Crop wild relatives in the Magadan province of Russia: perspectives of gene pool conservation

Abstract

Eight species classified as rare in the Magadan Province, including those located at the boundary of their natural distribution area, with a narrow ecological amplitude, require not only monitoring of the known, but also search for new populations. These species can be recommended for the inclusion in the Red List of Crop Wild Relatives of the Far East. Most successfully these species can be conserved in protected areas with a special conservation regime. Populations of three species recorded in the Magadansky State Nature Reserve (Allium ochotense Prokh., Caragana jubata (Pall.) Poir. and Oxycoccus palustris Pers.) should be monitored on a regular basis. The occurrence of Rheum compactum L. in the nature reserve needs to be confirmed. Also, Rheum compactum L. and others species not recorded in the nature reserve, i.e., Artemisia dracunculus L., Bromopsis canadensis (Michx.) Holub, Dracocephalum stellerianum F. Hiltebr. and Linum komarovii Juz., require a search for stable cenoses (and establishment of intracenotic relations) in order to justify the need in creating special nature micro-reserves, including those in other specially protected areas of the province.