Ecological characteristics of biotopes and the structure of communities with Globularia L. (Plantaginaceae, Magnoliopsida) within the Eastern European fragment of its range

Abstract

   The paper presents an assessment of the ranges of ecological conditions in which Globularia bisnagarica L. and G. trichosantha Fisch. & С. A. Mey species exist in communities growing in European Russia. Studies were carried out in 25 communities with G. bisnagarica and 4 ones with G. trichosantha, respectively. Our assessment of the ecological regimes of phytocenoses according to D. N. Tsyganov’s scales has shown that both species live in very narrow ranges of climatic, soil factors and lighting, being stenovalent. For G. bisnagarica, the thermoclimatic and light factors were the most limiting ones. Few soil characteristics such as salinity and nitrogen richness were the limiting factors for G. trichosantha. According to the spectrum of ecomorphs, the communities of the two species were similar. The vast majority of species are classified as steppe ones. Hemicryptophytes were the predominant type of biomorphs. In relation to trophicity, more than half of the species was mesotrophic. According to the temperature regime, the meso- therms were the predominant group. The range of moisture regimes in the habitats of communities contributes to the growth of xerophytes and meso-xerophyte species to a greater extent. Due to certain specificity of the habitats of communities with Globularia on open slopes, most species were heliophytes. Our analysis of regularities of changes in the species composition of the com- munities in relation to environmental factors at global scale has shown that temperature factors make the greatest contribution.