Master in Natural Science Gulmira Abileva

Department of Biology and Chemistry, A. Baitursynov Kostanay State University, Kostanay, Kazakhstan

BIOMORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF HIGHER VASCULAR PLANTS OF THE STATE NATIONAL NATURAL PARK “BURABAY”

The extensive impact of the anthropogenic factor on the flora and vegetation leads to the global problem of conservation of biodiversity, which is the most important biological indicator of the biosphere state and biomes, its components. The loss of biodiversity is one of the most complex issues, as it is impossible to renew extinct species. The conservation of biological diversity is recognized as one of the most important priorities of the transition to sustainable development of Kazakhstan. When studying biodiversity of the flora of regions, different floristic researches are conducted. Here the important role is with the analysis of plants life forms, which is one of the main characteristics giving an opportunity to estimate current state of flora and an important indicator of estimation of the research of biodiversity of floristic object.

The life form concept is used in scientific research specifically as a separate category [1-3] and as one of the evaluation criteria of flora in floristic works in Kazakhstan [4-6] and near and far abroad [7-9].

Presently in the world is widespread using of two main classifications of plants life form: 1) by K. Raunkiaer, who is author of the most common plants life form system based on the landscape and bionomic geography of vegetation [10], offered by K. Raunkiaer life forms types gave basis for contemporary system of life forms, its most developed variant was created by D. Myuller-Dembua and G. Ellenberg [11]; 2) I. G. Serebryakov’s ecological-morphological classification [12].

I. G. Serebryakov’s system of life forms is convenient for regional usage when studying life forms composition of individual region’s flora, when a limited number of ecomorph found in the studied area is selected. For reviews on a global scale or a scale of entire continents using Myuller-Dembua – Ellenberg’s compact system or more generalized systems of plants functional types are more convenient [11].

Life forms indicate features of the environment, e.g. climate or soil, through the specifics of the growth and development of plants in the prevailing soil-climatic and coenotic conditions. Environment influences the form by changing the life of an organism, especially through changes in the intensity and direction of growth and life span of its vegetative organs [12].

Life form is the aggregate of a grown up individual of the given species in the certain growth conditions, having a kind of general appearance (habitus) including above-ground and underground organs (underground shoots and root system). Ontogenetically this habitus occurs as a result of growth and development in certain environments, and historically it appears in specific soil-climatic and coenotical conditions as a result of plant adaptation to these conditions [12].

Life forms have a significant difference from environmental groups because they reflect the adaptation of plants not to a single environmental factor, but to a historically formed complex of factors.

The objective of this study is to research the biomorphological structure of vascular plants flora of the Natural Park “Burabay”. In order to achieve the objectives, the following tasks were solved:

- to study the distribution of higher plants species of the studied area according to K. Raunkiaer’s life forms "biological spectrum";

- to identify the distribution of higher plants species in the studied flora according to I. G. Serebryakov’s life forms system.

The object of this research is flora of the State National Natural Park “Burabay” (SNNP).

The subject of the study is plants life forms comprising biomorphological structure of the under reserach object’s flora and their analysis.

SNNP “Burabay” has status of environmental and scientific institution and is included in the system of specially protected natural territories of Republican importance, intended for the conservation of biological and landscape diversity, also for using of unique natural complexes and objects of the state natural reserve fund in the environmental, scientific, ecological, educational, tourist and recreational purposes, which have special ecological, scientific, historical, cultural and recreational value. The total area of the SNNP “Burabay” is 129 935 ha [13].

In the geomorphological respect the area is the most elevated part of the northern margin of Central Kazakh Upland. Relief of this territory represents a complex combination of the low mountains, hills and plains, which are rarely crossed by small river valleys and lake basins, the formation of relief occurred in the continental conditions during Meso-Cenozoic time and on the basis of correlative analysis of the sediments can be subdivided into the following stages of relief formation: before Eocene; middle-upper Oligocene and Quaternary. The territory forms a unique for the Northern Kazakhstan landscape represented by low mountains, freshwater lakes, pinery or mixed deciduous-coniferous forests. The area is characterized by a sharply continental climate with harsh, little snow winters and hot summers but in the oasis “Burabay” it is considerably softened due to the influence of mountains, lakes and forests [14].

Studies were performed using route-reconnaissance method and method of concrete flora. During the field work the area of 10 forestries of the Natural Park: Akylbayskoe, Borovskoe, Katarkolskoe, Zolotoborskoe, Mirnoe, Barmashinskoe, Priozernoe, Temnoborskoe, Jalaiyrskoe and Bulandinskoe forestries were examined; four expeditions were organized and carried out. As a result of the field work more than 2000 herbarium sheets of higher vascular plants were collected.

The processing, determination and comparison of plants were conducted using taxonomic [15], herbarium methods, biomorphological analysis according to I. G. Serebryakov, K. Raunkiaer and R.V. Kamelin’s [16] classifications and morphological-geographical method.

The basis of the research is the materials and results of field-based data and laboratory research carried out from 2011 to 2014, generalization of all the available scientific sources and herbarium collections, which are stored at the Department of Biology and Chemistry of A. Baitursynov KSU.

