Ivan Moysiyenko

The value and need for protection of kurgan flora in the anthropogenic landscape of steppe zone in Ukraine

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine and compare the floristic value of kurgans distributed over an area of approximately 32,100 km2 spreading in four climatic-vegetation zones (steppes and forest steppe) in southern Ukraine. Among the 450 kurgans visited during the growing seasons 2004–2010, 106 best preserved kurgans were investigated. Of 721 species identified, 69 were sozophytes (species of special concern), threatened with extinction. They were usually recorded on the slopes of kurgans and were mostly associated with communities from the classes Festuco-Brometea and Festucetea vaginatae. The distributional patterns of the most frequent sozophytes within kurgans coming from four different climatic-vegetation zones were analyzed. Our study confirmed that kurgans could play a role as refugia of the steppe flora. However, the spatial isolation (about 82–90% of the Ukrainian steppe was turned in agricultural land) and relatively small populations of sozophytes do not contribute to their survival. Other threats to kurgan flora include the following: a direct destruction of the kurgans by frequent fires, excessive grazing, cultivation practices, human activities, e.g. archeological excavations, or illegal activities of archeological looters. The active conservation of kurgans as archeological sites, as well as areas of high floristic value is recommended.

The Flora of Kurgans in the Desert Steppe Zone of Southern Ukraine

Results of the studies on biodiversity of the kurgan flora in the desert steppe of the Black Sea Lowland (the southern part of Kherson Region) are presented. Twenty-six of about 130 kurgans higher than 3 m, distributed over an area of approx. 1500 km, were surveyed. The kurgan flora was estimated at 305 species; the number of species on particular kurgans ranged from 48 to 103, 82 on average. The species of particularly high floristic value were: Allium regelianum, Anacamptis picta (= Orchis picta), Cerastium ucrainicum, Dianthus lanceolatus, Linaria biebersteinii, Muscari neglectum, Senecio borysthenicus, Stipa capillata, and Tulipa schrenkii. The spectrum of life forms of the kurgans flora generally corresponded to the spectrum for the desert steppe zone (almost a half of the flora consisted of therophytes and short-living perennials). Species of alien origin constituted 23% of the kurgans flora, which does not indicate significant anthropogenic influence. Species with wide Mediterranean-Eurasian ranges predominated among anthropophytes. Only 9 species were the synanthropic newcomers, i.e. kenophytes. The phytosociological range of the kurgans flora was quite wide. Species of two classes, Festuco-Brometea and Stellarietea mediae were predominant, which also confirmed the semi-natural character of the kurgan flora. The kurgans constitute a distinctive element of the southern Ukraine landscape. The state of preservation of their plant cover varies. Floristic richness, a share of rare and protected species, as well as shares of non-synanthropic (steppe and halophilous) species can be assumed as the criteria for its assessment. The recommendations regarding kurgans that should be under protection, not only as archaeological sites but also as nature monuments, was based on these assessment criteria.

Microzonal distribution of soils and plants along the catenas of mound structures

The results obtained during a complex study of soils and plants on mounds located in four subzones of forest steppe and steppe are presented. Having studied the vertical microzoning of the mounds, general and specific features of the distribution of soil properties (based on 40 indicators) have been shown in their geographical, catenary, and expository aspects. Functional changes have been found in the interdependence between soil and plant, which developed as a result of the thousands years of evolution of the ecosystems.

The Flora of Kurgans in the West Pontic Grass Steppe Zone of Southern Ukraine

The results of studies on the biodiversity of the kurgan flora in west Pontic grass steppe of the Black Sea Lowland (the western part of Kherson region) are presented. Twenty-six of about 183 kurgans higher than 3 m, distributed over an area of approx. 3280 km, were surveyed. The kurgan flora in the grass steppe contained more species than in the desert steppe, and was estimated at 352 species. The number of species on particular kurgans ranged from 72 to 141, 110 on average. Anthropogenic influences, such as the immediate vicinity of cultivated fields, contributed significantly to the penetration of synanthropic species, particularly therophytes, from the neighbouring habitats to the kurgans. Short-living plants: one, two or three years old were predominant (43%), phanerophytes accounted for only 5% of the kurgan flora. Halophyte species were much less numerous here than in the desert steppe. Species of alien origin, i.e. archaeophytes and kenophytes, constituted 30% of the kurgan flora. A total of 28 syntaxa of a higher rank were represented in all the kurgans studied. As in the case of the desert steppe, species belonging to classes Festuco-Brometea and Stellarietea mediae were predominant in the grass steppe, which also confirmed the semi-natural character of the kurgan flora. The species of particularly high floristic value were: Amygdalus nana, Astragalus borysthenicus, A. dasyanthus, A. pallescens, Cerastium ucrainicum, Dianthus lanceolatus, Ephedra distachya, Eremogone rigida, Galium volhynicum Hyacinthella leucophaea, Linaria biebersteinii, Phlomis hybrida Prangos odontalgica, Ranunculus scythicus, Stipa capillata, S. lessingiana, S. ucrainica and Tulipa biebersteiniana. The species encountered on the kurgans comprised 22% of the total flora of steppes in Ukraine, and about 56% of the flora of the Ascania Nova Biosphere Reserve. Kurgans are protected by law as archaeological sites. Taking all of this into account, kurgans, which constitute refugia for the steppe flora, should also be put under protection as nature monuments. Kurgans, which are uniformly distributed in the steppe zone, can play an important role in the local restoration of the plant cover that had been practically destroyed on the steppe plains (and differs from the better preserved steppe vegetation of balkas and ravines).

