Дэлгэрэнгүй мэдээлэл

The number of species in the genus Alchemilla fluctuates greatly, as many agamospermous microspecies have been described based on minor morphological differences. There are eleven species of Alchemilla in the Flora of Mongolia, and most of them, especially endemic species, are not clearly morphologically and spatially distinct. To assess the genetic relatedness between such similar species, we analysed the variation within and among seven species occurring in the Khangai mountainous region of Mongolia. Furthermore, we aimed to reveal the systematic affinities of Mongolian species in the molecular phylogeny of the genus. Maximum parsimony analyses were performed using nuclear (ITS) and chloroplast (trnL-F) sequence data. The studied species all belong to the lobed clade within the Eualchemilla clade, according to molecular and morphological data. The differences between the not clearly morphologically and spatially distinct species are mostly not supported by molecular data. The species level of the Mongolian “endemic” species, A. changaica, A. gubanovii and A. pavlovii, including A. circularis, the Siberian endemic species should be reconsidered.

Өрнөд Хангайн уулын хээрийн төлөөлөл болгон сонгосон талбайд бэлчээрийн ургамлын идэмжит чанарыг уламжлалт аргуудыг ашиглан судлав. Бэлчээрийн талбайгаас ургацын дээж авч, жингийн зөрүүгээр идэмжийг тодорхойлоход ач холбогдолтой ялгаа илрээгүй. Ажиглалтын аргаар идэмжийг үнэлэхэд Larix sibirica, Caragana bungei зэрэг зарим зүйл ургамлын идэмж харьцуулсан бүтээлүүд дээрх үнэлгээнээс өөрчлөгдсөн болохыг илрүүлсэн. Малчдаас асуулга авахад хангалттай мэдээлэл цуглуулах боломжгүй байсан. Иймээс малын бааснаас ургамлын үлдэгдэл ялгаж тодорхойлох зэрэг дэвшилтэт аргуулыг ашиглан идэмжийг үнэлэх, идэмжийн өөрчлөгдлийн шалтгааныг илрүүлэх зэргээр судалгааг үргэлжлүүлэх шаардлагатай.

There are a small number of vegetation maps of the greater Gobi region, but for Dzungarian Gobi only coarse maps are available, and these are not based on a state-of-the-art remote sensing data and sound ground-truthing. Detailed data on vegetation–environment relationships are lacking, since climate, soils and vegetation have never been comprehensively analysed. The present study is based on data collected over three different sampling periods in the Mongolian parts of the Dzungarian Basin: we sampled 208, 152 and 280 plots in 2003, 2010 and 2012-2014, using a modified Braun-Blanquet approach. All vascular plants species were recorded along with their cover, which was estimated in absolute percentages. Sample sites were deliberately chosen to represent relevant vegetation types, ranging from those of the high mountains to the oases in the lowland. A vegetation map was then prepared based on the supervised classification of remote sensing imagery. For the vegetation map, we used remote sensing imagery (Landsat mission 8, merged together from path-row WRS2 combinations 139-028, 029; 140-027, 028, 029; 141-027, 028, 029), with data being derived from remote sensing Landsat scenes using Tasseled Cap calculations for greenness, brightness, and wetness. Cloud cover for all scenes was below 10 percent. Data from the shuttle topographic radar mission was used for altitude, from which the slope of the terrain of the sample was also calculated using the spatial calculation tool “aspect” in ArcGIS. The original Landsat scenes (red, green, and blue; short-wave-infrared-1/swir1; short-wave-infrared-2/swir2; near-infrared/NIR; coastal-aerosol) were used to feed the Random Forest model. The R package raster was used to load the raster stack into the R software with the command brick. The R package RGDAL was used to import the relevé data shapefile in ArcMap GIS software. The R package geo was used to extract the information from the extract function’s locational overlaying with the raster stack for each relevé using the Landsat/Tasseled Cap/Altitude data and described derivates. We mapped four main vegetation types (forest-steppe, steppe, desert, and oasis) encompassing twenty-one plant communities, with each type showing a clear altitudinal distribution, except for the oases. The vegetation map of the Mongolian part of the Dzungarian Gobi clearly demonstrates the strong influence of relief in the area. Altitudinal gradients are reflected in a sequence of major plant community groups. The Altai ranges govern the northern part of the study region, where their steep slopes host various types of mountain steppes and related communities, including moist high-altitude pastures in the extensive upper valleys. Due to the steep altitudinal gradient (1050-2700 m), we could distinguish several types of mountain-, meadow- and desert steppes. Forest steppes are scattered between 2100-2500 m, where they cover relatively small areas on northern exposures. North-facing slopes of the upper mountain ranges are often covered by coniferous forest while more south-facing slopes, and all exposures on the lower mountain ranges, are covered by steppes locally intermingled with Juniper stands. Steppes and related units cover roughly 56% of the total study area, and the various desert communities cover about 40%. In conclusion, combining remote sensing data and ground-truthing to map the vegetation helps to accurately identify and classify different plant communities and their distribution patterns.

