Syntaxonomic and biotopic affiliation of aquatic and wetland rare plants of the Cherkasy Oblast

Abstract

Aims. To determine the current ecological and coenotic representativeness of aquatic and wetland sozophytes (rare plants) in the flora of Cherkasy Oblast.
Methods. The analysis included rare species of vascular plants associated with aquatic and wetland habitats, based on route-botanical surveys of water bodies and wetlands within the Dnipro and Southern Bug river basins in the Cherkasy Oblast conducted during 2015–2025. Results. The habitat affiliations of rare aquatic and wetland species were analyzed at the level of associations belonging to six vegetation classes according to the Braun-Blanquet classification: Alnetea glutinosae, Isoëto- Nanojuncetea, Lemnetea, Phragmito-Magnocaricetea, Potamogetonetea, and Scheuchzerio palustris-Caricetea fuscae. 32 sozophytes were found to occur within 21 associations corresponding to biotopes protected under the Council of Europe Directive 92/43/EEC. Within the Cherkasy Oblast, seven aquatic and three mire biotopes were identified as habitats of these sozophytes. Conclusions. Most aquatic and wetland sozophytes of the flora of the Cherkasy Region are diagnostic species of only one association. The syntaxa containing sozophytes are predominantly confined to protected biotopes. Among the rare species reported for the Cherkasy Oblast during the 20th century, those inhabiting raised bogs—adapted to the most specific ecological conditions—were found to be in the most critical state. These include the diagnostic species of the Scheuchzerio palustris-Caricetea fuscae class: Carex chordorrhiza, Drosera anglica, D. rotundifolia, Eriophorum gracile, Hammarbya paludosa, and Salix myrtilloides. Currently, there is no confirmed evidence of extant localities of these species within the Cherkasy Oblast.