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В данной статье приводится описание опыта организации территориальной охраны популяции вида растений, занесенного в Красную книгу Тверской области, - Келерии Делявиня, произрастающей на территории деревни Видогощи в Каблуковском сельском поселении Калининского муниципального района Тверской области. Организация территориальной охраны популяции определяется видовыми экологическими и биологическими особенностями и ограничивается социально-экономическими факторами муниципальной территории. Отдельно выделена роль социально-политического фактора, как стимулятора организации юридических запретов на хозяйственную деятельность на территории. Here we describe the experience of organizing the territorial protection of the population the Red Data Book of the Tver Region plant species, Koeleria delavignei, growing on the territory of the village of Vidogoschi in the Kablukovsky rural settlement of the Kalininsky municipal district of the Tver Region. The organization of territorial protection of the population is determined by the specific ecological and biological characteristics and is limited by the socio-economic factors of the municipal territory. Separately, we treat the role of the socio-political factor as a stimulator of the organization of legal bans on economic activities in the territory.

We provide information on the typification of the names described by Josif Pančić in his Elenchus plantarum vascularum quas aestate a. 1873 in Crna Gora, published in 1875. Also, we present a brief description of Pančić’s field trip to Montenegro emphasizing when and where the gatherings of the material used for describing taxa new to science were made. Nomenclatural notes for all 13 validly published names are given. Lectotypes for 10 validly published names are proposed: Astragalus spruneri var. glabrescens, Campanula glomerata var. macrodon, Carduus ramosissimus, Geranium oreades, Heliosperma macranthum, Koeleria grandiflora var. subaristata, Orobanche cruenta var. adusta, Sonchus pallescens, Valeriana bertiscea and Verbascum leptocladum. Previous typifications of the three names described in Elenchus are summarized. Also, notes for the three names not validly published are given.

Festucetum vaginatae Rapaics ex Soó 1929 em. Borhidi 1996 is a characteristic association of the calcareous sandy areas of the Pannonian basin; its dominant grass species is Festuca vaginata. Another typical species of these sandy areas is the newly discovered F. pseudovaginata. The question is whether F. pseudovaginata forms an independent coenotaxa? Our study proved that F. vaginata and F. pseudovaginata populations grow separately and compose different associations. Stands dominated by F. pseudovaginata had a higher species richness and harboured twice as many Festuco-Brometea species compared to the Festucetum vaginatae stands. Diagnostic species of the Festucetum pseudovaginatae association are Festuca pseudovaginata, Colchicum arenarium, Ephedra distachya, Koeleria majoriflora, and Astragalus onobrychis. The number of species, the density of the individuals, and the variability and diversity of the vegetation separated it from the Festucetum vaginatae association; thus, it can be considered an independent endemic association. Festucetum pseudovaginatae has its own differentiating and dominant species: Carex stenophylla, Cynodon dactylon, Eryngium campestre, Kochia laniflora.

The distribution of the vascular plants species occurring in the composition of high mountain communities with the participation of stitchwort polster (Stellaria pulvinata Grub.) are analyzed. They form a separate altitudinal belt in the altitudinal-zonation range of vegetation and belong to the arid class of zonality types in the central Mongolian Altai (2700–3300 m a.s.l. Baltic System (BS)). The analysis identified cenotically active species in the cenofloras of cryophytic steppes and cryophytes–forb cushion plants, which include distinctive elements of cryo-xerophytic conditions, such as Oxytropis oligantha, O. chionophylla, Saussurea leucophylla, Chamaerhodos altaica, Arenaria meyeri, and Androsace septentrionalis; montane species confined to the high mountain areas of southern Siberia and central Asia (Festuca kryloviana and Poa altaica) and bunchgrasses, which are represented by widely distributed species typical of the steppe (Festuca lenensis and Koeleria cristata). Modeling of the spatial distribution revealed that the ecological–cenotic optimum for the majority of species in the region is found outside of the cryophytic steppes and cushion-plant growth area. According to the identified potential distribution ranges of species accompanying Stellaria pulvinata, a close relationship has been established between the vegetation of the central Mongolian Altai high mountains and the mountains of southern Siberia.

