Flora dynamics and the problem of vegetation cover protection in the Volga basin

The general data of flora dynamics in the Volga basin and problems of its protection are presented. The flora dynamics is characterized through: a) introduction of alien or non-native species, b) disappearance of certain species, c) appearance of new taxons. !e red book of the Volga basin is one of the tools useful for protection of vegetable cover. The red book underlies principles of protection of rare species through preservation of their environment

Estimation of the rare status of

The article contains information on assessing the environmental status of Iris aphylla populations according to the categories and criteria of the IUCN Red List. It was found that in Gomel Oblast (Republic of Belarus) and Samara Oblast (Russian Federation), I. aphylla is characterized as “Vulnerable” (VU). The resulting categories reflect the specifics of regional conditions affecting populations

Distribution and species composition of zooplankton (rotifers and crustaceans) in the Basin of the Middle Volga River, Russia

The presented dataset contains information on the distribution and species composition of zooplankton (rotifers and crustaceans) registered in the Basin of the Middle Volga River, Russia. The studies have been performed in the Kuibyshev Reservoir (Samara Oblast and the Republic of Tatarstan), the Saratov Reservoir (Samara Oblast), in several lakes (Raifskoe, Gniloe, Krugloe and Lenevo) in the Volzhsko-Kamsky State Biosphere Reserve (Republic of Tatarstan) and in Lake Aslikul, one of the largest lakes of the Middle Volga River Basin, located in the Asly-Kul Natural Park (Republic of Bashkortostan). The hydrobiological data were obtained and published from 1957 to 2020. In total, the dataset includes 5141 records of 111 zooplankton species (including 17 subspecies), belonging to 45 genera. These are mainly native species - 98.5%, while the naturalised, including invasive species, accounts for less than 1.5%.A total of 5141 records have been published on the taxonomic diversity and occurrence of zooplankton (rotifers and crustaceans) in the Middle Volga River Basin. Each record includes information about the place and date of finding the specimen, its taxonomy, occurrence and abundance and the collector. If the information about the find has been published, a link to the corresponding reference is provided. The presented dataset supplements the data on the distribution of zooplankton species in the European part of Russia. Data on zooplankton in the Middle Volga River Basin are published for the first time

Floristic areas of the Middle Volga region: materials to the analysis

The publication presents some quantitative characteristics of the 17 pre-selected floristic areas of the Middle Volga region (the total number of species, number of indigenous taxa and the number of differentiating species). Based on the available data, a linear regression is constructed, illustrating the relative dominance of allochthonous or autochthonous trends in the development of flora in the selected areas. The cluster analysis of the species lists of the floristic areas was completed, and then DCA-ordination of the selected areas was implemented. It is revealed that the forest-steppe areas of the Cis-Volga and Trans-Volga regions are situated by the level of species richness, and the number of species in the selected floristic areas is increasing from West and East towards the Volga

Distribution of alien plant species of the Middle Volga Region (South-East of the European part of Russia): a dataset

The dataset presented in current study contains information regarding alien vascular plant species found in the Middle Volga Region (South-East of the European part of Russia). The dataset overall includes 413 species belonging to 247 genera and 67 families. The described dataset is based on the data published during floristic studies from 1851 to 2019. The dataset does not include alien vascular plant species that have presently disappeared from the territory of the region. It contains a total of 7,782 records of occurrences, extracted from the Salix system of information and analytics, developed in the Institute of Ecology of the Volga River Basin of the Russian Academy of Sciences.A total of 7,782 records were published on the occurrence of alien vascular plants in the Middle Volga Region. Each entry includes information regarding the place of occurrence of the alien plant species, the year of occurrence, the person who recorded the alien plant and who identified it, status of the species (introduced or invasive), link to the herbarium, which contains the specimen and the literary source. If it was impossible to establish the names of the persons who collected the samples and (or) their identification in the identifiedBy and recordedBy fields, the names of the authors the publication given in the associatedReferences field were entered. The presented dataset supplements the information on the distribution of alien plant species in the whole European part of Russia and specifies the places of their findings in the Middle Volga Region

Materials on the distribution of plant species which are rare for the Volgograd oblast

The information about the distribution of 28 rare and endangered species of vascular plants under Federal and regional security, registered in 2018 on the territory of the Volgograd oblast under the Federal and regional security is given. Among them, 2 species (Crambe tataria Sebeok и Stipa zalesskii Wilensky ex P. A. Smirn.) are included in the List of Threatened plant species of Europe. Each location is linked to the grid of Atlas Flora Europaea. The obtained materials about the distribution of rare and endangered species of vascular plants represent an important data for long-term monitoring and also for environmental management measures at the regional level

<i>Iris pumila</i> L. and the State of Its Populations in the Samara Region (Southeast of the European Part of Russia)

