POPULATIONS OF RARE PLANT SPECIES OF GYZMEIDAN AND TORAGAY MUD VOLCANOES

Abstract

In the course of studying the populations and floristic diversity of Gyzmeidan mud volcano which is located 4-5 km northwest of the same name village in the Shamakhi region and Toragay mud volcano, located 15 km west of the Sangachal railway station in the Garadagh region were found 4 rare species - Ophrys apifera Huds., Rosa azerbajdzhanica Novopokr. & Rzazade, Pyrus salicifolia Pall. and Tulipa biflora Pall. The most common species of the families Compositae Giseke (19.3%), Rosaceae (15%) and Poaceae Barnhart (11%). The cenosis also included - Tragopogon graminifolius Dc., Inula aspera Poir., Rapistrum rugosum (L.) All., Arabis hirsuta (L.), Astragalus bungeanus Boiss., Hedysarum sericeum M. Bieb., Briza media L., Archanthemis fruticulosa (M.
Bieb.) Lo Presti&Oberpr., Bromus japonicas Thunb., Xeranthemum cylindraceum Sm., Euphorbia seguieriana Neck.., Lolium rigidum Gaudin, Filago germanica (L.) Huds., Teucrium polium L., Linum corymbulosum Rchb., Potentilla pedata Willd., Artemisia alpina Willd., Stipa pulcherrima K.Koch, Thalictrum simplex L., Lappula barbata (M.Bieb.) Gürke, Anacamptis pyramidalis (L.) Rich., Poa bulbosa L., Adonis aestivalis L., Gagea chlorantha (M. Bieb.) Schult.&Schult.f. and etc. The assessment of the condition of these plants was carried at the population-ontogenetic level. The article presents the results of research on the type, density, ontogenetic structure and demographic parameters of populations. In the studied populations on the Gyzmeidan mud volcano where were recorded 46 plant species belonging to 45 genera and 21 families and Toragay mud volcano where only 23 plant species belonging to 12 families and 22 genera, it was established that the highest average density and number of individuals of all ontogenetic states was noted in population №4 with Tulipa biflora, and the lowest - in population №2 with Ophrys apifera. In terms of demographic parameters (Δ and ω), only population №1 with Pyrus salicifolia is transitional, and the rest of the populations are assigned as young type.