Plant resource conservation and restoration sector

Main areas of research

• development of scientific foundations for the preservation of the gene pool of rare and endangered species of plants of the natural flora of Belarus;
• creating optimal methods for organizing nature conservation movements of populations of rare species;
• population studies of the genetic status of rare plant species;
• study of anatomical, morphological and physiological features of diaspora;
• collection, processing, documentation and storage of seeds of wild and introduced plant species;
• providing international seed exchange;
• environmental and educational activities.

The most important results of scientific research

International cooperation

The sector coordinates work on the international exchange of seeds. In 2022, exchange work was carried out with 134 botanical institutions. In the 2021/22 season, 116 Index Seminum were received, applications from 105 botanical institutions were fulfilled, for which 1152 seed samples were sent.

List of major publications

1. Kruchonak, A. National reserve gene pool of rare and endangered species of flora / A. Kruchonak, B. Anoshanka, V. Titok // Science and innovations. 2018. No. 2 (180). P. 66-69.
2. Kruchonak, A. Survey of the environment for the creation of chemical models of statistical population and irregular structural materials / A. Kruchonak, B. Anoshenko, V. Titok // Biological diversity – from the environment to the ecosystem. New challenges in botanical and environmental research / Ed. By Grażyna Łaska. – Białystok, 2018. – P. 27–34.
3. Samakhvalova, N.V. assessment of genetic variability of Belarusian populations of Ophrys insectifera L. using molecular iPBS markers / N.V. Samakhvalova , A. V. Kruchonak, B. Yu. Anoshka, V. V. Titok // Bulletin of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. Ser. biology of science – 2021. – Vol. 66, No. 2. – P. 223–231.
4. Myalik, A. M. Modern importance and prospects of the development of the nature reserve network of the central part of the Belarusian Polesia for preserving the diversity of vascular plants / A. M. Myalik, A. A. Galuts // Tr. Mordovsk. state nature commandment them P. G. Smidovich. – 2020. – Issue 25. – P. 338–357.
5. Shlapakova, T. G. Morphological features of seeds of the genus Turbinicarpus / T. G. Shlapakova, V. V. Titok // Weight. National Acad. of Sciences of Belarus. Ser. biology of science – 2021. – Vol. 66, No. 4. – P. 482–490.
6. Myalik, A. M. New floristic finds of rare and protected aboriginal species on the territory of Belarus / A. M. Myalik, A. V. Kruchonak, A. L. Gulis // Izv. Gomelsky. state Univ. F. Skaryny. Nature. of science. - 2021. - No. 3 (126). – pp. 48–54.
7. Myalik, A.N. The role of introduction in the processes of anthropogenic transformation of the flora of Pripyatsky Polesia / A.N. Myalik // // Hortus bot. – 2021. – Vol. 16. – URL: http://hb.karelia.ru/journal/article .php?id=8026. DOI: 10.15393/j4.art.2021.8026

Essay on the History of the Unit

The beginning of work on the study and preservation of rare plant species at the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus is associated with the name of Academician of Smolsk Mykolaiv Vladislavovich, who was the director of this institution from 1955 to 1976. For many years, he was the chairman of the nature protection commission of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR , managed the work on the scientific justification of the organization of a number of state reserves, sanctuaries, the search and study of rare plants that need protection. During these years, under the leadership of Dr. Anatoly Vasilyevich Boyka, who headed the laboratory of ecology and nature protection, during the study of the natural complexes of the Pripyat landscape-hydrological reserve and the Nalibotka forest, the places of natural growth of certain species of rare plants were established. In 1976, a number of species rare for Belarus were brought to the botanical garden to assess the degree of their stability and adaptability in the conditions of culture. From this time, the history of the existence of one of the most valuable collections of the National Academy of Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus - the collection of rare and endangered plants of the natural flora of Belarus - begins.

The further history of the development of this collection is closely related to the name of Ivan Vasilevich Laznukha, who attracted many new specimens from natural habitats, and also began laying artificial cena populations on the territory of the Central Bank. Lydia Vasilievna Kukharova was also involved in the study of plant species rare for Belarus, by involving material from various botanical gardens in Europe for introductory tests.

In the future, the curator of the collection, Sviatlana Pavlovna Torchyk, thanks to the attraction of numerous material from natural populations, created the main core of the modern collection. Under her leadership, three blocks of the collection were identified: stock, experimental and decorative. Exposition systems and methods of processing material for decorative landscape design with the help of rare and endangered plants were also developed, which has a high ecological and educational potential in modern conditions.

The collection of rare and endangered plants of the natural flora of Belarus received a new qualitative turn in its development in 2017, when the sector of preservation and restoration of plant resources was created on its basis as part of the laboratory of biodiversity of plant resources. Until 2022, the curator of the collection and the head of the sector was A.U. Twisting. In recent years, the sector's employees have identified places of natural growth of populations of a number of rare plants, reserved germplasm in the form of seeds, spores and propagulum for the preservation of the gene pool, assessment of the degree of stability and adaptation possibilities in ex situ conditions. A comparative study of the ecological and biological features of rare and endangered species of the natural flora of Belarus in in situ and ex situ conditions was also carried out, and techniques and methods of restoring populations of vulnerable species that are in a critical state were developed. .

An important stage in the history of the development of the sector and the collection of rare and endangered species is the work started in 2019 on the reconstruction of the collection site. A road and trail network has been created on its territory for the convenience of maintaining the collection and conducting excursions. A number of artificial structures (retaining wall, ponds, swamps, moraine hail) have been created, imitating natural ecosystems, which will allow the cultivation of rare stenotopic species. The most important component of the reconstruction is the grouping of species according to the edaphic and phytocenetic principle, which will make it possible to create optimal conditions for the preservation of rare plants in the collection in the future.