The Dzungarian Basin between the Altai and the Tien Shan represents the transition between Middle and Central Asia. The region hosts special plant communities that are characterized by a combination of Kazakh-Dzungarian (Dzungario-Turanian) flora elements, which extend from Middle Asia, and typical Central Asian (semi-) desert species. For the present study, we aimed to understand the plant species composition and richness in these regions by calculating the Shannon-Wiener diversity index. We sampled 644 plots using a modified Braun-Blanquet approach. Most vegetation types were rather homogenous, and we therefore selected reléve sample of 10 x 10 m2 in size. All vascular plants were recorded along with their cover, which was estimated in absolute percentage. Sample sites were deliberately chosen to represent all relevant vegetation types, ranging from the desert to the higher mountains, and including azonal vegetation like oases. Based on our results we found four different main vegetation types (forest-steppe, steppe, desert and oasis) encompassing twenty-one communities with a total of 255 vascular plant taxa belonging to 142 genera and 41 families recorded. The results indicated that Geranio pseudosibirici-Laricetum sibiricae community in the forest steppe belt at 2430 m a.sl and Halerpesto-Hordeetum brevisubulati typicum in azonal vegetation had higher indices of diversity and richness whereas, lowest in Stipo glareosae-Anabasietum brevifoliae typicum in desert steppe at 1100 m a.s.l. Changes in elevation is associated with changes in precipitation, temperature, soil type, and other factors that influence in floristic diversity in plant communities. In conclusion, plant species diversity strongly correlated with altitude in the Dzungarian Gobi and South-Western Mongolian Altai region. To further understand plant species diversity in this region, it is necessary to conduct more comprehensive studies that incorporate various environmental variables. These variables may include precipitation, temperature, soil characteristics, and grazing intensity.

Хангайн уулархаг нутагт хээрийн судалгаа хийж унаган ургамлуудын тархцын шинэ цэгүүд илрүүлэв. Өмнө бүртгэгдсэн тархцын цэгэн мэдээллийг МУИС-ийн гербарийн сан (UBU) болон “A virtual Guide to the Flora of Mongolia (https://floragreif.uni-greifswald.de/), the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (https://www.gbif.org/) зэрэг цахим мэдээллийн сангуудаас цуглуулсан. Тархцын мэдээлэлд үндэслэн Дэлхийн байгаль хамгаалах холбооны (IUCN) Улаан дансны шалгуур үзүүлэлтээр зүйл бүрийн үнэлгээг Geospatial Conservation Assessment Tool (GeoCAT-http://geocat.kew.org) программ (4 км2 нарийвчлалтайгаар) ашиглан хийж гүйцэтгэсэн. Судалгааны бүс нутаг болох Хангайн уулын ойт хээрийн тойрогт 23 зүйл унаган, 44 зүйл завсрын унаган ургамал тархаж байгаагаас зөвхөн Хангайн тойрогт тархалттай унаган 6, завсрын унаган 5 зүйл ургамал байна. Улаан дансны шалгуурын дагуу тэдгээр ургамлын ховордлын зэрэглэлийг үнэлэхэд 50% нь устаж байгаа, 11% нь эмзэг, 3% нь ховордож болзошгүй, 36% нь анхааралд өртөхөөргүй зэрэглэлээр үнэлэгдсэн. Хангайн тойргийг 10км х10км харьцаатай талбайд хуваан унаган болон завсрын унаган зүйлийн олон янз байдлыг тооцоолоход эндемизмийн түвшин өндөр дөрвөн hotspot илэрлээ. Судалгааны талбайн унаган болон завсрын унаган зүйлүүдийн тархалтыг ургамалжилтын бүс бүслүүртэй давхцуулахад дийлэнх нь ойт хээрийн бүслүүрт буюу мал бэлчээрлэлтийн нөлөө ихтэй газруудад тохиолдож байна. Унаган ургамлуудын тархац нутаг, ялангуяа hotspot-ууд ТХГН-ийн хил хязгаарт төдийлөн давхцахгүй байгаа тул тэдгээр ургамлын хамгааллын арга хэмжээг оновчтой болгохын тулд Архангай аймгийн Их Тамир сумын Дуут багийн нутаг дахь Хан Өндөр уул, Булган аймгийн Хутаг-Өндөр сумын Жанцан уулын зүүн урд хэсэг зэрэг нэр бүхий газруудыг хамруулан улсын тусгай хамгаалалттай газар нутгийн хэмжээг өргөтгөх нь зүйтэй гэсэн саналыг дэвшүүлж байна.