To construct dose-response curves for basic biological indicators, such as mortality, fertility, ra-diation-related morbidity, genetic effects, data of experimental studies of acute radiation expo-sure carried out under controlled conditions within laboratory walls are mainly used. However, the results of experimental research cannot be applied to research of radiation effects on biological species inhabiting and growing in large territories, contaminated with the mixture of -, - and -emitting radionuclides with different penetrativeness, biological efficiency and mobility in the soil-plant system. Large scale study of impact of 90Sr in different concentrations in the Koeleria gra-cilis plants on the frequency of cytogenetic damage formation. For the study 105 experimental points on the «4A» landing in the Semipalatinsk test site were selected. The landing was earlier used for radioactive substances testing, the 90Sr concentration in plants varied between 102 and 108 Bq/kg. It was the first open-air study that allowed researchers to obtain the curve of the rela-tionship between the radioniuclide content in the plants and the frequency of cytogenetic altera-tions. The threshold for cytogenetic alterations induction in the plants below 1.58105 Bq/kg was found. At the higher 90Sr concentrations statistically significant increase (p

The pine mountain forest with bearberry is a rare, relict and endangered phytocoenosis in the Middle Volga (Samara Region; Stavropol District). At present, they are distributed in a limited way and only in the area of the Zhigulevsky State Natural Biosphere Reserve named after I.I. Sprygin. On this territory, geobotanical releves of plots with bearberry were performed. The ecological-phytocenotic and floristic characteristics of the phytocenosis from the position of Braun-Blanquet are given. Ecotopes are located on slopes of different steepness of the western and north-western exposure. The plant community forms several layers. The species composition is not rich. The dominant species are Pinus cretacea Kalen., Arctostaphyllos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng., Carex pediformis C.A. Mey., Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce, Rhaponticoides ruthenica (Lam.) M.V. Agab. et Greuter, Asperula tinctoria L. Rare species: Arctostaphilos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng., Astragalus zingeri Korsh., Euphorbia zhiguliensis (Prokh.) Prokh., Gypsophila juzepczukii Ikonn., Helianthemum nummularium Mill., Koeleria sclerophylla P.A. Smirn., Pulsatilla patens Mill., Thymus zheguliensis Klokov et Des.-Shost., that are listed in the Red Book of the Samara Region. In recent years, pine forests with bearberry have suffered greatly from fires and are in the stage of degradation. The uniqueness and relict nature of the bearberry phytocenoses in the Zhiguli Mountains requires their preservation.

The paper is devoted to the characteristics of the floristic diversity of steppe vegetation in the southern part of the Vitim plateau in Yeravninskaya and Uldurginskaya basins. There is a southern border of the permafrost. The flora of the steppes is characterized by a depleted composition in comparison with the steppes of the Selenga middle mountains. Some widespread plant species of the true steppes of the Central Asia are absent here. The basis of the ecological and phytocoenotic structure is the steppe group, which is dominated by mountain and forest-steppe plant species. There is less participation of the true steppe species; this fact indicates an insular nature of these steppes. A group of light-coniferous species is significant; they are the part of the cryoarid forest-steppe complexes of the Vitim plateau. In the ecological structure of the flora xeromesophyte and gemixerophyte species dominate. They have the most important coenotic role in the formation of the vegetation cover of these steppes. The cereals species are of high coenotic significance, there are indicators of the dry bunchgrass steppes of Southern Siberia ( Poa botryoides (Trin. ex Griseb.) Roshev . , Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn., Koeleria cristata (L.) Pers.). The role of mesoxerophytic of East Asian and Daurian-Manchurian species is also high ( Filifolium sibiricum (L.) Kitam . , Stellera chamaejasme L., Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd . ). They are typical for meadow steppes of the Central Asian sector of the Palearctic.

