G. N. Ogureeva’s research while affiliated with A. N. Kosygin Moscow State Textile University and other places

The uniqueness of the Abrau peninsula is determined by a high level of floristic and phytocoenotic diversity and the relict nature of the vegetation cover of the shiblyak—broad-leaved type of altitudinal zonality. For this mountain territory, a complex spatial organization is reviled. In this research, a cartographic method for the evaluation of the vegetation cover of a mountain territory has been approved by identifying its spatial structure. The complex analysis of field data (geobotanical descriptions) and remote sensing data (multispectral satellite images, digital elevation model) made it possible to obtain a digital cartographic model of vegetation for the key area using maximum likelihood classification with etalons and discriminant analysis. The compiled large-scale (s. 1:50,000) inventory map of the vegetation reflects the actual vegetation cover, represented by a diversity of hemixerophytic sub-Mediterranean and mesophytic nemoral communities. The change in the basic communities in the altitudinal spectrum determines the identification of two belts. The lower seaside belt of hemixerophytic forests, sparse forests, and shrub communities is expressed at heights of 0–150 (200) m a.s.l. It is characterized by the development of pistachio-juniper (Juniperus excelsa, Pistacia mutica) forests and sparse forests, oak (Quercus pubescens) forests, as well as serial vegetation with shrub and herb-dwarf shrub petrophyte-herb communities. The belt of mesophytic broad-leaved forests is located at heights of 150 (200)–450 m a.s.l. Pine-oak (Quercus petraea, Pinus kochiana) and broad-leaved (Carpinus betulus, Tilia begoniifolia, Acer campestre) forests dominate in it. The important patterns in the spatial structure of the belt are expressed within the altitudinal belts. The structure of vegetation communities is formed under the conditions of several groups of relief forms: watershed surfaces, slopes, seismic forms, erosion forms, and marine forms. The most valuable results of the investigation are connected with reviling the gradients of phytocoenotic diversity. Along with altitudinal gradient, the position on different levels of catena has significant role in its determination. The identified spatial patterns are important for understanding the formation of Northwestern Caucasus ecosystems as a part of Mediterranean region.

Based on the biome concept in biogeography and the ecological-geographical approach to the analysis of biodiversity, a regional assessment of the Southeast Altai-Tuva orobiome, which is unique for Russia, is given. The orobiome is considered as a reference unit for the inventory and analysis of the ecosystem and biotic diversity of mountain areas. The characteristics of bioclimatic indicators characterizing the originality of the desert-steppe orobiome of the Subarid class of zonality types and its altitudinal zones are given. The altitudinal structure of the vegetation cover is revealed, in accordance with which the spatial differentiation of flora, plant communities, and ecosystems as a whole is formed. A quantitative assessment of floristic (about 1400 species of vascular plants) and phytocoenotic diversity by zones (nival, desert-tundra, foreststeppe, and steppe) is given. The features of the spatial structure of the diversity of communities in the conditions of a mountainous territory are revealed.

The book is a biogeographic review of 35 lowland biomes from the map "The Biomes of Russia," published in a series of nature maps for high school. Concepts and approaches to classifying terrestrial ecosystems and mapping are explained. Data on ecosystem biodiversity, flora, and fauna of regional biomes are presented. The comparative geographical analysis gives an idea of the relationship of environmental conditions with quantitative characteristics, reflecting the current state and level of knowledge. In practical terms, there is a unified scientific baseline for obtaining further knowledge about the biodiversity of biomes at species and ecosystem levels, to justify environmental measures, which have a wide perspective for application. For geographers, biologists, environmentalists, and a wide range of readers interested in the nature of Russia and the perspectives for its conservation. [Книга представляет собой биогеографический обзор 35 равнинных биомов, которые отображены на научно-справочной карте «Биомы России», изданной в серии карт природы для высшей школы. Изложены концепции и подходы к классификации наземных экосистем и составлению легенды карты. Приводятся данные по биоразнообразию экосистем, флоре и фауне региональных биомов. Их сравнительно-географический анализ дает представление о связи экологических условий с количественными характеристиками, отражая современное состояние и степень изученности. В практическом плане обеспечивается единая научная база для получения дальнейших знаний о биоразнообразии биомов на видовом и экосистемном уровнях, для обоснования природоохранных мер, что имеет широкую перспективу для применения. Для специалистов географов, биологов, экологов и широкого круга читателей, интересующихся природой России и перспективами ее сохранения]

