EurAsian Journal of BioSciences Eurasia J Biosci 12, 227-231 (2018) Floristic characterization of the territory adjacent to the “Gray Heron Colony” protected area Galina V. Demina 1*, Adel R. Zakirov 1 1 Kazan Federal University, 18 Kremlyovskaya street, Kazan 420008, RUSSIA *Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract The natural monument “Gray heron colony” is a specially protected area of about 100 ha with the largest colony of gray herons registered in Tatarstan Republic (Russia). The territory of the natural monument is closed to visitors. Here, we have studied the flora of the higher vascular plants of the area adjacent to the “Gray heron colony”, which is characterized by similar landscape and environmental conditions. Two main methods to identify plant species were used: fixed sites and a route method, for which a route network covering all the main biotopes of the studied area was laid. The structure of the flora was studied by analyzing systematic, geographic, biomorphological, and biocenotic compositions. The identified spectrum of the leading families (Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Poaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Apiaceae, Ranunculaceae, Lamiaceae, and Cyperaceae), was typical for the Holarctic floristic kingdom. The spectrum of life forms found (according to Raunkiær and Serebryakov) was generally characteristic to the temperate zone: more than half of the species (57.5%) were represented by hemicryptophytes (according to Raunkiær); 67% of the species were perennials (according to Serebryakov). By biotopic localization, most species were forest and forest edge plants (31.4%). The geographical analysis has shown that most species of flora have a Euro-Asian type of distribution. Among identified species, two are listed in the Red Book of Tatarstan - Daphne mezereum L. (rare species status) and Potentilla erecta Raeusch (species reducing the number), thus being objects of special protection. This study contributes to more complete inventory of the flora of Tatarstan, Russia. Keywords: flora, flora structure, species diversity, protected area, natural monument Demina GV, Zakirov AR (2018) Floristic characterization of the territory adjacent to the “Gray Heron Colony” protected area. Eurasia J Biosci 12: 227-231. © 2018 Demina and Zakirov This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. INTRODUCTION The area adjacent to the “Gray heron colony” is slightly anthropogenically altered, and is its flora has There are about 20 sites where gray heron nests on been studied very little. Thus, revealing floristic diversity the territory of Tatarstan Republic (Russia), with the of this territory is of high relevance and interest (Torsuev largest colony recognized as a natural monument “Gray 1993). Flora of natural protected areas around the world heron colony”, covering an area of about 100 ha of is of special interest in respect of its alteration by alien mixed coniferous forest (Potapova et al. 2006). The plant species (Cowie and Werner 1993, Dronin 2014, forest comprises lindens, pines, oaks, birches, and elms. Grigor’evskaja et al. 2017, Pivello et al. 1999, Pys̆ eka et This colony was found in 1965, but received the status al. 2002, Tyser and Worley 1992). The so-called “Black of a natural monument in 1983. The “Gray heron colony” Books” of the Central Russia flora have been published, is located in Zelenodolsky district of the Republic of listing alien plant species (Vinogradova et al. 2010). In Tatarstan, about 20 km from Kazan (geographical order to collect relevant information and produce such о о coordinates: 55 50’ N, 48 37’ E). The territory of the books in every region of Russia, wide monitoring natural monument is in fact a small peninsula, inventory of flora is needed. Floristic analysis includes surrounded by the Sumka river from the East and by the identification, comparison and evaluation of systematic, Volga river from the South-West (Gosudarstvennyj geographical, ecological and other characterstics of the reestr osobo ohranjaemyh prirodnyh territorij Respubliki local flora. This information may help to reconstruct the Tatarstan 2007). Gray heron nests are located on pines process of florogenesis, reveal the conditions for (up to 13 nests on one tree). The number of nesting pairs is relatively stable and ranges from 300 to 400. In stable Received: January 2018 conditions, the colony is expanding. In 2017, it consisted Accepted: June 2018 of 432 nests, being one of the largest colonies in the Printed: September 2018 European part of Russia. 