Thaiszia - J. Bot., Košice, 17: 33-58, 2007 THAISZIA http://www.bz.upjs.sk/thaiszia/index.html JOURNAL OF BOTANY Distribution, cenotic characteristic and protection of habitats of plants of the Bern Convention in East Polesye OLEKSANDR LUKASH Chair of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University, Academician Hlushko Avenue 2/12, 01022 Kyiv, Ukraine; e-mail: [email protected], [email protected] LUKASH O. (2007): Distribution, cenotic characteristic and protection of habitats of plants of the Bern Convention in East Polesye. – Thaiszia – J. Bot. 17: 33-58. – ISSN 1210-0420. Abstract: The author reports on the results of the studies on distribution, cenotic characteristic and analysis of protection of habitats of plants of the Bern Convention in East Polesye. In 1995– 2006 the species of plants, which are given in the list of Appendix I of “Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats” were identified in this region. On quantity of sites in the studied region and geographical distribution the Bern Convention plants of East Polesye are divided in very rare (forest species Botrychium multifidum and Cypripedium calceolus ), rare (forest-marsh species Ostericum palustre ) and rather rare (forest species Pulsatilla patens , water species Salvinia natans and Trapa natans ). The maps of distribution of rare species are represented. The floristic structure of the plant communities with participation of these species is documented. Keywords: plants, distribution, cenotic characteristic, East Polesye, nature protection, Bern convention. Introduction With the purpose of development of strategy of protection of habitats of plants of wild flora, in especially disappearing and vulnerable, which are given in the list of Appendix I of “Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and 33 Natural Habitats” (1979) the systematization of information about all known habitats of these species in natural regions of Europe is necessary. With the purpose of development of strategy of protection of habitats of plants of wild flora, in especially disappearing and vulnerable, which are given in the list of Appendix I of “Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats” (1979) the systematization of information about all known habitats of these species in natural regions of Europe is necessary. The object of our research is the subprovince East Polesye of province Polesye , which include Left-Bank of Dnieper in the borders of Byelorussia, Russia and Ukraine. In comparison with Northern and Southern Polesye the territory differs in more continental climate and less humidity, presence of loamy “islands” (MARYNYCH 1963) and also large anthropogenous loading. Subjects of research are the species of vascular plants, included „Application 1. Stricly protected flora species” of the Bern convention, in particular Botrychium multifidum (S.G. Gmel.) Rupr, Salvinia natans (L). All., Dracocephalum ruyschiana L., Cypripedium calceolus L., Pulsatilla patens (L) Miller, Trapa natans L., Ostericum palustre (Ben). Bess. The aims of the current studies were the following ones: 1) to establish recent distribution of plants of the Bern Convention in East Polesye, 2) to document the floristic structure of the plant communities with participation of these species. 3) to carry out the analysis of the provision of protection of Bern Convention plants in East Polesye Materials and methods There were used materials of N. Kholodny Institute of Botany of National Academy of Science ( KW ), T. Shevchenko Chernihiv State Pedagogical University (Ukraine) and F. Scorina Gomel State University (Byelorussia), data about distribution of rare species in Bryansk region (Russia). The geobotanical descriptions of habitats of Cypripedium calceolus has given O. Evstigneev (Bryansk Forest Reserve). The field researches were carried out during 1997 - 2006 at itinerary and demistationary study of flora and vegetation of East Polesye. The nomenclature of taxons is reduced on MOSYAKIN & FEDORONCHUK (1999). The description of discount areas was carried out in natural borders of phytocenosis. 