Зүүнгарын говийн ургамалжлыг ойт хээр, цөлөрхөг хээр, цөл, бүсийн бус гэсэн 4 үндсэн хэвшинжид хамаарах 21 бүлэг эвшилд ангилав.

Myosotis alpestris F.W. Schmidt-ийн навчны морфологийн өөрчлөлтийг ургамлын гербарийн материалд хийсэн хэмжилтийн үр дүнгээр үнэлэх боломжтой байна.

Visual documentation and presentation are essential for botanical education. Wallcharts and posters depicting plant structures and evolutionary relationships as phylogenetic trees have served as essential tools in teaching. With the advancement of digital technologies, new approaches to a traditional concept have become feasible. The Plant Phylogeny Poster project is a collaborative initiative providing clear and concise overviews of orders, families and genera of various groups of plants. The global project now involves around 150 botanists from all around the world with currently 400 posters in 35 languages (as of March 2022). All posters are freely available online and regularly updated, providing an extensive portfolio of versatile new teaching resources for educators.

Genetic diversity is fundamental for biodiversity, providing an adaptive potential to environmental fluctuations and population stability. This empirical evidence was obtained by comparing the genetic diversity among multiple populations. However, it is controversial whether levels of genetic diversity are related to population stability in inter-specific comparisons, especially among common species in a local community. Additionally, previous studies showed that effective population size predicted from genetic diversity did not necessarily correlate with census population size (Nc), such as the apparent number of individuals. Identifying whether Nc can be a surrogate of genetic diversity in a community provides useful information for ecosystem managements. We investigated relationships between genome-wide genetic indices (α and β diversity, and inbreeding coefficient), number of individuals (Nc), and stability over four years in nine common plants at a local scale in Mongolian grasslands. The genetic indices of multiple species were not significantly correlated with Nc or its stability. This pattern might be attributed to species-specific identity, such as niche depth at a site, drought tolerance, and differences in stabilization mechanisms via α or β diversity related to Nc, and short-term population stability at local scales. Genetic diversity might reflect population size across a regional scale rather than a local scale to ensure stability over long terms and resilience or resistance to environmental extremes. The present study indicated that investigating the genetic diversity-stability relationship for different spatiotemporal scales can lead to understanding the sustainable management of arid grasslands.

