Ecological-cenotic and floristic analysis of Dactylorhiza fuchsii(Druce) Soo populations in the Kazakhstan part of the Altai mountain country

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to conduct an ecological-cenotic and floristic analysis of the Dactylorhiza fuchsii
(Druce) Soo populations in the Kazakhstan part of the Altai mountain country, to determine the ecological
optimum and plasticity of the species in the surveyed communitiesbased on the similarities and differences of phytocenoses. The materials were obtained as a result of a survey of the territory using the route-reconnaissance
method. Based on field studies in the surveyed region, four main populations were identified, 12 localities were
marked. It was found that the coenoflora of D. fuchsiipopulations in the Kazakhstan part of the Altai mountain
country was formed by 251 species belonging to 49 families, 155 genera. Typical marker species are Betula
verrucosa, Juncus compressus, Poa palustris, Poa pratensis, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum rivale, Sanguisorba
officinalis. The coenoecotypes occupy wet meadows, edges of birch and mixed forests, river valleys and
streams with inhomogeneous moisture and rich humus substrate. The floropopulation similarity of the studied
populations varies within 12–24 %. Ecologically, in all populations, the basis of phytocenoses is made up of
mesophytes —74 %, the share of mesohygrophytes —18 %, xeromesophytes —8 %. Herbaceous plants dominate in the composition of life forms —219 species (87 %). The tree-shrub flora is poorly represented —32 species (13 %). Self-maintenance and reproduction of the species are carried out by seeds. The ecological optimum of D. fuchsiifalls on the Calamagrostis-heteroherba, Filipendula —Sonchus —Equisetum, Allium — Dactylis —Phleum, Equisetum —Festuca —Agrostis, Betula —Carex phytocenoses.