The assessment of the status of the rare species from the family Ranunculaceae in Samara Region taking into account the coenopopulation characteristics

The paper studies a spatial ontogenetic structure of natural coenopopulations of ten species from the family Ranunculaceae: Adonanthe vernalis (L.) Spach, A. volgensis (Steven ex DC.) Chrtek et Slavíková, Anemonoides altaica (C.A. Mey.) Holub, A. × korshinskyi Saksonov et Rakov, Clematis integrifolia L., Delphinium subcuneatum Tzvelev, Pulsatilla patens (L.) Mill., Ranunculus polyphyllus Waldst. et Kit. ex Willd., R. polyrhizos Stephan and Trollius europaeus L., growing in Samara Region and listed in the regional Red Data Book. It was revealed that the demographic indicators of the studied species populations have low values, indicating their weak ability to maintain and increase the number. The highest capacity for self-healing and self-maintenance is typical for Trollius europaeus, Anemonoides × korshinskyi, Adonanthe vernalis, A. volgensis, Anemonoides altaica, the lowest – for Clematis integrifolia, Pulsatilla patens, Ranunculus polyrphyllus and R. polyrhizos for most species, with an increase in anthropogenic load on habitats, the indices of replacement and recovery of coenopopulations decrease by 25–50%, with the exception of Ranunculus polyphyllus, in which these indices increase by about five times. The features of the spatial ontogenetic structure of populations were used to assess their current state according to the criteria and categories of the IUCN Red List. The most vulnerable at the regional level were the endemic species Anemonoides × korshinskyi and Delphinium subcuneatum, as well as Ranunculus polyphyllus and R. polyrhizos (category CR – critically endangered). Anemonoides altaica and Clematis integrifolia correspond to the EN category – endangered. Vulnerable species (category VU) include Trollius europaeus. Adonanthe vernalis, A. volgensis and Pulsatilla patens ranked in the LC category of least concern.