New records of rare and protected vascular plants in the Vologda part of the Vaga river basin

The work was carried out in the southern part of the Vaga River basin (within the Verkhovazhskiy, Syamzhenskiy and Totemskiy districts of the Vologda Region) as a part of the studies for Red Data Book of the Vologda Region. Results obtained are important for clarifying the chorological and phytocenotic regional preferences of a number of species of vascular plants and for identifying modern "centers" of rare and protected species, giving an idea of the environmental value of this basin and its parts. As a result of field studies in 2015-2019 a total of 550 new localities of 67 protected and 52 rare species of vascular plants were recorded, including 2 species (4 localities) with the 1/CR status, 1 (1) with 1/EN, 3 (7) with 2/EN, 8 (30) with 2/VU, 22 (86) with 3/NT, 28 (126) with 3/LC, 3 (5) with 4/DD, and 52 (291) species with a “biological control required” status. Within the boundaries of the present protected areas, only 17 protected and rare plant species were found (14.3% of the total number within the Vaga River basin). The most important findings include Saxifraga hirculus L., Scorzonera glabra Rupr. (1/CR); Calypso bulbosa (L.) Oakes (1/EN); Eremogone saxatilis (L.) Ikonn., Poa alpina L., Potamogeton crispus L. (2/EN), Epipactis atrorubens (Hoffm. ex Bernh.) Bess., Listera cordata (L.) R. Br., Poa remota Forsell. (2/VU); Festuca rupicola Heuff. (biological control required), as well as several non-status native ( Helictotrichon pubescens (Huds.) Pilger, Nonea pulla DC.) and adventive ( Euphorbia helioscopia L., Onobrychis viciifolia Scop, Silaum silaus (L.) Schinz ey Thell.) species, new or previously reported for the Vologda Region.