Plant biodiversity of various gorges in the mountain system of western Karatau based on the important plant areas (Mangistau, Kazakhstan)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Laboratory of Natural Flora and Dendrology, Mangyshlak Experimental Botanical Garden, Aktau 130000, Kazakhstan

10.22124/cjes.2025.9211

Abstract

This article presents the analysis of the allocation of important plant areas (IPA), which urgently identifies the most valuable sites for protecting plant objects. The study is based on a comprehensive inventory of the species composition of plants in the flora of the Western Karatau Ridge and the Mangyshlak Peninsula (arid regions)- key sites Akmysh, Samal, and Kogez, considered standard and the best preserved with natural vegetation cover. The flora of these critical sites was analyzed using a combination of field surveys, herbarium studies, and a literature review. The results revealed a rich biodiversity, with 104 species from 82 genera and 33 families. Most species belong to 9 families, making up 60.6% of the total taxa. By the nature of life forms, perennial herbaceous plants dominate in all key sites (30 species, 50.0%). The eco-phylogenetic spectrum showed that a significant share of the flora of the studied IPAs is made up of xerophytes (21 species, 35%) and xeromesophytes (9 species, 15%); desert and mountain-steppe species prevail (53.0%). Rare, endangered and Red Book species account for 10-21.3% of those growing in the region. Regarding economic value, fodder, ornamental, honey, medicinal and food species dominate. The Shannon, Simpson, and Jaccard indices assessed alpha-beta and gamma diversity. The index showed that biodiversity in the Samal and Kogez sites is higher and more evenly distributed compared to the Akmysh site. The Whittaker, Harrison and Cody indices confirm significant differences in the species composition between the sites. In light of these compelling results, a clear and urgent call to action is proposed to allocate these areas to the IPA category, a crucial step towards ensuring the long-term existence of natural biocenoses.

Keywords

References

Abdulina, SA 1999, Spisok sosudistykh rasteniy Kazakhstana, pod red. R.V. Kamelina. [List of vascular plants of Kazakhstan, edited by RV, Kamelin] Almaty, 187 p.
Anar, M, Ainur, S, Manar, T, Saule, M, Zhumagul, MZ, Zheksenbaevna, NA & Zharakovich, M M 2023, Morphological variability of the rare species Linaria cretacea in the conditions of the chalk hills in North-Western Kazakhstan. Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences, 21(5): 1273-1278.
Anderson, SH 2003, Identifikatsiya klyuchevykh botanicheskikh territorii: Rukovodstvo po vyboru KBT v Evrope i osnovy razvitiya etikh pravil dlya drugikh regionov mira. M.: Izd-vo Predstavitelstva Vsemirnogo soyuza okhrany prirody (IUSN) dlya Rossii i stran [Identification of key botanical areas: Guidelines for the selection of KBAs in Europe and the basis for developing these rules for other regions of the world. Moscow: IUCN Representative Office for Russia and the countries], SNG, 39 p.
 Aralbay NK, Kudabaeva GM, Imanbaeva AA, Danilov MP, Veselova PV et al. 2006, Konspekt vysshikh sosudistykh rasteniy. Gosudarstvennyy kadastr rasteniy Mangistauskoy oblasti [Abstract of higher vascular plants. State plant cadastre of the Mangistau region]. Aktau, 2006, 301 p.
 Aralbay NK, Kudabaeva GM, Imanbaeva AA, Veselova PV, Danilov MP, Kurmantaeva AA, Shadrina NV, Kasenova BT 2006, Gosudarstvennyy kadastr rasteniy Mangistauskoy oblasti. Konspekt vysshikh sosudistykh rasteniy [State Plant Cadastre of Mangystau region. Synopsis of higher vascular plants]. Aktau: Printing house of "Classic" LLP, 229 p.
 Artemov, IA et al. 2009, Klyuchevye botanicheskie territorii Altae-Sayanskogo ekoregiona: opyt vydeleniya pod obshch. red. I E, Smelyanskogo, G A Pronkinoy. Novosibirsk: [Key botanical territories of the Altae-Sayan ecoregion: An attempt at Identification Under the General Editorship of I E,  Smelyansky, & G A Pronkina]. Novosibirsk: Geo, 2009. 272 s.
 Artemov, IA, Korolyuk, AYu, Lashchinsky NN et al. 2009, Klyuchevye botanicheskie territorii Altae-Sayanskogo ekoregiona: opyt vydeleniya. i dr.; pod obshch. red. IE, Smelyanskogo, GA, Pronkinoy. Novosibirsk: Akademicheskoe izd-vo “Geo”, [Key botanical territories of the Altae-Sayan ecoregion: An attempt at identification. Under the General Editorship of IE, Smelyansky, GA, Pronkina. Novosibirsk: Academic Publishing House] “Geo”, 272 p.
Artemov, IA et al. 2009, Klyuchevye botanicheskie territorii Altae-Sayanskogo ekoregiona: opyt vydeleniya pod obshch. red. I E, Smelyanskogo, G A, Pronkinoy. Novosibirsk: [Key botanical territories of the Altae-Sayan ecoregion: An attempt at identification. Under the General Editorship of I E, Smelyansky, & G A, Pronkina. Novosibirsk: Geo, 272 p.
 