Flora of kurgans in the forest steppe zone in Ukraine

MOYSIYENKO, І. І. Flora of kurgans in the forest steppe zone in Ukraine / І. І. MOYSIYENKO, B. SUDNIK-WOJCIKOWSKA // Чорноморськ. бот. ж. - 2010. - Т. 6. - № 2:. - С. 162-199.

Zonal character of the flora of kurgans in central and southern Ukraine

Zonal character of the flora of kurgans in central and southern Ukraine In the years 2004-2010 floristic studies were carried out on kurgans in 4 different climatic/vegetation zones: 3 steppe zones (west and central Pontic desert steppe, west Pontic grass steppe, west and central Pontic herb-rich grass-steppe) and a forest steppe zone. Among the 450 kurgans surveyed, 106 barrows met the selection criteria. The species composition and the contribution of different life forms to the flora of kurgans changed along the north-south gradient. Jaccards similarity coefficient and Wards clustering method were used to compare the qualitative composition of flora in particular zones. The results of this comparison confirmed floristic differences between kurgans located in the four zones. Kurgans in the desert steppe zone proved to have the most distinct flora among the floras considered. The biggest similarities were found between the flora of kurgans in the forest steppe zone and that of barrows in the west and central Pontic herb rich grass steppe.

Flora of kurgans in the Pontic herb(-rich) grass steppe zone in Ukraine

Представлені результати дослідження флористичного багатства курганів в зоні різнотравнота багаторізнотравно-злакових степів (згідно з MAP OF THE NATURAL VEGETATION OF EUROPE 2000: «the west and central Pontic herb-grass steppe» (M5) та «west and central Pontic herb-rich grass steppe» (M1) зони) в Миколаївській та Кіровоградській областях. Вивчено 29 курганів понад 3 м. заввишки, що розташовані на території понад 9000 км. Досліджена флора курганів за кількістю видів переважає флору курганів зон злакових та пустельних степів і налічує 439 видів. Кількість видів на одному кургані змінюється від 89 до 171 (середня 125,5). В зоні різнотравнота багаторізнотравнозлакових степів переважають гемікриптофіти, на відміну від флор курганів зон, що розташовані південніше, де переважають терофіти. Також більш чисельними виявились тут фанерофіти (8,7 %). Короткоживучі рослини (одно-, дво-, трирічні монокарпіки) складають 35,1 % флори. Більшість з них є синантропними видами, переважно бур’яни з оточуючих полів. Загалом на курганах виявлено 113 видів адвентивних рослин. Археофіти та кенофіти складають 23,5 % флори курганів. В цілому на досліджених курганах було зафіксовано 19 синтаксонів вищого рангу. Види, що асоційовані з степовими синтаксонами: Festuco-Brometea, Festucetea vaginatae, Polygono-Artemisietea та Galietalia veri є найчисельнішими і складають 49,9 % флори курганів. Як і у флорі курганів злакових та пустельних степів домінують види класів Festuco-Brometea та Stellarietea mediae, що підкреслює напівприродний характер флори курганів. Виявлено низку раритетних видів рослин: Adonis vernalis, Amygdalus nana, Anemone sylvestris, Astragalus dasyanthus, Crocus reticulatus, Elytrigia stipifolia, Galium volhynicum, Goniolimon tataricum, Hesperis tristis, Iris halophila, Limonium platyphyllum, Linaria biebersteinii, Ornithogalum kochii, Phlomis hybrida, Stipa capillata, S. lessingiana. Кургани зони різнотравнота багаторізнотравно-злакових степів, як і інших зон виступають рефугіумами степової флори. Вони досить рівномірно розташовані в степовій зоні і відіграють важливу роль в локальному відновлені природної рослинності, тому повинні охоронятися не лише як археологічні, а і як природні пам’ятки.

Flora differentiation among local ecotopes in the transzonal study of forest–steppe and steppe mounds

Flora similarity was assessed using complete floristic lists of five ecotopes in each of four mounds along the transect from meadow steppes to desert steppes. It was found that the circumapical similitude of floras is more significant than the expositional similitude. Soil analysis in separate ecotopes showed that regular changes in the biogeochemical features are manifested along the topographic gradient and under the effect of the insolation exposure of slopes in local (mound) ecosystems. It was noted that the slopes are characterized by the most abundant steppe vegetation classes in the phytosociological spectrum of mound ecotopes.

What is Allium paniculatum? Establishing taxonomic and molecular phylogenetic relationships within A. sect. Codonoprasum

Allium paniculatum L. is commonly recorded from the Euro‐Mediterranean and Irano‐Turanian regions. Evidence from literature and herbarium collections revealed that many different taxa of A. sect. Codonoprasum Rchb., all characterized by big size, diffuse and densely flowered umbrella, very long spathe valves, long pedicels, and cylindrical‐campanulate perigon, have been wrongly attributed to this species thus affecting records on its geographic distribution and morphological characterization. In order to define the true identity of A. paniculatum, we analyzed specimens coming from the type locality (Don River), and provided details on morphology, ecology, karyology, leaf anatomy, seed morphology and seed coat micro‐sculpturing. Taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships with related species of sect. Codonoprasum and with other taxa of different sections were investigated by means of morphological characters and molecular data from the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) nrDNA and the trnH‐psbA cpDNA region. Maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference analyses of molecular data recovered two main clades in A. sect. Codonoprasum and clearly separated A. paniculatum from related taxa. The taxonomic implications of these patterns of relationships are discussed. To our knowledge, this is the first study documenting in‐depth phylogenetic relationships within A. sect. Codonoprasum.