Some Characteristics of the Waybread (Plantago major L.) During its Settlement in a High-Altitude Area

Abstract

The aim of this work is to study some characteristics of the waybread (Plantago major L.) during its settlement on the anthropogenically disturbed territories of the highlands. The studied traits were: plant height, number of inflorescences per individual, number of seeds per inflorescence, seed mass, percentage germination and germination rate. The studies were conducted in 2013, 2014 and 2018 at altitudes of 200, 600, 2050 and 2700 m above sea level on the territory of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (Central Caucasus). It was revealed that on the territory of the National Park “Priel`brus`e” there is an invasion of P. major on the territories disturbed by the construction of cable cars, located at altitudes (2700 m). During this invasion a number of characteristics of this species have changed under the influence of extreme conditions of the highlands. The plants height decreases, the mass of seeds increases and their germination percentage increases according to altitude gradient.