On the basis of source data [15] and our own collecting, 636 species of higher vascular plants were found on the territory of the SNNP “Burabay”.

As a result of the research, plants were analyzed according to K. Raunkiaer’s biological spectrum of vegetation and I. G. Serebryakov’s ecological-morphological classification.

The analysis of plants life forms of the Natural Park “Burabay” by I. G. Serebryakov is represented in Figure 1 and in Table 1.

Fig. 1. The proportion of life form types according to I. G. Serebryakov’s system

Table 1

The biological spectrum of plants life forms of the Natural Park “Burabay” according to I. G. Serebryakov

№	Life form	Species number	% from the total number of species
1	2	3	4
	I. Woody plants	69	10.8
1	Deciduous monocormic trees	12	1.9
2	Evergreen trees	2	0.3
3	Bush trees	16	2.5
4	Deciduous erect shrubs	28	4.4
5	Deciduous crawl shrubs	1	0.2
6	Evergreen shrubs	2	0.3
7	Creeping-rooted shrubs	3	0.4
8	Deciduous subshurbs	1	0.2
9	Evergreen subshurbs	4	0.6
	II. Half-woody plants	19	3
10	Erect half-shrubs (ПКП)	3	0.5
11	Crawl half-shrubs (ПКС)	3	0.5
12	Evergreen crawl half-shrubs	1	0.2
13	Erect half-subshrubs	7	1
14	Crawl half-subshrubs	4	0.6
15	Evergreen half-subshrubs	1	0.2
	III. Ground herbs	458	72
16	Horsetails	8	1.3
17	Ferns	13	2
18	Club mosses	3	0.5
	Polycarpics	323	50.7
19	Taproots	91	14.3
20	Fibrous roots	19	3
21	Shot rhizomes	41	6.5
22	Long rhizomes	94	14.8
23	Tufteds	13	2
24	Loose-bunchs	20	3.1
25	Above- and under-ground stoloniferous	16	2.5
26	Creeping-rooteds	2	0.3
27	Tuber forming	9	1.4
28	Bulbous	9	1.4
29	Lianoids	9	1.4
	Monocarpics	105	16.5
30	Perennials and biennials	40	6.3
31	Annuals	65	10.2
32	Half-parasitical and parasitical	6	1
	All of the ground vascular plants:	546	85.8
	IV. Amphibian herbs	79	12.4
33	Fibrous roots	6	1
34	Shot rhizomes	20	3.1
35	Long rhizomes	30	4.7
36	Tufteds	7	1.1
37	Loose-bunchs	6	1
38	Above- and under-ground stoloniferous	1	0.1
39	Tuber forming	2	0.3
40	Perennials and biennials	1	0.1
41	Annuals	6	1
	Aquatic herbs	11	1.7
42	Floating	11	1.7
	All of the amphibians and aquatics:	90	14.1
	Total:	636	100

The life forms spectrum according to I. G. Serebryakov’s system is presented by 42 classes of plants, 9 classes of them are woody, half-woody plants comprised 6 classes, ground herbs - 17 classes, amphibians and aquatics – 10 classes.

Among 4 life form types ground herbs prevailed strongly - 458 species comprised 72% of the total species number, followed by amphibians and aquatic herbs with 90 species (14.1%). Next type of amphibian and aquatic herbs consists of 14.1%. In the third place are woody plants such as rare species Alnus glutinosa – 10.8%, and the lowest percentage belongs to the half-woody plants – 3%.

In the first type woody plants type shrubs are prevailing with 5.3%. They are more developed near the continental borders of woody vegetation and are presented by Juniperus sabina, Berberis oblonga, Amelanchier ovalis, Rosa majalis, Spiraea hypericifolia, Grossularia acicularis and other species.

The second type occupies only 3% of the total species number and is represented by half-shrubs and half-subshrubs, the inhabitants of arid regions spreading along the banks of rivers and streams such as Thymus asiaticus, Thymus marschallianus, Onosma simplicissima, Artemisia absinthium, Oxycoccus palustris and many other species.

The third type is ground herbs represented by wide spectrum of classes, among their polycarpic herbaceous plants are dominant – 50.7% and characterizing moderately cold zone with continental climate, next follow monocarpic herbs – 16.5% spreading in arid regions of the temperate zone of northern hemisphere, classes of ferns - 2%, horsetails – 1.3%, club mosses – 0.5% and parasitical and half-parasitical such as Euphrasia pectinata, Melampyrum cristatum, Odontites vulgaris - 1% .