Koeleria capensis (Thunb.) Nees — Habit: Herb. Habitat: LMWF, LMDF, BZ, UMF, HZ, AZ, NZ; 1 700–5 000 m. Distribution: II. Voucher: Timau Track, Alt. 3 421 m, 21 Jan. 2015, SAJIT 002763 (HIB). References: Clayton (1970), Young & Young (1983), Young & Peacock (1985), Bussmann (1994), Abdi (2013), Agnew (2013)., Published as part of Zhou, Ya-Dong, Mwachala, Geoffrey, Hu, Guang-Wan & Wang, Qing-Feng, 2022, Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Mount Kenya, East Africa, pp. 1-108 in Phytotaxa 546 (1) on page 38, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.546.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/6550464, {"references":["Clayton, W. D. (1970) Gramineae (Part 1). In: Milne-Readhead, E. & Polhill, R. M. (Eds.) Flora of Tropical East Africa. Crown Agents, London, 176 pp.","Young, H. J. & Young, T. P. (1983) Local distribution of C 3 and C 4 grasses on Mount Kenya. Oecologia 58: 373 - 377. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / BF 00385238","Young, T. P. & Peacock, M. M. (1985) Vegetative key to the alpine vascular plants of Mount Kenya. Journal of the East Africa National History Society & National Museum 75 (185): 1 - 9. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / j. 1365 - 2028.2004.00514. x","Bussmann, R. W. (1994) The forest of Mt. Kenya (Kenya): Vegetation, ecology, destruction and management of a tropical mountain forest ecosystem. Ph. D. dissertation, Universitat Bayreuth Startseite, Bayreuth, 252 pp.","Abdi, A. A. (2013) Diversity and distribution of the Afroalpine Flora of Eastern Africa with special reference to the taxonomy of the genus Pentaschistis (Poaceae). Ph. D. Thesis, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, 239 pp.","Agnew, A. D. Q. (2013) Upland Kenya wild flowers and ferns, 3 rd edn. Nature Kenya Publications, Nairobi, 733 pp."]}

Bromus catharticus Vahl. belongs to the Pooideae subfamily of Poaceae. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the complete chloroplast genome of B. catharticus. The complete chloroplast genome was 134,718 bp in size, including a large single-copy region of 80,540 bp, a small single-copy region of 11,806 bp and a pair of reverse repeats of 21,186 bp in size. The annotation of B. catharticus indicates that it contained 89 protein-coding genes, 47 tRNA genes and eight rRNA genes. Our phylogenetic analysis of all protein-coding genes of the 36 grass complete chroloplast genomes using Cyperus rotundus as outgroup showed that B. catharticus is closely related to the Koeleria and Avena species to form the Pooideae lineage of the grass family.

Some plant species belonging to the Koeleria genus have many features that make it an ideal grass with low maintenance costs. Their slow growth habit, tolerance to drought and extreme environmental conditions, and their wide natural distribution make them strong candidates for development as grass and forage. In this study, observations and measurements were carried out in 2019-2020 to determine phenotypic characteristics in 53 genotypes selected according to their superior characteristics from Koeleria genotypes collected from the natural flora of Turkey. In Koeleria genotypes; Quality (1-9 scale), seasonal color change (1-9 scale), leaf texture (1-9 scale), density (1-9 scale), plant height (cm), leaf width (cm), leaf length ( cm), leaf area (cm²), growing type in autumn (1-9 scale), plant diameter (cm), spring regrowth time (1-9 scale), panicle formation tendency (1-9 scale), panicle height (cm ), last internode length (cm), seed yield (g) mean values were 6.90, 4.13, 4.01, 4.73, 52.11, 0.21, 16.15, 3.42, 3.60, 46.33, 6.54, 5.37, 7.69, 16.88, 4.7, respectively. Correlation analysis table was created among the phenotypic traits examined and it was found that the traits were significantly effective on each other. Positive correlations between some of these will allow for multi-featured selection in variety improvement. In addition, in the dendrogram created as a result of the cluster analysis, the genotypes are divided into 2 main and 2 subgroups in each main group. This analysis provides ease of selection according to the characteristics focused on these groups for synthetic variety breeding and future breeding studies. As a result of this study, the superior Koeleria genotypes that can be used in breeding studies will be determined.

