Stipa capillata L. ex situ on the northern border of the Right Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine

Abstract

Aim. To characterize the peculiarities of reproduction, growth, development, and dynamics of formation of an introduced population of a rare steppe species listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, Stipa capillata L. in the nursery of the Department of Natural Flora of the M. M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NBG) by agrotechnical support and the absence of phytocoenotic competition with other grasses. Methods. The research was conducted in 2013–2022 in the Department of Natural Flora of the NBG. Planting material of S. capillata was introduced in 2013 from natural steppe phytocoenoses of the south of Ukraine. Characteristics of the age stages of S. capillata (Gritsenko, 2007, 2009) have been clarified and supplemented with new data. Classical principles have been used for population studies (Vorontsova et al., 1976). Results. Age stages of S. capillata (seeds at rest, seedlings, juvenile, immature, virginal; young, mature, and old generative individuals), terms of their passage, and morphometric parameters are characterized. It was found that the indicators of the number and height of generative shoots and the diameter of S. capillata turf without competition are higher than in high phytocoenotic competition. The dynamics of the formation of the introduction population of S. capillata without competition with other grasses are characterized. Conclusions. As of 2022, an introduced population of S. capillata has been formed in the nursery of the Department of Natural Flora of the NBG, all individuals of which are descendants of originally introduced plants. It was found that each generation of S. capillata was formed by self-seeding from seed to a young generative individual, capable of dissemination, in five years. Now, this introductive population of S. capillata is capable of stable annual self-recovery through natural self-seeding; it is represented by a set of individuals of different age stages and generations, which exist for a long time under the conditions of agrotechnical support. This population is young, characterized by a left-sided spectrum of age stages, with a predominance of individuals in the pregenerative period of ontogenesis.