Among polycarpic plants long, rhizomes herbs dominate – 14.8% they are characterized by forest, meadow habitats with aerated, moist soil (Cypripedium calceolus, Thalictrum simplex, Pyrola chlorantha, Galatella divaricate, Inula britannica). Taproots herbs comprise 14.3% and are characterized by steppe and meadow habitats with permeable oxygen soils (Pulsatilla flavescens, Eremogone koriniana, Oberna behen, Moneses uniflora, Potentilla approximata). Shot rhizomes take 6.5%, they are are meadow plants of forest zone (Adonis vernalis, Adonis wolgensis, Myosotis sylvatica, Iris sibirica, Polygonatum odoratum). Loose-bunch polycarpics get 3.1%, they are meadow plants of forest zone too growing in light aerated soils (Carex pediformis, Leymus akmolinensis, Poa nemoralis, Puccinellia distans). Fibrous roots (3%) are meadow perennials of forest zone, which grow in damp meadows with poorly aerated heavy soils with high humifying (species of genus Ranunculus, Tephroseris integrifolia, Geranium sylvaticum, Primula longiscapa). Above- and under-ground stoloniferous plants (2.5%) indicate wet, excessively humid habitats with loose, marginal, becoming peaty soil – forests and marshes (Ranunculus repens, Viola mirabilis, Fragaria vesca, Fragaria viridis, Potentilla anserina). Tufted herbs (2%) characterize habitats with poor soil aeration - steppes, strongly turfing meadows and marshes (Dianthus acicularis, Koeleria cristata, Stipa pennata, Stipa capillata, Festuca valesiaca). Bulbous (Tulipa patens, Fritillaria meleagris, Allium pallasii, Allium rubens) (1.4%) and tuber forming polycarpics (Dactylorhiza majalis, Dactylorhiza fuchsia, Valeriana tuberosa, Filipendula vulgaris) (1.4%) characterize arid habitats. A small percentage of lianoid polycarpics (1.4%) indicates climate of temperate zone (Humulus lupulus, Convolvulus arvensis, Lathyrus palustris, Lathyrus pratensis, Vicia cracca). Creeping-rooted herbaceous plants occupy the smallest share of 0.3%. These plants are capable of vegetative reproduction (Anemone sylvestris, Galega orientalis, Lactuca tatarica).

The type of amphibian and aquatic herbs occupying 14.1% indicates humidity of climate, which is associated with a large number of wetlands. They include the species such as Drosera rotundifolia, Nymphaea candida, Caltha palustris, Veronica anagallis-aquatica, Utricularia intermedia, species of Potamogeton genus and others.

Thus, the results indicate that the largest percentage (50.7%) is occupied by polycarpic plants, then follow monocarpic herbs (16,5%), next amphibian and aquatic herbs (14.1%), woody (10.8%) and half-woody (3%), that corresponds to the moderately cold zone with continental climate and with the degree of aridity and humidity.

For botanical and geographical analysis, the system of life forms offered by Danish botanist K. Raunkiaer is used. K. Raunkiaer’s life forms separation system is based on one feature - difference in the plants adaptation to the experience of unfavorable seasons that is the location of the buds or the tops of shoots during unfavorable time of year regarding the soil surface [12].

In the flora of the Natural Park “Burabay” according to K. Raunkiaer’s system, the following life forms were allocated:

phanerophytes – with reproduction buds 30 cm above the soil;

chamaephytes – with reproduction buds above the soil or not higher 20-30 cm;

hemikryptophytes – with reproduction buds in the surface layer of soil and often are covered by litter;

kryptophytes – with reproduction buds during unfavorable time hidden in the soil or under water; including geophytes - reproduction buds in the soil, helophytes - vegetative shoots usually are air and hydrophytes - vegetative shoots are submerged;

therophytes –with reproduction only by seeds after an unfavorable time of year.

The biological spectrum of plants life forms of the Natural Park “Burabay” accordign to K. Raunkiaer is described in Figure 2 and in Table 2.

Fig. 2. The biological spectrum of plants life forms of the Natural Park “Burabay”

according to K. Raunkiaer, main groups

Table 2

The biological spectrum of plants life forms of the Natural Park “Burabay” according to K. Raunkiaer

	Life forms types	Species number	% from the total number of species
1	I. Phanerophytes - Ph	64	10
2	II. Chamaephytes - Ch	39	6.1
3	III. Hemikryptophytes - HK	335	52.7
	IV. Kryptophytes - K	80	12.6
4	Geophytes - G	52	8.2
5	Helophytes аnd Hydrophytes - НH	18	2.8
6	Helophytes аnd Hydrophytes - НH	10	1.6
7	V. Therophytes - Th	118	18.6
	Total:	636	100

According to Raunkiaer’s biological spectrum hemicryptophytes – 335 species (52.7%) take the leading position. That type corresponds to the climate of temperate zones. Therophytes have the large percentage (18.6%) and characterize the territory of the ancient Mediterranean. They are followed by cryptophytes – 12.6% indicating a dry and water-saturated climate. Small number of species of phanerophytes 10% and chamaephytes 6.1% also indicate the temperate zone climate as phanerophytes are most widely extended in the tropical areas while chamaephytes in the arid and cold polar areas.

Thus, analysis of plants life forms according to I.G. Serebryakov and Raunkiaer’s systems confirms that the territory is located in the zone of continental moderate climate with Mediterranean features. There is a degree of climate aridity and anthropogenic impact. The object of the research is located in the zone of forest-steppe with high humidity due to the large number of wetlands (lakes, marshes and rivers). Thus, the type of the territory climate corresponds to the boreal-steppe nature of flora.

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