The dynamics of the botanical diversity of plain forbs–bunchgrass steppes is analyzed for the period of 2008–2018 based on materials from the biomonitoring of plant cover at the Tumentsogt experimental station (Eastern Mongolia) as part of the scientific program of an integrated Russian–Mongolian biological expedition. Eight permanent test plots of 100 m² were laid along the transect on the plain between hills in the northeastern part of the experimental station. We analyzed the correlation between the main parameters of the plant communities (the species composition, richness, and saturation; the height and abundance of species; and the density of grass stands) with the meteorological conditions (the heat supply and the amount and distribution of precipitation during the growing period). A combined analysis of phytocenotic and climatic data was performed with nonparametric multidimensional scaling of indirect ordination. Ecotopic fluctuations caused by changes in the amount and regime of precipitation in different years, as well as by the dynamics of the temperature regime, were studied. The species saturation of communities was maximal in years with low ombrothermic indices and lowest in years with high indices. The floristic composition of communities of three–feather-grass steppes includes a flora-cenotic core composed of 23 permanent perennial steppe and forest–steppe species, which provides a relative stability of ecosystems under changing environmental conditions. The dynamics of steppe ecosystems of the East Mongolian steppes is phytocyclic.

According to the the biome concept, the idea of the orobiome and its significance in the evaluation of the biodiversity for mountain territories are disclosed. Altitudinal gradients of vegetation with certain altitudinal limits of development are the basis for analysing the floristic and coenotic diversity of the orobiome and the ecological and geographical patterns of its spatial organization at the regional level. Based on the example from Kodar-Kalar orobiome, an altitudinal composition of the vegetation of the Northern Transbaikalia has been identified using thematic maps. The statistical evaluation of the altitudinal distribution of 4 vegetation belts (the upper tundra belt, the tundra belt, the sub-tundra belt and the mountain taiga belt) has been made. The regional features of the altitude position of the basic vegetation types forming the belts have been determined for the orobiome. They are reflected in three geographical variants. Orographic conditions and the history of the territory development have been discussed in the analysis of regional features of altitudinal spectra difference.

The aim is development of methodological approaches for an estimation of a biodiversity (species and ecosystems) and the cartographic representation of the regularities of its distribution on the basis of ecosystmes (biomes) concept in biogeography, and integrated ecology-geographical approach to the interpretation of the data. Material and methods. A series of natural maps of the Electronic Atlas of the Caspian Sea includes small-scale vegetation map of the Caspian region, which represents the spatial organization of vegetation with the organizing role of environmental and geographical factors. The created cartographic model can be the basis for an estimation of the ecosystem diversity of the region. The materials for the map were publications and cartographic models, original materials on the study of vegetation cover of the Caspian regions and available data on biodiversity estimation. The analysis of materials is carried out in accordance with the classification system of phytocoenomers and phytocoenochore VB. Sochava; we used ecology-morphological classification and ecology-geographical approach in the preparation of the map legend. Results. The botanical and geographical features of the Caspian region are shown. The characteristic of coenotic diversity of plain deserts of the region within the subzone units is given. Typical altitudinal belt spectra and the formation compositions of high-altitude belts for mountain areas are shown. Using biome as a basic unit of biodiversity accounting, it is possible to proceed to quantifying biodiversity at species and coenotic levels. An example of biodiversity estimation for the regional Caspian desert-steppe biome is given. Conclusion. The cartographic model of bioclimatically determined vegetation types (climatypes) of the Caspian region is a good basis for further estimation of biodiversity (at species and ecosystem levels) based on the concept of regional biomes.