Background. The current natural habitat of Tulipa suaveolens Roth rapidly decreases. In order to work out the strategy of the species’ preservation, evaluation of its intraand interpopulation polymorphism is required.Materials and methods. Molecular-genetic ISSR markers were used to analyze 125 samples from 10 populations of T. suaveolens occurring in Volgograd Province and 4 populations from Saratov Province.Results. ISSR analysis revealed high intrapopulation polymorphism (73–89%) in T. suaveolens populations form Volgograd Province. AMOVA attributed the largest proportion of variability (74.3%) to intrapopulation polymorphism. Interpopulation differences account for 25.7%. Total subdivision of populations (FST) was 0.257; total gene flow (Nm) between populations was 0.723. According to Bayesian analysis and clustering with both UPGMA and Neighbor Joining methods, all the studied T. suaveolens samples from Volgograd Province make up a large genetic group: within that group none of the potential subgroups may be associated with a particular place of collecting. The NewHybrids software was applied, and the results pointed to the hybrid nature of most samples. Samples of three populations from Saratov Province made up a separate genetic group; those samples fell under the category of parent forms.Conclusion. Considering that genetic subdivision of T. suaveolens populations within the administrative borders of Volgograd Province is insignificant, while all the province’s natural parks and a number of protected natural areas undertake measures to preserve the species, the existing conservation strategy may be recognized as effective and sufficient.

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30 populations of six Delphinium L. taxa (D. pubiflorum, D. litwinowii, D. duhmbergii, D. subcuneatum, D. sergii, and D. puniceum) were studied in the Ulyanovsk, Saratov, Samara, Volgograd, Astrakhan, Voronezh, Rostov, Penza and Tambov regions as well as in the Republics of Kalmykia and Mordovia in order to reveal features of their ontogenetic and vitality structures. Throughout the years of observation, the vitality of the populations of all studied species varied within rather wide ranges; individuals of medium or low vitality predominated in most populations. Also, the index of vitality of coenopopulation (IVC) varied in the populations of the same species. In over 50% of the populations, IVC was below 1. The indices of size plasticity of the species presented were rather low. The ratio of ontogenetic groups also varied substantially both among the species and among the populations of the same species. However, in most populations, generative individuals predominated; less often pre-generative or post-generative ones prevailed. According to the delta-omega criterion, most populations are mature with the only exception of D. puniceum populations being maturing at the time of observation. According to the recovery index, only few populations were capable of natural self-sustenance. Based on the results of our monitoring, it was concluded that both the number and abundance of populations of the taxa of the genus in the studied area have been dramatically decreasing in recent decades, all of them are in critical condition. This requires rigorous measures to preserve and restore the population of Delphinium species in the studied area. Without additional measures, most of the populations are doomed and can be eliminated in the near future.

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