The research presents the experience of assessing the diversity of communities and ecology of 3 rare steppe species of the genus Iris L. in the Southern Urals: I. pumila L., I. scariosa Willd. ex Link and I. humilis Georgi which are distributed in the steppe and forest-steppe zones of the region and listed in the Red Data Book of Bashkortostan Republic (Krasnaya kniga…, 2011) and the Russian Federation (Krasnaya kniga…, 2008). We analyzed the ecology of communities with participation of rare species using indirect ordination, which makes it possible to identify important ecological patterns of species distribution and to give an ecological interpretation of syntaxonomic units. Totally, we collected 28 geobotanical releves within the studied coenopopulations in the Southern Urals (mainly, in the Urals and Transurals of the Republic of Bashkortostan, as well as adjacent areas of Chelyabinsk and Orenburg regions) to characterize the phytocenotic localization and ecology of rare steppe species of the genus Iris. Localities of the studied species are presented on the map (See Fig. 1). The size of the releves was 64-100 m2. Releves descriptions and classification were performed using the Braun-Blanquet approach (Westhoff and van der Maarel, 1978; Braun-Blanquet, 1964). The names of vascular plants species are given according to Cherepanov (1995). The impact assessment of complex environmental factor gradients was performed using DCA-ordination in the CANOCO 4.5 program (Ter Braak and Smilauer, 2002). DN Tsyganov’s scale which was adjusted for the Southern Urals region (Shirokikh and Zverev, 2012) was applied to estimate the environmental factors of habitats. The weighted average of environmental factors was calculated in the IBIS software (Zverev, 2007). We revealed that the phytocenosis with participation of rare steppe irises in the Southern Urals belongs to the class Festuco-Brometea Br.-Bl. et Tuxen ex Soo 1947, which unites the steppe vegetation of Southern Ukraine and Russia and includes 5 associations and 2 communities. I. pumila grows mainly on the steppe slopes of various expositions as part of the steppes of association Astragalo austriacae-Stipetum pulcherrimae Martynenko et al. 2018, which is a zonal type of the Pre-Ural steppe of the Republic of Bashkortostan. I. pumila also grows in the communities of the association Scorzonerо austriacaе-Stipetum lessingianae Yamalov 2011 prov., which is steppes with dominating Stipa lessingiana of the southern regions of Bashkortostan and in the basal community Stipa capillata [Festuco-Brometea] combining low-degraded steppe pastures, which are distributed mainly in the upland and slope habitats of the southern expositions. Among the rarest communities with participation of I. рumila, there are phytocoenoses of shrub steppes of association Spiraeo hypericifoliaе-Amygdaletum nanae Solomeshch et al. 1994, which are distributed mainly across the eastern and southeastern slopes of the ranges on stony substrates. I. scariosa was found in the phytocoenosis of the association Silene altaici-Elytrigietum pruiniferae Yamalov 2018 prov., characteristic of outcrops of igneous rocks on thermophilic slopes. Occasionally, I. scariosa is observed in the communities of Festuca pseudovina [ Helictotricho- Stipetalia], distributed to the flattened mountain slopes. Communities with I. humilis occur in the Southern Urals quite rarely and belong, according to their floristic composition, to the association Diantho acicularis-Orostachetum spinosae Schubert et al. 1981. The floristic composition of all noted communities is characterized by a high role of petrophytic species (Artemisia marshalliana, Astragalus helmii, Centaurea turgaica, Ephedra distachya, Hedysarum argyrophyllum, Koeleria sclerophylla, Orostachys spinosa, Tanacetum kittaryanum Thymus guberlinensis etc.). DCA-ordination of communities with participation of steppe species of the genus Iris showed that they are well separated in the space of the first two axes (See Fig. 2). The main axis is interpreted as a complex gradient of moisture-salinity variability. The second axis can be interpreted as the aridity-humidity gradient. The studied species of the genus Iris are plants of open habitats (steppes, meadows, river banks), therefore the lighting conditions (Lc) are critical for them (See Fig. 3-5). The critically important environmental factors also include the variability of moisture (fH) and the severity of the winter period (Cr). The low ecological amplitude of I. pumila and I. scariosa for a number of climatogenic environmental factors, such as aridity-humidity (Om) and associated soil moisture (Hd), and the amount of incoming heat (Tm) causes their confinement mainly to the steppe zone of the region. At the same time, the values of the continentality of climate factors (Kn) are in wider boundaries, especially for I. scariosa. Ordination analysis showed that, according to a complex of environmental factors, each species of the genus Iris occupies its own ecological niche. Therefore, in nature, the studied species are extremely rare in the same habitats and communities. According to the given values of ecological factors of the environment (See Table), I. pumila, I. scariosa and I. humilis in the Southern Urals have a rather narrow ecological amplitude, i.e. they are stenotopes, which largely determines their natural rarity in the region of the Southern Urals.

