Keywords
population modeling
rare plant species
endangered plant species
How to Cite
Abstract
The study analyzes the experience of introduction and ex situ protection of rare and endangered plant species within the Department of Natural Flora of the M.M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden of the NAS of Ukraine. A new method for ex situ floristic protection based on population modeling in forest and steppe phytocoenoses is proposed.
National Botanical Garden (NBG) is the center of ex situ plant protection in Ukraine. Its collection of rare and endangered species, located on 53 hectares within the Department of Natural Flora, is the richest in Ukraine. The plants are cultivated on various phytogeographical plots, including “Lowland Forests of Ukraine”, “Steppes of Ukraine”, “Ukrainian Carpathians”, “Crimea”, “Caucasus”, “Central Asia” “Altai”, “Far East” as well as on the specialized plot “Rare Plants of the Flora of Ukraine.” The collection was established to represent species facing a high risk of extinction in their natural habitats. Of great value are several narrowly distributed Ukrainian endemics, species known from the margins of their geographical ranges or known from single localities, all of which are preserved in this living collection.
An important aspect of ex situ plant protection is modeling the populations of rare and endangered species. The unique 80-year-old cultivated forest and steppe phytocoenoses in the NBG closely resemble natural vegetation and provide suitable habitats for many rare and endangered species, forming stable homeostatic introductive populations. The unique achievement of the Department of Natural Flora of the NBG demonstrates the strong potential of plant population modeling for restoring natural ecosystems disturbed by military activities.
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