Архив метки: biodiversity

STRUCTURE OF THE CRIMEAN-NOVOROSSIYSK OROBIOME (THE UTRISH-TUAPSE VARIANT) BOTANICAL DIVERSITY

Arid Ecosystems

Ogureeva G.N.,  Bocharnikov M.V.,  Suslova E.G. STRUCTURE OF THE CRIMEAN-NOVOROSSIYSK OROBIOME (THE UTRISH-TUAPSE VARIANT) BOTANICAL DIVERSITY // Arid ecosystems. 2020. V. 26. № 4 (85). P. 10-17. | PDF

Based on the concept of ecosystem diversity, a regional assessment of the Crimean-Novorossiysk orobiome is given. Orobiome is considered to be a strong unit for inventory and analysis of mountain biodiversity. On the example of the Utrish-Tuapse geographical variant of the orobiome (the Northwest Caucasus), the altitudinal-belt structure of the vegetation cover is revealed, according to which the spatial differentiation of flora and plant communities are formed. A quantitative evaluation of biota and abiotic indicators characterizing the botanical and geographical traits of the orobiome is given. The spectrum of altitudinal zonality of vegetation is determined, a quantitative assessment of floristic diversity by the belt is given, and some features of the spatial structure of community diversity in mountainous areas are revealed.

Keywords: biodiversity, altitudinal zonation, orobiome, mapping, the Abrau Peninsula, Sub-Mediterranean.

DOI: 10.24411/1993-3916-2020-10113

VARIABILITY OF SOIL SALINITY AND PHYTODIVERSITY OF HETEROCHRONOUS REGIONS OF THE CASPIAN LITTORAL PLAIN

Arid Ecosystems

Konyushkova M.V.,  Nukhimovskaya Yu.D.,  Gasanova Z.U.,  Stepanova N.Yu. VARIABILITY OF SOIL SALINITY AND PHYTODIVERSITY OF HETEROCHRONOUS REGIONS OF THE CASPIAN LITTORAL PLAIN // Arid ecosystems. 2020. V. 26. № 4 (85). P. 66-75. | PDF

The article discusses the results of soil and geobotanical studies at the plots on the coastal plain of the Caspian Sea (Northern Dagestan) of different ages: 1340 ± 36 years calBP (Kaspii-1) and 293 ± 13 years calBP (Kaspii-2). Changes in the biodiversity of the vegetation cover and the soil-salinity variation over time are assessed. It is shown that the variability of soil salinity (range, quartile scale, and standard deviation) at the local level (areas of nonuniformity with linear dimensions of meters or tens of meters) has increased, while the parameters of vegetation biodiversity (floristic richness, the species number, the families number, the number of long-vegetating herbaceous perennials and ephemers, the presence of species with different salinity tolerance, and differentiation of the intracoenotic diversity) have decreased. The plot with a Tamarisk community (Kaspii-2) is characterized by a statistically significant, moderate correlation (R2 = 0.29) between soil salinity and vegetation based on data on the distribution of dominant species, whereas this correlation is not significant on the older plot with a saltwort—suaeda community (Kaspii-1). The data show that, when the area dries up after sea regression, the variation in soil properties (salinity) and vegetation changes in different directions: the variation in soil salinity (functional pedodiversity) increases with age, while the variation in vegetation (phytodiversity) decreases. Moisture availability is obviously the main factor limiting the biodiversity on the older plot on the background of high salinization of soils on the both plots as evidenced with the smaller moisture reserve in the top 1-m soil layer on the older plot.

Keywords: solonchaks, biodiversity, functional pedodiversity, sea plain, Caspian Sea Region, nonuniformity, salinity.

DOI: 10.24411/1993-3916-2020-10120