Five new species of the family Poaceae are described from the Russian Far East: Agrostis czernjaginae Prob. (sect. Trichodium) (revealed chromosome number 2n = 42) from thermal springs of Kamchatka, Bromopsis kozhevnikovii Prob. (sect. Rhizomatosae) from high mountains of Dusse-Alin Range in the Khabarovsk Territory, Poa amurica Prob. (sect. Stenopoa) from Selemdzha River in the Amur Region, Koeleria dersu Prob. et Prokopenko (sect. Koeleria) from the eastern macroslope of Sikhote-Alin in the Primorye Territory, Agrostis × lapenkoi Prob. (probably, intersectional hybrid: A. giganteaRoth × A. clavata Trin.) from Ussuri River basin, also in the Primorye Territory.

Soyanskiy regional-level biological nature reserve is located in the north of the Arkhangelsk Region mainland, in the center of the White Sea - Kuloy Plateau. The plateau is made up of sedimentary rocks: limestones, dolomites and marls of the Carboniferous and Permian geological periods. The most typical karst landscape feature in the reserve is karst-glacial valleys. In 2011, the study of the vegetation of these valleys was initiated and the diversity of treeless communities and the composition of their partial floras were identified. The partial flora composition of karst heaths and grasslands was studied based on 31 geobotanical relevés from karst-glacial valleys. The plant communities were classified into four types: heaths, dry meadows, low grasslands and high meadows. In total, 139 species of vascular plants of 98 genera and 32 families were identified in the meadows, grasslands and heaths. Boreal species prevailed in the partial flora of the studied treeless communities. The proportion of species of more northern (arcto-alpine, hypoarctic, hypoarctic-alpine) and more southern (boreal-nemoral, nemoral, forest-steppe) latitudinal groups was low. Seven species (Dracocephalum ruyschiana, Epipactis atrorubens, Gentiana verna, Koeleria grandis, Paeonia anomala, Pulsatilla patens, Salix arbuscula) are rare for the Arkhangelsk Region.

We newly found a collection of the Poaceae specimens deposited at the Herbarium of Vilnius University (WI), collected by Povilas Snarskis mainly from eastern Lithuania in 1943–1960. The collection consisted of 67 herbarium sheets representing 28 species, including endangered species Glyceria lithuanica. The collection provided new data on abnormal growth forms of common Lithuanian grasses and the distribution of rare and endangered Poaceae species in eastern and southern Lithuania. The discovered Glyceria lithuanica specimen is the oldest of all known records of the species in Lithuania.

Plant species of the Poaceae family are not only used as fodder and forage but also contribute substantially to the treatment of various health disorders, particularly in livestock. Consequently, the present study was aimed to document the therapeutic uses of Poaceae practiced by the inhabitants of the Punjab Province for the treatment of various veterinary health disorders. Semi structured interviews, group discussion and field walks were conducted to collect the data. Quantitative indices including cultural significance index (CSI), relative frequency of citations (RFC), fidelity level (FL), relative popularity level (RPL), and Jaccard Index (JI) were used for the data analysis. Traditional uses of 149 species belonging to 60 genera and 16 tribes of 5 sub families of Poaceae were recorded. Whole plants and leaves were the most consistently used parts with 40.94 and 29.53%. The plants were mainly given orally as fodder (59 reports) without processing followed by decoction (35 reports). Most of the species were employed to treat infectious diseases (25.93%), and digestive disorders (14.10%). Triticum aestivum had the highest CSI, RFC and RPL levels at 8.00, 0.96, 1.00, respectively, followed by Oryza sativa and Poa annua. Likewise, T. aestivum and Saccharum spontaneum had 100% FL and ROP. Jaccard index ranged from 12.25 to 0.37. Twelve plant species namely Chrysopogon zizanioides (anti-inflammatory), Pennisetum lanatum (improve bull fertility), Cymbopogon citratus (glandular secretion), Sorghum saccharatum and Themeda triandra (malaria), Aristida funiculate (anticancer), Koeleria argentia (skin allergies), Tetrapogon villosus (antibacterial), Cynodon radiatus (eyes infection), Sporobolus nervosa (Jaundice), Enneapogon persicus (antifungal), and Panicum repens (dysfunctional cattle organs) were reported for the first time, with novel ethnoveterinary uses. The inhabitants of the study area had a strong association with their surrounding plant diversity and possessed significant knowledge on therapeutic uses of Poaceae to treat various health disorders in animals. Plant species with maximum cultural and medicinal values could be a potential source of novel drugs to cure health disorders in animals and human as well.

