rare species

Data on morphological variability of 13 populations of the species Colchicum laetum Steven, rare for the Russian Federation, in the territory of the Volgograd region, the Republic of Kalmykia and the Stavropol Territory are presented. A strong morphological variability of populations on the territory of the regions was noted both at the intra- and interpopulation level. Apparently, the heterogeneity of the environment in space, both signifi cant and local, is well felt by plants of populations that adapt to this heterogeneity in diff erent ways.

The article presents the results of studying the ontogenetic and vitality structure of 13 cenopopulations of Globularia bisnagarica from the Middle and Lower Volga region. The assessment of the ontogenetic structure was carried out by constructing and analyzing the ontogenetic spectra of each of the studied cenopopulations, as well as the basic ontogenetic spectrum, followed by determining the type of cenopopulations according to the “delta-omega” criterion.

For the fi rst time in the southern part of the Volga Upland, a detailed study of the population distribution and structure of rare and protected species Hedysarum grandifl orum Pall., listed in the Red Books of the Russian Federation (2008) and the Saratov Region (2021), was carried out. The study was conducted in 2007–2021. To identify the distribution, data from routine observations and information from herbarium specimens, literary data and oral reports were used.

Basic principles underlying the methodology of the procedure of entering and deleting biological species in regional Red Data Books are shown. With Natrix tessellate as an example, an algorithm is demonstrated to exclude a species from the list of rare and endangered animals needing special protection measures. As a result of our longterm field studies of the N. tessellata populations, a positive trend in the abundance change in its population and in the spectrum of biotopical correspondence and geographical distribution within the Saratov region has been established.

The study of intraspecific variability of rare plants allows to estimate the level of phenotypical variability, to establish borders of populations, to characterize microevolutionary processes, to reveal the ecological factors influencing formation of structure of populations that finally promotes preservation of a gene pool of rare species. Work purpose: studying of intraspecific variability of rare species Iris pumila L. in the south of the Cis-Urals of Bashkortostan Republic.

The article presents the results of a study of the vitality structure of four Delphinium litwinowii Sambuk coenopopulations from the Penza, Tambov and Voronezh regions in the period from 2017 to 2018. The most northern coenopopulation from Penza region in 2017 showed the strongest vitality, while the weakest was the Voronezh’ coenopopula- tion, located to the south, near the village of Vladimirovka.