The current state of the coenotic populations of Iris pumila L. (Iridaceae) were studied in the southeast of the European part of Russia (Samara Region). The phytocenotic confinement and population structure of the species were assessed. I. pumila preferred growing in steppe zonal communities. In total, 118 species of vascular plants were found in the communities, where I. pumila has been registered, and of which 34 (28.8%) were included into the Red List of the Samara Region and 8 species into the Red List of the Russian Federation. In the study area, populations of I. pumila were represented by a significant number of individuals and were in a stable state. According to the “delta-omega” criterion, the populations were mature (47.0%), transitional (23.5%), maturing (17.6%), and aging (11.9%), which testified to the diversity of population structure and thus to a satisfactory state of the species in the Samara Region. The populations recovered mainly due to individuals of vegetative origin, but this process was rather slow. Under unfavorable conditions, I. pumila populations were characterized by a vegetative settled way of life. Fires, grazing, and destruction of habitats had a significant impact on the population structure and absolute abundance in the Samara Region

Impact of natural fires on the vegetation cover of steppe and forest-steppe zones (European part of Russia, Middle Volga region)

The effect of natural fires on the vegetation cover of steppe and forest-steppe zones in the south-east of European Russia (the middle course of the Volga River) has been evaluated. The research used methods of studying biosystems at organism, species, population and cenotic levels. The study revealed the possibility of regrowth of aboveground plant parts after fires, changes in the population structure of species, and resistance of populations and zonal plant communities to the effects of natural fires. The most vulnerable among zonal vegetation types are pine forests, feather-grass and petrophytic steppes. Frequency, intensity and area of natural fires in the Middle Volga region cause significant changes in the structure of vegetation cover and reduction of biodiversity. The results obtained in the study of the impact of fires on vegetation can be used in the planning and implementation of environmental and reforestation measures

Population Structure of <i>Pyrola chlorantha</i> (Family Ericaceae) at the Southern Range Margin (Samara Region, Russia)

The population structure of endangered species is one of the main criteria for assessing their state in their habitats. Representatives of the Ericaceae family are sensitive to environmental changes, including anthropogenic pressure; thus, they are considered the indicator species in assessing phytocenose stability. The population structure and density of the threatened species green-flowered wintergreen, Pyrola chlorantha Sw., have been described at the southern range margin (south-east of the European part of Russia, Samara Region). The observations were performed here in 2006–2021, and the main parameters of the age and spatial structure of P. chlorantha populations were revealed for the first time. Green-flowered wintergreen populations were studied at monitoring study sites and at temporarily established study plots. A bush part (ramet) was set as a counting unit. In total, 27 sub-populations were surveyed, with 1520 individuals registered. The age structure of populations was characterized using common demographic indicators: the recovery index and the population age index. The age structure of the population was associated with the efficiency of both vegetative and seed reproduction. Generally, the share of pre-generative individuals was 32.3%, generative, 66.9%, and senile, 1.8%. The studied populations were stable due to low anthropogenic impact at the growth sites

How Poor Is Aphyllophoroid Fungi Diversity in the Boreal Urban Greenhouses of Eastern Europe?

It is generally accepted that mycobiota diversity in urban greenhouses is poorer than in natural ecosystems, but our knowledge on this field of research is fragmentary. Here, we present the results of a long-term study of aphyllophoroid macrofungi (Basidiomycota) forming fruitbodies on non-native sub/tropical woody and herbaceous plants in the greenhouses of Saint Petersburg, Moscow, and Ekaterinburg botanical gardens located in the hemiboreal vegetation subzone of Eastern Europe. Over 20 years of research, fruitbodies of 58 species of aphyllophoroid fungi have been identified. Fungal species that developed on the wooden structures of greenhouses and building materials made of local wood are discussed separately. The list of fungi on non-native substrates is dominated by saprobes (93.1% of total list) as well as mycorrhizal with basidiomata on plants (8.6%). Phytopathogens have the lowest number (7.0%), and ¾ of species are widespread locally. Non-native plants are dominated by native fungal species (78.9%), while the percentage of non-native species is low (21.1%). In the three surveyed cities, the area of the studied greenhouses is 2.8 ha, and not a single species of fungi has been found twice on the same substrate. Half of the identified species are characterized by a single specimen (29 species/50.9%). Hymenochaete rheicolor was discovered in Russia for the first time and its known distribution is discussed. Only six (Antrodia gossypium, Hyphodontia arguta, Lyomyces sambuci, Peniophora cinerea, Ramariopsis kunzei, and Trechispora farinacea) local species (10.5%) were collected in all the three cities. The α-diversity of mycobiota (mean number of species per site, Shannon Index, and Menhinick Index) in the Ekaterinburg’s greenhouses is 1.2–3.0 times lower compared to suburban forest parks and old-growth natural forests, while β-diversity (Whittaker Index, Jaccard Index, and Morisita–Horn Index), on the contrary, is 2.1–7.7 times higher. With the plants’ age, the probability of detecting fungi on them increases significantly. In greenhouses, phytopathogenic aphyllophoroid macrofungi are collected on woody plants only, but the probability of their development is not related to the plants’ age