The Dzungarian Gobi (DzG), one of 16 phytogeographical regions in the country, is located in the southwestern part of Khovd province in western Mongolia. It comprises some of Mongolia’s largest reserves, namely the Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area and the National Park Bulgan gol-Ikh Ongog. We conducted a comprehensive survey of the area’s floristic diversity between 2009 and 2019 by collecting vascular plants from different vegetation types in various seasons. In addition, we critically checked relevant published literature and material from the herbaria ALTB, GLM, GWF, HAL, KHU, LE, MW, NS, OSBU, UBA, and UBU to determine the occurrence of vascular plant species in the DzG region. Based on our collection data, a comprehensive checklist of DzG’s flora was compiled, representing 913 vascular plant taxa (including 34 subspecies and one variety) belonging to 329 genera and 70 families. Twenty-one taxa were newly found in the DzG region. We also investigated the conservation status of all species noted, and 19 endemic plants and 96 threatened species, including six critically endangered, 26 endangered, 57 vulnerable, and seven near threatened plants were recognized in this region. Eight rare species were newly assessed according to regional conservation status based on GeoCat and IUCN. The richest plant families found were Asteraceae (153 species), Fabaceae (77 species), Amaranthaceae (69 species), and Poaceae (68 species). Several uncertain endemic and non-endemic plants remain still discussion, such as Papaver baitagense and Rosa baitagensis; thus, further studies are needed on their taxonomic and conservation status. For each taxon, we provide its distribution in the region, elevation range, voucher number, and additional references. Finally, we analyzed species hotspots of DzG, based on three different plant species richness criteria: i. all recorded species, ii. endemic species, and iii. threatened species using our georeferenced records. The most diverse hotspot area in DzG is the Baitag Bogd Mountain area, which comprises the highest species number of all three richness criteria.

The conservation status of 100 rare vascular plant species in Mongolia were determined by the Geospatial Conservation Assessment Tool and the categories and criteria of threatened species were defined according to IUCN. 96% of the assessed plant species were categorized as regionally threatened (CR, EN, VU).

Ecosystem functions are threatened by continuing global loss of biodiversity. We simultaneously investigated three ecosystem functions and forage nutrient values following potential species extinction scenarios (dominant species removal, rare species removal, end-member species removal and random species removal) in a Mongolian grassland. ANPP, forage nutrient values, litter decomposition, and soil respiration were measured one and /or two years after plant removal. DNA samples of microorganisms extracted from the soil were subjected to meta genomics analysis. Finally, we calculated the multi-functionality, and examined the relationship of multi-functionality with plant and microorganism diversity. Among ecosystem functions, ANPP and litter decomposition rate decreased under random and rare species extinction scenarios, respectively, and forage quality increased when only dominant species had been removed. Diversity and species composition of soil microorganism were not affected by plant species richness or removal scenario. Only genus-level diversity of bacteria and ANPP were significantly and positively correlated with microbial diversity. Taken together, decreasing species richness of plants and soil organisms rarely impaired multifunctionality. Ecosystem functions were relatively robust to realistic disturbances and species extinction in natural grasslands. However, as each function responded differently to the different sets of species removed, the consequences of a realistic non-random extinction scenario for multiple ecosystem functions should be critical to the management of biodiversity loss caused by different disturbances.

Different conservation measures including domestication approaches are needed to preserve rare and extensively used plant species and to satisfy future market demands. Snow lotus (a common name used for a number of high altitude species in central Asia) species in Mongolia are important medicinal plants, mostly endangered at the regional level due to the extensive use for medicinal purposes and naturally limited distribution ranges. In order to develop effective conservation and cultivation approaches we studied the morphological and genetic diversity as well as the seed germination behavior of three populations of Saussurea involucrata in the Altay Mountains of Western Mongolia. Plant height and leaf length were measured on 41–53 randomly selected individuals in each population. Enhancement of seed germination was studied using either mechanical or chemical scarification with potassium nitrate and gibberellic acid. Genetic diversity within and among three populations of the species was analyzed using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms. Plants in three populations differed in height and leaf length (P\0.001). Plant size tended to be negatively correlated with habitat altitude. Seed germination rate was low and increased with seed soaking in gibberellic acid. However, the response of seeds to different treatments was rather population-specific. Most treatments did not significantly affect mean days to germination and the ratio of shoot to root dry weight of 2-weeks old seedlings. The level of genetic diversity in the studied populations was lower than the average value for other long-lived perennial herbs. Analysis of molecular variance revealed a high differentiation within populations (92 % of total variation) indicating sufficient gene flow among populations.