Dependence of diversity of floras on climate in the Middle Volga region

• Published in: IOP conference series. Earth and environmental science 2021-07, Vol.818 (1), p.12047
• Main Authors: Sharaya, L S, Ivanova, A V, Aristova, M A, Kuznetsova, R S, Kostina, N V, Rozenberg, G S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aridity; Climate; Genera; Links; Trends
• ISSN: 1755-1307; 1755-1315
• DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/818/1/012047

Links with climate of richness of species (Ns), genera (Ng) and families (Nf) for 28 polygons each 400 km2 in Middle Volga were studied. Negative correlations with temperatures T and positive with precipitation P of the warm period were revealed, and T and P most strongly affected diversity. Closest links with climate were for Nf, and the least for Ns. We estimated gradients of T and P in four geographic directions. The most pronounced are northern cold-humid and southeastern thermo-arid trends. The northern trend is characterized by a decrease in T by 0.34°C and an increase in P by 17 mm per 100 km; southeast- with an increase in T by 0.27°C and a decrease in P by 15 mm. The cold-humid trend provides the most favorable conditions for the growth of diversity in the region. In it, Ns increased by 36, Ng-by 17, Nf-by 6 per 100 km. For floras with highest Nf and Ng, closer links with T, P and directions are revealed; in contrast to Ns. This indicates the ecological plasticity of the diversity, with different responses to climate variations for different taxonomic levels, which contribute to the preservation of diversity in a heterogeneous climate.