44 geobotanical descriptions were executed. In identification of syntaxsons was used the syntaxsonomic schemes BULOKCHOV & SOLOMESHCH (2003), MATUSZKIEWICZ (2001), ONYSHCHENKO (2006): Results and discussion The natural habitat of Botrychium multifidum (S.G. Gmel.) Rupr covers Europe, Western Asia, Himalayas, Northern and Southern America, Australia. KLEOPOV (1990) refers this species to boreal geoelement of flora. On territory of 34 Ukraine B. multifidum is in southern border of distribution. It was known only single habitat of this species, which was found in 1882-1905 ( KW ) by A. Rogovich, V. Montrezor, I. Selejinsky on the territory of modern Ripky rayon (Chernihiv region) and Brovary rayon (Kyiv region). The recent locations of B. multifidum in East Polesye (Fig. 1). Fig. 1. Distribution of Botrychium multifidum (S.G. Gmel.) Rupr in East Polesye: a – modern, b - according to official returns 1882-1905. Map symbols: 1 – frontiers, 2 – border of East Polesye Byelorussia. Gomel region. Gomel rayon: Rudna village, Lenin forestry (block 34), Rechitsa rayon. Russia. Bryansk region. Bryansk rayon: Zhurinichi village (Jamski Forest); Navlya rayon: Saltanovka village, Altuchovka forystry (block 113), Altuchovo settlement; Suzemka rayon: Kokorevka forestry (block 29), Krasnoslobodka forestry (blocks 7, 17, 30, 44, 95), Neginka forestry (block 83), Cholmechi forestry (blocks 42, 43), Kokorevka settlement; Trubchevsk rayon: Bryansk 35 Forest Reserve (blocks 2, 5, 12, 23, 29, 30, 33, 37, 40, 41, 61, 81), Skripkinski forestry (block 2, 38, 63), Solsk forestry (block 98, 100). Ukrain e. Sumy region. Seredina-Buda rayon: Ochkino village (tract “Uborok”. Chernihiv region. Nizhin rayon: Vertiyvka settlement. Thus, B. multifidum is very rare in the researched region. The descriptions of phytocenosis from B. multifidum share are represented in Table 1. The s іyntaxas scheme of plant communities with participation of B. multifidum in East Polesye is following: Querco-Fagetea Br.-Bl. et Vlieger 1937 Fagetalia sylvaticae Pawłowski 1928 Alnion incanae Pawłowski 1928 • Lysimachio nummulariea – Quercetum roboris prov. Quercetea pubescenti-petraeae Jakucs (1960) 1961 Quercetalia pubescenti-petraeae Klika 1933 Quercion petraeae Zólyomi et Jakucs ex Jakucs 1960 • Vaccinio myrtilli-Quercetum roboris Bulokhov et Solomeshch 2003 Tab. 1. The floristic structure of the plant communities with Botrychium multifidum (S.G. Gmel.) Rupr Number of plots 1 2 3 Cover of tree layer (%) 50 30 35 Cover of brush layer (%) 20 5 0 Cover of grassy layer (%) 30 35 10 Trees Fraxinus excelsior L. 4 . Quercus robur L. 4 2 Betula pendula Roth . + 3 Acer platanoides L. + + Tilia cordata Mill . 2 Brushes Corylus avellana L. 1 + Fraxinus excelsior L. 2 . Frangula alnus Mill. 2 1 . Padus avium Mill. + Pyrus communis L. + . Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. + . Quercus robur L. + 1 . Sorbus aucuparia L. + Grasses Aegopodium podagraria L. 2 Acer platanoides L. + Actea spicata L. + Athyrium filix-femina (L.) Roth 1 . Aquilegia vulgaris L. + Botrychium multifidum (S.G. Gmel.) Rupr + + + 36 Number of plots 1 2 3 - number of vegetative individuals 2 1 2 - number of sporiferous individuals 2 1 2 Calamagrostis arundinaceae (L.) Roth . + . Campanula patula L. + + . C. persicifolia L. + + Carex hirta L. 1 . C. sylvatica Huds. + Convallaria majalis L. + + + Corylus avellana L. + + Dryopteris carthusiana (Vill.) H.P. Fuchs 1 + . D. filix-mas (L.) Schott . + Epilobium montanum L. + + . Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz + + + Euonymus verrucosa Scop. + + Fragaria vesca L. 2 2 1 Galium mollugo L. + + . G. schultesii Vest . + Geranium robertianum L. 2 . Geum urbanum L. + + Maianthemum bifolium (L.) F.W. Schmidt + . + Milium effusum L. + Lathyrus niger (L.) Bernh. + Lilium martagon L. + + Lysimachia nummularia L. 2 . Lysimachia vulgaris L. + . Melampyrum nemorosum L. 1 . Neottia nidus-avis (L.) Rich. + Orthilia secunda (L.) House + + . Paris quadrifolia L. + Platanthera bifolia (L.) Rich. + Polygonatum multiflorum (L.) All + . Potentilla alba L. + . Primula veris L. + + Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn . 3 . Pyrola rotundifolia L. + . P. chlorantha Sw. + Ranunculus acris L. + . Rubus saxatilis L. 2 + Stellaria holostea L. + Trientalis euripea L. + Veronica chamaedrys L. + . Vincetoxicum hirundinaria Medik . + . Viola arvensis Murr. + . Syntaxas: 1 – Lysimachio nummulariea – Quercetum roboris , 2, 3 - Vaccinio myrtilli-Quercetum roboris . Dates and locations of releves: 1 - 29.08.1996, Vertiyvka settlement; 2 - 18.07.2005, Lenin forestry; 3 - 13.07.2006, Altuchovka forystry. 37 Cypripedium calceolus L. – the relic of the tertiary period, European-Asiatic species at the southern border of the natural habitat, which covers Europe, southern part of Siberia and Far East, Minor, Central and Eastern Asia, Northern America. The recent locations of C. calceolus in East Polesye (Fig.2). Fig. 2. Distribution of Cypripedium calceolus L. (a) and Dracocephalum ruyschiana L. (b- modern, c - according to official returns 1970) in East Polesye. Map symbols: 1 – frontiers, 2 – border of East Polesye. Russia , Bryansk region. Navlya rayon: Altuchovka forystry (blocks 26, 39, 49), tract “Ryzhucha Swamp”, Prolysovo village, Havan forestry (block 39), Communa settlement; Suzemka rayon: Bryansk Forest Reserve (block 117), Nerussa station, Trebikovo village. Ukrain e, Chernihiv region. Ripky rayon: forest tracts “Volnosha”,