Currently, the plant resource conservation and reproduction sector is also engaged in international botanical seed exchange. The history of this area of ​​activity, which is most important for the CBS, begins with the moment of its foundation - 1932. Then a seed laboratory was created, which was later transformed into a plant resource mobilization laboratory. For many years, the international exchange of seeds was supervised by V.K. Danilyuk, since 2020 this process has been handled by A.L. Gulis.

The modern seed collection of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus is divided into several blocks. In the first, samples from nature are concentrated: rare and endangered species of plants, as well as indicator species of rare biotopes of Belarus. The material of this part serves as the basis of a reserve gene pool and a source for conservation movements - repatriations, reintroductions, restorations of natural populations that are in a critical state. The second, the largest block today, represents the germplasm of species grown in the Central Bank. The material of these two units is stored for different periods of storage: low-temperature long-term, medium-term and short-term at reduced positive temperatures. The third unit was created to implement the international exchange of seeds between botanical gardens and the system of depositing doublets of rare species from other countries. In 2022, exchange work was carried out with 134 botanical institutions from around the world.

Currently under the leadership of the corresponding member, Ph.D. V.U. In Titka, the employees of the sector are preparing for the defense of their dissertations "Bioecological features of rare, endangered and highly decorative species of Cactaceae Juss. during propagation and preservation in collections" (Shlapakova T.G.) and "Genetic features of regressive populations of some representatives of the orchid family (Orchidaceae) and determination of ways of their preservation" (N.V. Samakhvalova). p>

Unit Highlights Essay

During the years of its existence, the sector of preservation and restoration of plant resources has carried out significant scientific, educational, as well as practical work on the study, preservation and restoration of populations of rare species of flora of Belarus.

Employees of the sector in 2019–2020. task 2.41 "Development and improvement of systems of replenishment and preservation of the national reserve gene pool of rare and endangered plant species of forest ecosystems of the natural flora of Belarus" DPND "Nature use and ecology", 2016-2020, subprogram 10.2 "Biodiversity" was carried out. In these years, the joint Belarusian-Latvian project "Evaluation of genetic resources of blueberry in Latvia and Belarus for the needs of selection and conservation" was also carried out (agreement with BRFFD No. Б19ЛАТГ-004 dated 21.06.2019).

In 2019–2020 the event "Development of recommendations for the reconstruction of the collection site and complex of long-term storage of seeds of rare and endangered species of natural flora of Belarus" was implemented as part of the task of the state program "Science-intensive technologies and engineering" for 2016-2020. As a result of the completed works, the site of rare and endangered species was reconstructed, taking into account the creation of the most favorable conditions for cultivating plants and holding educational classes with excursions.

Starting in 2021, the project 05.01 "Development and improvement of systems of replenishment, preservation and ways of restoration of the reserve gene pool of plants of rare biotopes of Belarus"" (2021-2025) is implemented as part of the task 10.02.05 "Creation of scientific foundations of management of rare target traits and economically important species of animals and plants based on the study of the structural and functional organization of their genomes" DPND "Natural resources and environment". The sector's employees are also implementing the project "Nature conservation role of the genetic diversity of horologically determined species of the orchid family under conditions of climate change" (agreement with BRFFD No. Б22М-078 dated 05.04.2022).

Scientific developments in the sector of preservation and restoration of plant resources found practical application in real protection and restoration of rare and endangered species. On the initiative of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, a series of environmental protection events was launched with the educational mission "Green Treasures of Belarus" with the support of JSC "Belarusbank". In September 2017, in the vicinity of Slonim (Hrodna Region), an artificial reserve population of the protective plant of the rock oak tree (Potentilla rupestris L.) was established. The participants of the action were representatives of the National Academy of Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Institute of Experimental Botany named after V.F. Kuprevych of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Belarus, as well as students of the Slonim District Environmental Center for Children and Youth.

In 2017–2019. reconstruction of the northernmost population of sedge sedge (Carexumbrosa L.) in the "Sakaliny" nature reserve was carried out. Planting material was developed, permit documents were prepared, and a seminar was held with local residents, on the plots of which adaptation of seedlings of different ages of shade sedge was carried out in closed locations.

Works were also carried out on the creation of reserve price populations of Astrantia major (Astrantia major L.) in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park. Three artificial cenopopulations of this species were created and a scheme for assessing the success of the transfer was developed, which will be tested in the following years.

In order to summarize the issues of modern theoretical problems and practical achievements in the preservation of biodiversity with the active participation of employees of the sector of conservation and restoration of plant resources, on October 1-4, 2019, an international scientific and practical seminar "Modern concepts and practical methods of preservation of phytodiversity was held. 102 participants took part in the seminar, 15 of them from countries near and far abroad (Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine). The participants represented the institutions of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus - the Central Botanical Garden, the Institute of Forestry, the Institute of Experimental Botany named after V.F. Kuprevych. Educational institutions – Grodno State University named after Yanka Kupala, Belarusian State University, Slonim Children and Youth Environmental Center. Active participation was taken by the representatives of AAPA - DPU "National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha", DPU "National Park "Narachansky", landscape reserve "Azyori".

On the basis of the sector of preservation and restoration of plant resources, educational and educational work is carried out. There are educational classes and excursions for students of biological specialties, as well as workshops on the popularization of biological and environmental knowledge for visitors to the National Academy of Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.