An assessment of cytogenetic effects in crested hairgrass (Koeleria gracilis Pers.) populations was carried out within the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site (Kazakhstan) where combat radioactive substances were tested in 1953–1957. Current levels of radioactive contamination within this site are varied by orders of magnitude, while soil characteristics and heavy metal pollution are similar. The main contribution to the absorbed by plants doses at this site was caused by incorporated 90Sr. The frequency of cytogenetic alterations in crested hairgrass was investigated in a wide range of doses (10−4–13 Gy/growing season) at 100 sampling points. For the first time in the field conditions the shape of the cytogenetic effects - dose rate relationship was evaluated with acceptable accuracy and found to be nonlinear. The frequency of aberrant cells remained practically unchanged up to 49 µGy/h. Exceeding the threshold dose rate lead to a steep increase in the aberrant cells frequency from less than 2% up to 16%. The main contribution to the cytogenetic effects was made by double bridges and fragments. Breakpoints for other types of cytogenetic alterations were also evaluated (7 µGy/h for single fragments and bridges; 74 for double fragments and bridges; 81 for mitotic abnormalities).

The root-driven soil aggregate turnover dynamics and rhizosphere priming effect (RPE, changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition caused by living roots) are central to the understanding of SOC cycling. However, the association between aggregate turnover and the RPE has not been illuminated in plant-soil systems because of methodological difficulties. Using rare earth oxides to trace the transformations among different aggregates and 13C natural abundance labeling, we for the first time simultaneously investigated aggregate turnover and the RPE at two phenological stages of two grass species (Agropyron cristatum and Koeleria cristata): tillering (40 days after planting, DAP40) and jointing-heading (DAP63). We found that aggregate turnover rates varied widely, with a range between 0.006 day−1 and 0.024 day−1, i.e., turnover times (the reciprocal of turnover rates) ranged from 41 to 168 days, and were significantly influenced by plant species, sampling date and their interaction. Particularly, greater aggregate turnover rates (2% ~ 68%) and transformations in breakdown and formation pathways were found for K. cristata than for A. cristatum at DAP63. The RPEs increased with plant growth and ranged from −29% to +163%. Especially, the RPE and microbial biomass C were significantly greater for K. cristata than for A. cristatum at DAP63. Root-driven aggregate turnover was tightly associated with the RPE, possibly because of the release of aggregate-protected C for microbial decomposition. There was no net C loss mainly because increased aggregate formation could have sequestrated root-derived C in macroagrgegates and thus counteracted the C loss by the positive RPE. We therefore propose a new framework of root-driven aggregate turnover for considering how plant roots influence SOC dynamics via aggregate turnover. Root-accelerated aggregate turnover acts as a “key”: enhancing SOC decomposition (i.e. RPE), while simultaneously accelerating the occlusion of root-derived C and thus facilitating new C sequestration. This framework highlights that living root-driven aggregate turnover alters the physical protection of SOC and regulates the RPE, which aligns well with the emerging perspective of SOC stabilization.

Background: Conditionality in the occurrence or strength of interactions among species yields insight into the relative importance of different ecological factors and provides a deeper understanding of the mechanisms through which organisms interact. Aims: We explored light-dependent conditionality of the allelopathic effects of Centaurea stoebe, an exotic invasive forb in North America, on Koeleria macrantha, a North American native bunchgrass. Methods: We compared the total biomass of K. macrantha competing with C. stoebe in high- and low-light treatments and in substrate with and without activated carbon. Results: Koeleria biomass did not differ in low- and high-light treatments when grown alone and was highly suppressed by C. stoebe in both low and high light; however, high-light activated carbon treatments designed to ameliorate root-mediated allelopathic effects resulted in an almost seven-fold increase in Koeleria mass in comparison to no carbon treatments. Activated carbon had significant but much...