Artemov, IA 2012, Klyuchevye botanicheskie territorii v Respublike Tyva. Rastitelny mir Aziatskoy Rossii,  [Key botanical areas in the Republic of Tuva]. Flora of Asian Russia,1(9): 60-71.
Bogdanov, V 2016, Impact of anthropogenic pressure on biodiversity in steppe and semi-desert ecosystems of Western Kazakhstan. Nature of Kazakhstan, 14(2): 45-51.
 Bykov, BA 1970, Vvedenie v fitotsenologiyu Alma-Ata: Izd-vo [Introduction to phytocenology Alma-Ata: Publishing House] AN KazSSR. 1970, 226 p.
 Cherepanov, SK 1995, Sosudistye rasteniya Rossii i sopredelnykh gosudarstv. SPb., [Vascular plants of Russia and adjacent countries. St. Petersburg], 992 p.
Darbyshire, I, Anderson, S, Asatryan, A, Byfield, A, Cheek, M, Clubbe, C, Radford, EA 2017, Important plant areas: Revised selection criteria for a global approach to plant conservation. Biodiversity and Conservation, 26: 1767-1800.
Dimeeva LA, Kudabaeva GM, Veselova PV 2013, Rol klyuchevykh botanicheskikh territorii v realizatsii strategii sokhraneniya bioraznoobraziya Kazakhstana // Trudy XIII Syezda RBO. 16-21 sentyabrya g. Tolyatti, RF. [The role of key botanical areas in the implementation of the biodiversity conservation strategy of Kazakhstan. Proceedings of the XIII Session of the RBO. September 16-21, Tolyatti, RF]. Vol. 3, pp. 17-18.
Garnica-Díaz, C, Berazaín Iturralde, R, Cabrera, B, Calderón-Morales, E, Felipe, FL, García, R, M Hulshof, C 2023, Global plant ecology of tropical ultramafic ecosystems. The Botanical Review, 89(2): 115-157.
Goloskokov, BP 1972, Illyustrirovannyi opredelitel rastenii Kazakhstana [Illustrated guide to plants of Kazakhstan], Vol 2. Izd-vo: Nauka.
Hammer, Ø & Harper, D A 2001, Past: paleontological statistics software package for education and data analysis. Palaeontologia Electronica, 4(1): 1.
 Imanbayeva, AA & Safronova, IN 2010, Additions to the flora of Mangyshlak. Izvestiya NAN RK. Seriya biologicheskaya i medicinskaya [Izvestiya NAS RK. Biological and Medical Series], 2: 115–116.
Imanbaeva, AA, Kubentaev, SA, Alibekov, DT, Ishmuratova, MYu & Lukmanov, AB 2022, Floristicheskie nakhodki v Mangistauskoi oblasti (Zapadnyi Kazakhstan) [Floristic finds in the Mangistau region (Western Kazakhstan)]. Turczaninowia, 25(2): 151-154.
Imanbayeva, A, Duisenova, N, Orazov, A, Sagyndykova, M Belozerov, L & Tuyakova, A 2024, Study of the floristic, morphological, and genetic (atpF–atpH, internal transcribed spacer (ITS), matK, psbK–psbI, rbcL, and trnH–psbA) differences in Crataegus ambigua populations in Mangistau (Kazakhstan). Plants, 13(12): 1591.
Imanbayeva, A, Duisenova, N, Orazov, A, Sagyndykova, M, Belozerov, I, Tuyakova, A 2024, Study of the Floristic, Morpho-logical, and Genetic (atpF–atpH, Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS), matK, psbK–psbI, rbcL, and trnH–psbA) Differences in Crataegus ambigua populations in Mangistau (Kazakhstan). Plants, 13: 1591, https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13121591.
Important Plant Areas [Electronic Resource]. URL: http:// www.plantaeuropa.org/pe-EPCS-hot_issues-IPA.htm (date of access 28.01.2011).
 Ivanov, A & Petrov, B 2020, Floristic diversity of Western Karatau. Journal of Biogeography, 2020, 32(7): 1107-1116.
Ivashchenko AA 2021, Redkie i endemichnye vidy flory. Atlas Mangistauskoy oblasti [Rare and endemic species of flora. Atlas of the Mangistau region]. Almaty, 207 p.
