Phytodiversity of the natural monument “Velikoretskoe” (Kirov region)

The results of the study of flora and vegetation of the complex natural monument of regional significance “Velikoretskoe” (Yuryanskyy district, Kirov region) for the period 2004-2022 are presented. Vegetation is represented by pine forests of different ages, spruce and fir forests in a small amount, alder and willow forests, meadow forb-large-grass and grass-forb phytocenoses, Equisetum fluviatile + Calla palustris communities in oxbow lakes. Pine forests with an age of individual Pinus sylvestris in them of 350 years or more are the most valuable, as well as fir and spruce forests with a combination of nemoral and boreal elements in the grass-shrub layer. The flora of vascular plants includes 337 taxa from 223 genera, 80 families, 6 classes and 4 divisions. Within the natural monument there are coenopopulations of two rare species for the Kirov region ( Gymnadenia conopsea (L.) R. Br., Dactylorhiza maculata (L.) Soo); four species that require constant monitoring and surveillance in the region: Clematis alpina subsp. sibirica (L.) Kuntze ( Atragene sibirica L.), Delphinium elatum L., Platanthera bifolia (L.) Rich., Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soo. Plants are divided into 17 ecological-economic groups, the floodplain meadow (20.8%), wetland (13.4%), boreal (11.9%) and nitrophil (11.6%) groups prevail among them in terms of the number of species. Mesophytes dominate in relation to the moisture factor, most of which grow in meadows. Hemicryptophytes are the leaders in the spectrum of biological types (50.1%); cryptophytes occupy the second position (20.5%), among which a significant proportion of geophytes (9.8%). The biomorphological structure is dominated by terrestrial herbaceous polycarpics, among which short-rhizomatous (16.0%) and long-rhizomatous (16.3%) herbs are represented almost in equal proportions. Plants of six stages of hemerobia present in the flora; mesohemerobes (84.4%) are the dominant species resistant to anthropogenic influence; oligohemerobes (67.8%) are slightly fewer species capable of tolerating irregular weak influence. The ratio of the levels of hemerobia shows that the natural complex of the natural monument “Velikoretskoe” is experiencing an anthropogenic load, but at the same time, many natural phytocenoses with a characteristic set of species have been preserved. The diversity of biotopes, historical and cult traditions, anthropogenic influence determined the existing phytodiversity of this protected area. The data presented for the first time will serve as the basis for organizing long-term monitoring of vegetation and flora composition, developing programs for the conservation of taxa based on knowledge of their ecological, phytocenotic and biological features.