In Britain, Helianthemum apenninum and Koeleria vallesiana are rare plants of xeric limestone sites in south-western England; H. nummularium and K. macrantha are common in calcareous grasslands throughout England. Both rarer species have features that would traditionally have been interpreted as more ‘xeromorphic’. In replacement-series experiments, H. nummularium and K. macrantha gave higher pure-stand yields than H. apenninum and K. vallesiana when well watered; yields were much lower and almost evenly balanced when the plants were water-stressed. Performance of the Helianthemum species in mixture was almost proportional to pure-stand yields, but K. macrantha was a stronger competitor than K. vallesiana in both moist and dry treatments. Growth-analyses at different shadings showed relative growth rate (RGR) and unit leaf rate (ULR) strongly depressed under shading in all four species, with somewhat greater proportional reduction with shading of ULR in H. apenninum and RGR in K. vallesiana than i...

Grazing by domestic exotic herbivores on native vegetation in Patagonian steppes has led to the deterioration of forage resources, where grasses are replaced by shrubs, and preferred grasses by non-preferred ones. Therefore, attempts at breeding and regeneration should start by identifying species with potential forage capability. Two perennial high-preferred species are the focus of this paper: Hordeum comosum and Koeleria vurilochensis. For the first time, we studied their morphological traits, dormancy level, and their temperature and water germination requirements, through thermal- and hydrotime models. H. comosum seeds were solid, large and heavy, while K. vurilochensis seeds were soft, small and light. Neither light-quality nor alternating temperature affected the dormancy level in seeds of both species. Seeds of H. comosum and K. vurilochensis required, respectively, 768.74 °Ch and 2217.89 °Ch to germinate; alternatively, base temperature was higher for H. comosum than for K. vurilochensis. The hydrotime required by H. comosum was 26 MPah and 110 Mpah for K. vurilochensis but, base water potential was −0.99 MPa and −1.45 MPa, respectively. For all the conditions, H. comosum displayed a higher germination rate compared to K. vurilochensis seeds. Deeper knowledge on the morphological and germination traits of seeds is a key step toward breeding and restoration of forage potential species.

The article presents the results of the analysis of the demographic structure of ten coenotic populations of Oxytropis chakassiensis in near-Yenissei steppes (Khakassia and Krasnoyarsk krai). Most part of studied species coenopopulations are not complete and definitive, normal, mature, have a bimodal developmental spectrum with peaks at g1 (v)- and g3-individuals. Changes in the structure of the ontogenetic spectrum (increasing the share of young plants) depend mainly on the environmental conditions and the degree of human disturbance of habitats: rocky slopes and decrease in pasture digression create more favorable conditions for the survival of juveniles. The ontogeny of O. chakassiensis (the rare species of near-Yenissei steppes) was studied and its life- form was described. Four periods and nine ontogenic stages were distinguished. The results of our study showed that O. chakassiensisis was a petrophyte steppe species with strict ecological and cenotic propensity to petrophytic steppe with the prevalence Koeleria cristata, Festuca valesiaca, Arctogeron gramineum, Hedysarum turczaninovii, Alyssum obovatum and Thymus minussinensis. Due to long generative period O. chakassiensis is successfully renewed and is stable during long periods of extreme conditions of petrophytic steppes with high pasture digression.

Septate endophytes proliferating in the roots of grasslands' plants shed doubts on the importance of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbioses in dry soils. The functionality and diversity of the AM symbioses formed in four replicates of three adjacent plant communities (agricultural, native, and restored) in Grasslands National Park, Canada were assessed in periods of moisture sufficiency and deficiency typical of early and late summer in the region. The community structure of AM fungi, as determined by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, varied with sampling time and plant community. Soil properties other than soil moisture did not change significantly with sampling time. The DNA sequences dominating AM extraradical networks in dry soil apparently belonged to rare taxa unreported in GenBank. DNA sequences of Glomus viscosum, Glomus mosseae, and Glomus hoi were dominant under conditions of moisture sufficiency. In total, nine different AM fungal sequences were found suggesting a role for the AM symbioses in semiarid areas. Significant positive linear relationships between plant P and N concentrations and active extraradical AM fungal biomass, estimated by the abundance of the phospholipid fatty acid marker 16:1 omega 5, existed under conditions of moisture sufficiency, but not under dry conditions. Active extraradical AM fungal biomass had significantly positive linear relationship with the abundance of two early season grasses, Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn. and Koeleria gracilis Pers., but no relationship was found under dry conditions. The AM symbioses formed under conditions of moisture sufficiency typical of early summer at this location appear to be important for the nutrition of grassland plant communities, but no evidence of mutualism was found under the dry conditions of late summer.