 Ives, JD, Messerli, B, Rhoades, RE 1997, Agenda for sustainable mountain development. Mountains of the world: A global priority, pp. 455-466.
Johnson, SE, Amatangelo, KL, Townsend, PA, Waller, DM 2016, Large, connected floodplain forests prone to flooding best sustain plant diversity. Ecology, 97(11): 3019-3030.
Kier, G, Mutke, J, Dinerstein, E, Ricketts, T H, Küper, W, Kreft, H, Barthlott, W 2005, Global patterns of plant diversity and floristic knowledge. Journal of Biogeography, 32(7): 1107-1116.
 Kubentayev, SA, Efimov, PG, Alibekov, DT, Kupriyanov, AN, Izbastina, KS, Khalymbetova, AE & Perezhogin, Y V 2023, Review of Orchidaceae of the northern part of Kazakhstan. PhytoKeys, 229: 185.
Kudabaeva GM, Veselova PVK 2011, metodike vydeleniya klyuchevykh i tipichnykh botanicheskikh territorii pustynnykh regionov Kazakhstana (na primere Mangistauskoi oblasti). Aktualnye problemy geobotaniki. Mat. mezhd. nauch. konf., posvyashch. pamyati akad. B.A. Bykova v svyazi s 100-letiem so dnya rozhdeniya (Almaty, 11-13 maya 2011 g.) [Methodology for identifying key and typical botanical areas of desert regions of Kazakhstan (using the Mangistau region as an example). Actual problems of geobotany. Proceeding of International Scientific Conference, dedicated to the memory of academician B.A. Bykov in connection with the 100th anniversary of his birth (Almaty, May 11-13, 2011)]. Almaty, S. 196-201.
 Magurran, AE 2005, Species abundance distributions: Pattern or process? Functional Ecology, 19(1): 177-181.
Orazov, A, Tustubayeva, S, Alemseytova, J, Mukhitdinov, N, Myrzagaliyeva, A, Turuspekov, Y, Sramko, G 2021, Flora accompanying Prunus ledebouriana (Schltdl.) YY Yao in the Tarbagatai State National Park in Kazakhstan. International Journal of Biology and Chemistry, 14(1): 21-34.
 Orazov, A, Yermagambetova, M, Myrzagaliyeva, A, Mukhitdinov, N, Tustubayeva, S, Turuspekov, Y & Almerekova, S 2024, Plant height variation and genetic diversity between Prunus ledebouriana (Schlecht.) YY Yao and Prunus tenella Batsch based on using SSR markers in East Kazakhstan. PeerJ, 2024, 12: e16735.
Orazov, A, Myrzagaliyeva, A, Mukhitdinov, N & Tustubayeva, S 2022, Callus induction with 6-BAP and IBA as a way to preserve Prunus ledebouriana (Rosaceae), and endemic plant of Altai and Tarbagatai, East Kazakhstan. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity, 23(6).
Pavlov, NB 1961, Flora Kazahstana [Flora of Kazakhstan]. Vol 4. Izd-vo: Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR, 508 p.
 Pielou, EC 1969, An introduction to mathematical ecology. New York, USA, Wiley-Inter-Science.
 POWO 2021, Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Available at http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org.
Planta Europa Conference 2025, Valencia. http://www.nerium.net/plan-taeuropa/Download/Procedings/ Asatryan.pdf
Real R & Vargas J M 1996, The probabilistic basis of Jaccard's index of similarity. Systematic Biology, 45(3): 380-385.
Spehn, EM, Rudmann-Maurer, K, Körner, C 2011, Mountain biodiversity. Plant Ecology & Diversity, 4(4): 301-302.
Sharma, J & Ravindranath, N H 2019, Applying IPCC 2014 framework for hazard-specific vulnerability assessment under climate change. Environmental Research Communications, 1(5): 051004.
