Taxonomic, floristic and ecogeographic analyses of crop wild relatives in Yakutia, and the list of species for priority conservation

The territory of Yakutia covers a significant area in the northeast of the Asian part of Russia, with 40% of the area located beyond the Arctic Circle. A large amplitude and heterogeneity characterize the republic’s nature and climate. There are plenty of opportunities to find source material with traits required for breeding among local crop wild relatives (CWR).
Taxonomic, floristic and ecogeographic analyses of the CWR species composition in Yakutia were conducted to systematize the available information accumulated from the published data and the results of our own field surveys (expeditions of 2011, 2020, 2022, and 2023). The list of CWR occurring in Yakutia came to include 287 species (about 15% of the total number of plant species in the studied region). Families and genera with the highest diversity of species were identified. The highest concentration of CWR was found in the vegetation of the valley complex. Plant communities on open slopes were slightly less numerous, CWR of secondary ruderal and segetal biotopes were moderately diverse, a smaller proportion of species characterized the forests on watersheds, and the lowest occurrence was observed in swamps. Eighty-five percent of the CWR species belonged to the native component of the surveyed flora, and the remaining 15% to the adventitious one. We recommend monitoring the status of rare CWR species populations. A list of 33 CWR species recommended for conservation was compiled. The best conservation technique is within natural plant communities, especially in the protected areas of the Natural Reserves. It is necessary to continue studying the CWR diversity and obtaining data on the distribution of CWR species and the state of their populations both across the entire region and in individual areas of Yakutia.

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