Verhulitsa-Lutepää piirkonna liivikute taimkattest Vegetation of inland sand knobs in South-Eastern Estonia was studied. 39 plant communities were described and thereafter classified into 7 syntaxonomic units: 1. Calluna vulgaris-Cladina spp. type, 2. Koeleria glauca-Cladina spp. type, 3. Juniperus communis-Arctostaphylos uva-ursi-Cladina spp. type, 4. Festuca ovina-Cladina spp. type, 4.1. Pinus sylvestris-Festuca ovina-Cladina spp. type, Deschampsia flexuosa variant, 4.2. Pinus sylvestris-Festuca ovina-Cladina spp. type, Thymus serpyllum variant, 4.3. Pinus sylvestris-Festuca ovina-Cladina spp. type, Pleurozium schreberi variant. Environmental variables determining the variation structure of samples are the amount (cover) of litter and the total cover of field and moss layers. The species richness of communities depends mostly on the amount of litter and marginally insignificantly (p = 0,051) also on humus horizon thickness. Interpreting the vegetation on 1×1 m sample quadrats as microcoenoses, 415 quadrats were clustered into 23 microcoenose types. The most frequent are the microcoenoses of Cladina arbuscula+Pycnothelia papillaria, Cladina arbuscula+Festuca ovina, Festuca ovina+Cladina arbuscula and Festuca ovina+Pilosella officinarum type, seldom occur microcoenoses of Cetraria islandica+Cladina stellaris and Polytrichum piliferum+Festuca ovina type. In all community types are presented Cladina arbuscula+Festuca ovina and Dicranum polysetum+Cladina arbuscula type microcoenoses but microcoenoses of any type are confined to only one type of communities. To maintain the peculiar features of Estonian inland sand knobs plant communities they must be kept open and in some places also the dense bottom layer vegetation must be removed.

It is important to know the effects of applications such as fertilization and grazing on the vegetation improvement of certain species. This study was conducted to examine the effect of grassland improvement by fertilization and grazing on root length and biomass of various grassland grasses ( Festuca ovina L., Koeleria cristata (L.) Bertol, Chrysopogon gryllus (L.) Trin ., Bothriochloa ischaemum L. Keng) of the Tokat province of Turkey in the years 2008 and 2009. Great variations were observed among grass species in all applications. All different fertilization and ungrazed applications increased root length and root biomass parameters. Root lengths and root biomass of the species varied from 8.16 to14.27 cm and from 0.73 to 4.73 g, respectively. The longest root lengths and root biomass results were obtained from ungrazed land+ 75 kg ha -1 N+P 2 O 5 fertilization application. Key Words: Belowground biomass, Fertilization, Rangeland, Grazing

A survey of grass species associated with Neotyphodium and Epichloe fungal endophytes was made in the permanent grasslands of northern China. A total of 41 grass species, 56 sites and 172 local populations were examined to reveal endophytic infection of native grasses. Twenty-five of the forty-one species of grasses (proportionately 0·61) were infected by endophytes: twenty-two species had a mean infection rate of 0·01–0·50 and only three species had a mean infection >0·50. Of the 172 local populations examined, however, proportionately 0·72 were not infected, 0·181 had an infection rate of 0·01–0·50 and 0·099 had an infection rate of 0·51–1·00. Two genera of grasses, Cleistogenes and Koeleria, as well as twenty plant species, were previously unknown endophytic hosts in China. High infection rates (0·86–1·00) of plants of Achnatherum sibiricum were detected at all eleven sites studied. Other grasses in which high infection rates were found were Agropyron mongolicum, Roegneria turczaninovii, Agropyron elongate, Poa palustris and Poaangustifolia. It was concluded that endophytes are found widely in natural grass populations and that endophyte–grass interactions may have effects on ecosystems and livestock in the grasslands of northern China.