No abstract

Current progress in botany requires new claims for floristic research. Now the latter is not a simple species inventory of a separate local or regional flora but it needs coordination with recent results of critical taxonomic, nomenclatural and molecular phylogenetic investigations. Based on the fact that detailed research on steppes as a zonal type of vegetation in the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine is very important for preservation of current steppe territories, the authors studied several territories with steppe vegetation near Poltava town (Poltava region, Ukraine). The key steppe territories found are situated near Abazivka, Rozhayivka, Kostochky, Buhayivka, Machukhy, Ivonchentsi and Zhuky villages. Data about steppe flora from only the first territory located between Abazivka and Rozhayivka villages including “Rozhayivskyi” local botanical reserve were early reported in literature sources while data about steppe vegetation of the other areas has never been published in detail. The full list of 401 vascular plant species found on these steppe territories with the frequency of distribution, major synonym names and references to current taxonomic papers for separate species are proposed. One of these species (Hemerocallis fulva (L.) L.) is a new alien for Poltava region. Taxonomy for all species was critically revised, nomenclature of several taxa (Dichoropetalum carvifolia (Vill.) Pimenov & Kljuykov, Erophila verna (L.) DC., Campanula canescens (Waldst. & Kit.) Roth) is discussed in detail. The name “Dichoropetalum carvifolium-chabraei (Crantz) Soldano et al.” is an invalid designation based on trinominal and must be rejected. The names Selinum chabraei Jacq. ex Murray, Peucedanum euphimiae Kotov and Hemerocallis lilio-asphodelus var. fulva L. were lectotypified. The studied steppe territories have the great significance in the sozological aspect, they include 32 rare steppe plant species (seven from the Red Data Book of Ukraine and 25 from the list of locally rare plants within Poltava region) so the primary task for further research is to organize their protection as the most valuable steppe areas and the monitoring of their condition in the future.

Data about the syntaxonomy of plant communities with significant presence of two locally rare in Ukraine halophilous species Frankenia pulverulenta L. and Camphorosma annua Pall. are presented. Communities with Frankenia pulverulenta in Ukraine were discovered by authors for the first time in Northern Black Sea Region (Skadovsk district of Kherson oblast) and in Kerch Azov Sea Region (Lenine district of the Crimea). Based on the cluster analysis of these communities in Juice software using Modified TWINSPAN algorithm these relevés were identified as new syntaxon Puccinelio fominii-Frankenietum pulverulentae Davydova & Davydov ass. nova. The latter belongs to the new for Ukraine high rank syntaxathe alliance Frankenion pulverulentae Rivas-Martínez ex Castroviejo & Porta 1976, the order Frankenietalia pulverulentae Rivas-Martínez ex Castroviejo & Porta 1976 and the class Saginetea maritimae Westhoff & al. 1962. All these syntaxa of ephemeric halo-subnitrophilous vegetation on saline badlands were known from Atlantic and Western Meditterranean only. Frankenia pulverulenta was previously treatened in Ukraine as attendant species in communities of other halophilous vegetation classes (Therosalicornietea Tüxen in Tüxen & Oberdorfer 1958, Kalidetea foliati Mirkin & al. ex Rukhlenko 2012 and Festuco-Puccinellietea Soó ex Vicherek 1973). Results of the comparative analysis of the vegetation dominated by Camphorosma annua are available too. These communities formed two clusters which are treated as two different syntaxa based on their features of specific composition and environmental peculiarities. The first syntaxon is known in Ukraine as Camphorosmo annuae-Puccinellietum distantis Shelyag-Sosonko & Solomakha 1987 but it is quite similar to Camphorosmetum annuae Soó 1934 distributed in Central Europe. The latter name has priority by the date of publication so it is to be used for Ukrainian communities. The second syntaxon was described as new association Puccinellio giganteae-Camphorosmetum annuae Davydov ass. nova. Both associations with Camphorosma annua belongs to the order Puccinellietalia Soó 1947 from the class Festuco-Puccinellietea but two different alliances: Puccinellion limosae Soó 1934 (Camphorosmetum annuae) and Puccinellion giganteae Golub & Solomakha ex Dubyna & Neuhäuslová 2000 (Puccinellio giganteae-Camphorosmetum annuae). Nomenclatural citations, types and diagnostic species have been presented for all syntaxa.

The paper summarized the data about vascular plant species of Poltava town territorial commune formed in 2020 during decentralization reform within Poltava district of Poltava region. Based on own field research in 2006–2021 authors found on this territory 996 vascular plant species from 105 families. They include 911 species from 432 genera and 101 families which are resident taxa and belong to a stable components of a plant cover on this territory; they grow a long time here and have a regular self-healing ability. The annotated list of resident plant species with main their synonymic Latin names is indicated. 85 species from 77 genera and 32 families have also been found on the research territory but they are not to be able to accept as a stable component of a plant cover since they are locally distributed, occasionally escaped from cultivation or alien and are not naturalized here.These species were included in the additional list indicated in this paper too; they need a monitoring research for their status and further distribution on this territory. It was established that the territory of Poltava town commune has a great species diversity of vascular plants: 63,3% of resident taxa which were found in the Left Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine and 73,9% of resident taxa found in Poltava region have been discovered by authors. The features of Poltava town commune are high participation (61 species or 6,1%) rare vascular plant species – 14 from «The Red Data Book of Ukraine» and 47 regionally rare plant species within Poltava administrative region, and rather low degree of preservation area (0,3%). So the priority task for the development of Poltava town territorial commune in a direction of a biodiversity conservation is to be creation of new preservation territories on areas with the high concentration of rare vascular plant species.

A short characterization of habitat peculiarities of pioneer vegetation in Ukraine is presented. Uniqueness and exclusive importance of this vegetation is emphasized. It is noted that due to growing under ecological extreme conditions, the pioneer vegetation is extraordinary sensitive to the abiotic factor changes. A high rarity degree of the syntaxa (all associations of the classes Cakiletea maritimae and Crithmo-Staticetea as well as majority of Festucetea vaginatae belong to the first protection category) was established. Threat factors for the pioneer vegetation biodiversity were defined. Of them, hydrotechnical construction, expansion of selitebic areas, excessive development of recreational infrastructure and uncontrolled tourism, functioning of large port industrial aglomerations and pasqual load are the principal factors. Representativity of the pioneer vegetation in the objects of Nature Conservation Fund of Ukraine is regarded as insufficient. The main tasks for its protection are formulated.