The dynamics of the orchid flora of Russia as revealed by comparison of the data before 1951 and in 1961–2010

Abstract

The study of the distributional changes is a perspective subject of botanical research. Such studies are of particular importance for diagnosis of decline, and can make an important input for the identification of specific factors affecting plant abundance and, in the future, to provide appropriate plant protection in situ. The aim of this study is to elucidate the distributional changes in Russian orchid flora based on historic distributional data. In our country, these data are provided primarily by herbarium materials. This article deals with the distributional changes as revealed by comparing the dataset before 1951 and in 1961–2010. The taxa with statistically significant decrease and increase have been observed; for others, no significant changes were detected. The distributional changes are studied across Russia as a whole, and separately for some parts of the country. Cases where inconsistent dynamics across the country were revealed, are rare. The prospects for further research in this area are discussed, including the possibility of applying the same methodology for other groups of vascular plants in Russia.