна основываться на территориальной охране и рациональном использовании сообществ с их участием. Необходимы дальнейшие исследования по изучению биологии и экологии видов, строгая охрана изолированных местообитаний, ведение регулярного мониторинга численности в известных популяцияхComplex studies of rare plant species allow to evaluate the status of their populations and develop an approach to their conservation. During the last years, detailed studies of rare legume species have been performed on the territory of Buryatia. They revealed new species localities, and characteristic features of species distribution and population structures. The goal of the current research is to summarize all available information including the latest data in order to develop practical recommendations for rare legume species conservation in the examined region. Populations of rare legumes and plant communities containing them were studied by traditional methods. Species distribution was analyzed using the locality database for rare vascular plants in Buryatia which contains critical information from the last edition of Red Data Book for the examined area. Distribution, eco-coenotic confinement and population structure of rare legume species in Buryatia were studied. The structure of key species populations was estimated with respect to their phytocoenotic and geographic confinement. Rare legumes populations are mostly insufficient (excluding juvenile and senile individuals), definitive, normal, and mature. Unimodal age spectra with prevalence of generative plants typical of populations from undisturbed habitats. Human impact or other exogenous factors led to formation of bimodal age spectra. The strategy for conservation of the examined species should be based on protection of their habitats and sustainable use of plant communities containing rare legumes. Further research into biological and ecological features of rare legumes, strict protection of isolated habitats, regular monitoring of populations sizes are require

Distribution of vascular plants north of Lake Baikal: a new, open access dataset

The area north of Lake Baikal has been poorly studied. Moreover, most of the studies conducted in this region were focused on mountain ridges or river valleys. This region includes a part of Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM), a broad-gauge railway in the centre of Siberia, Russia. The railway is an alternative route of the Trans-Siberian Railway; BAM starts in southern Siberia (Taishet station of Irktusk Oblast), passes through the northern part of Lake Baikal and finishes in the Russian Far East (Sovetskaya Gavan station of Khabarovsky Krai). BAM has four connections with the Trans-Siberian Railway and is the centre of economic development for many regions of Russia. Maya Ivanova and Alexandr Chepurnov summarised the existing floristic information for this region in detailed species distribution maps which they published in the book “Flora of the western part of developing regions of Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM)” (1983). After publishing this book, very few floristic studies have been performed in the study region. All available botanical information is still accumulated in a number of printed papers or books with limited circulation, which are not widely known to the international scientific community.We have digitised the point distribution maps from the book of Ivanova and Chepurnov and georeferenced all occurrence and sampling localities. The resulting dataset includes 9972 occurrences for 770 vascular plant species and subspecies from the area north of Lake Baikal. Additionally, the dataset includes information on the distribution of 43 rare and endangered species with 366 occurrences. From our point of view, the dataset makes a contribution to the global biodiversity data mobilisation, providing plant species distribution data for such a remote mountainous area

Distribution of alpine endemic plants of northern Asia: a dataset

We describe a dataset providing information on the geographic distribution of northern Asian endemic alpine plants. It was obtained by digitising maps from the atlas “Endemic alpine plants of Northern Asia”. Northern Asia includes numerous mountain ranges which may have served as refugia during the Pleistocene ice ages, but there have been no studies that analysed this question. We suggest that this dataset can be applied for better understanding of the alpine endemism in northern Asia.The dataset includes 13709 species distribution records, representing 211 species from 31 families and 106 genera. Each record provides data regarding the distribution of an individual species. These data provide a foundation for studying northern Asia's endemic alpine species and conducting research on the factors concerning their distribution

The Curious Case of <i>Fritillaria sonnikovae</i> (Liliaceae) in South Siberia: New Insights into Its Origin and Phylogeny

Fritillaria Tourn. ex L. is a genus of Liliaceae including a little more than 150 species occurring in the temperate Holarctic. Fritillaria sonnikovae Shaulo & Erst is the most recently described Siberian species in the genus. In the affinity section of the F. sonnikovae diagnosis, only F. dagana Turcz. and F. roylei Hook. are mentioned. Our study is an original attempt to shed light on the F. sonnikovae origin and its evolutionary relationships with other Fritillaria using nuclear (ITS) and plastid (matK + rps16 + trnH-psbA) DNA markers. Our results showed that F. sonnikovae together with F. dagana and F. maximowiczii Freyn belongs to the North Asian lineage of the Liliorhiza subgenus and produced no evidence supporting relationship between F. sonnikovae and F. roylei. Monophyly of Fritillaria sonnikovae was not reliably confirmed in our study since its close affinity with F. maximowiczii was demonstrated by phylogenetic analysis and morphology. Fritillaria dagana was shown to be a sister to the F. maximowiczii + F. sonnikovae group. Most authors of the present study suggest considering F. sonnikovae as a synonym for F. maximowiczii. In this view, F. sonnikovae may be considered a narrow endemic and one of the light-perianth morphs of F. maximowiczii, which has emerged in the Western Sayan and remained there as a tertiary relict

ASSESMENT OF HYDROTHERMIC CONDITIONS OF EXPOSURE-RELATED FOREST-STEPPE OF INNER ASIA ON THE BASE OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT PARAMETERS

Hydrothermic conditions of exposure-related forest-steppe of Inner Asia have been analyzed. The slope-specific vegetation distribution in study region can be explained by topographycontrolled coming solar radiation which led to differentiated soil temperatures and soil water supply. Soil temperature was differ on different aspects and slope inclinations, and also connected with size of forest patches. There was a buffering effect of forests on soil temperature, as indicated by cooler soil temperatures in the warm season and warmer soil temperatures in the cold season. Soils in the forest sites and steppe sites freeze almost simultaneously, but experience a delay in thawing of approximately 14, 19 and 25 days for birch, pine, and larch forest, respectively. Various ecological niches formed by topography and soil conditions characterized by high coenotic diversity of forest-steppe landscapes of Inner Asia.Исследования проведены при поддержке грантов РФФИ 13-04-91180, 16-54-53057 и в рамках государственного задания по теме № АААА-А17-117011810036-3