227 EurAsian Journal of BioSciences 12: 227-231 (2018) Demina and Zakirov Table 1. The systematic distribution of the identified Table 2. Distribution of life forms of plants (according to species Raunkiær’s life-form system) Family Genus Species Number of species Order Life form pcs. % pcs. % pcs. % pcs. % Magnoliophyta 47 90.4 129 95.6 172 96.1 Hemicryptophytes 104 57.5 Polypodiophyta 3 5.8 4 3.0 4 2.2 Cryptophytes 26 15.1 Equisetophyta 1 1.9 1 0.7 2 1.1 Therophytes 20 11.2 Pinophyta 1 1.9 1 0.7 1 0.6 Phanerophytes 17 9.5 Total 52 100.0 135 100.0 179 100.0 Chamaephytes 12 6.7 Total 179 100.0 Table 3. Distribution of life forms of plants (according to Serebryakov) Number of species Life form pcs. % Perennial 120 67.0 Annual 16 8.9 Bush 11 6.1 Biennial 10 5.6 Amphibious perennial 9 5.0 Tree 4 2.2 Perennial monocarpic 3 1.7 Semiparasitic annual 2 1.1 Evergreen tree 1 0.6 Water perennial 1 0.6 Fig. 1. The leading families of the studied flora (%) Amphibiousannual 1 0.6 Subshrub 1 0.6 Total 179 100.0 speciation, and characterize the dynamics and structure of flora. species of plants belonging to 4 orders, 52 families, and METHODS 135 genera (Table 1). The distribution to classes was the following: 146 and 26 species of Magnoliopsida and Field studies and plant material collecting were Liliopsida, respectively. performed from May to August in 2015-2017. In the field The species diversity of the flora was represented by work, route and stationary research methods were used. 10 leading families (Fig. 1). When the obtained data is For route studies, a network of routes was laid, covering compared to that known for the Republic of Tatarstan, main biotopes of the studied area. To identify plant there is a discrepancy in the distribution by leading species, we used the keys to plants by Majewski (2006), families (Bakin et al. 2000). This is due to the fact that Novikova and Gubanov (2002), and a key to plants of not all habitats typical for Tatarstan are represented in Tatar ASSR (Markov, 1979). the studied area, which has a specific location on the When characterizing the floristic composition of border of two natural communities, coastal-water and meadow and forest plant communities, quantitative forest. relations between species are important. Quantitative The analysis of life forms of plants was done analysis of the grass cover was carried out by the according to the systems of Raunkiær (1934) and method of visual evaluation of projective cover of Serebryakov (1964) (Tables 2 and 3). 2 species on 25 stationary sites (1 m each). The The group of cryptophytes is not homogeneous. It is determination of a projective cover shows the objective represented by 27 species, of which six, 20, and one correlation of species in the plant community. Projective species are helophytes, geophytes, and a hydrohyte, cover is calculated as a percentage per unit of area. On respectively. A group of phanerophytes is also the same stationary sites, simultaneously with the heterogeneous. It is represented by 17 species, of which projective cover, it is possible to determine the five, one and 11 species are mesophanerophytes, occurrence of species, which is calculated as a number microphanerophyte, and nanophanerophytes, of sites where a given species is found compared to the respectively. The obtained data indicate that more than total number of sites (in %). Occurrence shows how half (57.5%) of the identified species are represented by even a given species is distributed in the community. In hemicryptophytes, which is in line with the data known addition, the distribution of species by range, biotopic for the flora of Tatarstan (Bakin et al. 2000). localization, systematic belonging, and life forms was The analysis of flora according to the system of life studied. forms developed by I. G. Serebryakov (Table 3) has shown that more than half of the identified species (67%) RESULTS AND DISCUSSION are perennial plants, as generally found for the Republic One of the most important qualitative characteristics of Tatarstan. of flora is its systematic structure. On the territory adjacent to the “Gray heron colony”, we found 179 228 EurAsian Journal of BioSciences 12: 227-231 (2018) Demina and Zakirov Table 4. Distribution of species by biotopic localization (23%), Lathyrus vernus (L.) Bernh. (13%). In the coastal- Number of species Biotopic localization water area, the largest projective cover was pcs. % Forest 57 31.8 characteristic for Ranunculus repens L. (31%), Edge forest 56 31.3 Persicaria hydropiper (L.), Spach (18%), Phragmites Coastal 24 13.4 Weedy 14 7.8 australis (Cav.), Trin. Ex Steud. (11 %). These species Meadow 11 6.2 are conservative elements of the flora, which Roadside 9 5.0 successfully survive under current environmental Mixed forest co-dominant 4 2.2 Gone wild 3 1.7 conditions. The smallest projective cover was observed Mixed forest dominant 1 0.6 for the following forest species: Stellaria holostea L. Total 179 100.0 (5.5%), Aegopodium podagrapia L. (3.5%), Melilotus albus Medik. (3.3%) and for the coastal-aquatic species Table 5. Distribution of species by ranges Glyceria fluitans L. (3.7%) and Juncus bufonius L. Number of species Species geography pcs.