Safronova, IN 1996, Mangyshlak deserts (an outline of their vegetation). Proceedings of the VL Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 18: 1-211.
 Simpson, EH 1949, Measurement of diversity. Nature, 163(4148): 688-688.
 Safronova, IN 1996, Mangyshlak deserts (an outline of their vegetation). Proceedings of the VL Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vol. 18. pp. 1-211.
Simpson, EH 1949, Measurement of diversity. Nature, 1949, 163(4148): 688-688.
The Red Data Book of Kazakhstan 2014, 2nd edition, revised and supplemented. Volume 2: Plants (coll. auth.), Astana, 452 p.
Thiers, B 2022, Index Herbariorum: A Global Directory of Public Herbaria and Associated Staff. New York Botanical Garden’s Virtual Herbarium. http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ih/ [Accessed 25 March 2022]
Uranov, AA 1975, Vozrastnoy spektr fitotsenopopulyatsii kak funktsiya vremeni i energeticheskikh volnovykh protsessov. Biol. nauki [Age spectrum of phytocenocenopopulation as a function of time and energy wave processes. Biological Sciences], Vol. 2, pp. 7–33.
Veselova, PV, Kudabaeva, GM & Mukhtubaeva SK 2012, Osobennosti floristicheskogo sostava soobshchestv predgornykh Prisverotyanshanskikh pustyn. Rastitelny mir i ego okhrana: materialy mezhd. nauchnoy konf., posvyashch. 80-letiyu Instituta botaniki i fitointroduktsii [Features of the floristic composition of communities of the foothill Sverotyanshan deserts: Plant world and its environs. Proceeding of the International Scientific Conference dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of the Institute of Botany and Phytointroduction]. Almaty, pp. 31-34.
Veselova PV, Kudabaeva GM, Mukhtubaeva SK, Danilov MP 2013, Klyuchevye botanicheskie territorii – perspektivnoe napravlenie realizatsii strategii sokhraneniya bioraznoobraziya // Mezhd. konf. Sokhranenie stepnykh i polupustynnykh ekosistem Evrazii. [Key botanical areas – a promising direction for the implementation of the biodiversity conservation strategy.  International Conference on Conservation of Steppe and Semi-desert Ecosystems of Eurasia], Almaty, March 13-14, 11 p.
 
 
Whittaker, RH 1972, Evolution and measurement of species diversity. Taxon, 21(2-3): 213-251.
 Whittaker, R H 1960, Vegetation of the Siskiyou mountains, Oregon and California. Ecological Monographs, 30(3): 279-338.
Zargar, M, Dyussibayeva, E, Orazov, A, Zeinullina, A, Zhirnova, I, Yessenbekova, G & Rysbekova, A 2023, Microsatellite-based genetic diversity analysis and population structure of Proso Millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) in Kazakhstan. Agronomy, 13(10): 2514.
 Zeinullina, A, Zargar, M, Dyussibayeva, E, Orazov, A, Zhirnova, I, Yessenbekova, G, Hu, YG 2023, Agro-morphological traits and molecular diversity of proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) affected by various colchicine treatments. Agronomy, 13(12): 2973.
 Zomer, RJ, Trabucco, A, Coe, R, Place, F, Van Noordwijk, M, Xu, JC 2014, Trees on farms: An update and reanalysis of agroforestry’s global extent and socio-ecological characteristics (pp. 33-33). Working Paper 179. (ed W P, Wacisarpd, 14064, PDF). Bogor, Indonesia.
Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences
Volume 23, Issue 4
October 2025
Pages 937-953

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics