Speaker
Description
Introduction
The nexus between agricultural land use and biodiversity loss poses a huge challenge worldwide. Amplified by the effects of climate change, the biodiversity hotspot "Mountains of Central Asia" (MoCA) is under increasing threat (Mustaeva et al. 2019). Despite the small proportion of arable land in the total hotspot area, it harbours one of the richest segetal floras globally, comprising an abundance of endemic species (CEPF 2017; Nowak et al. 2014a). Comprehending the composition and distribution patterns of segetal plant species is essential to crafting a farming system that harmonizes stable yields with the conservation of biological diversity. Vegetation studies which address this issue are largely lacking in Kyrgyzstan, a country located at the centre of MoCA. To fill this research gap, our project “Sustainable Silk Road 4.0” embarks on a three year campaign of vegetation monitoring in Kyrgyzstan´s croplands.
Methods
Cropland vegetation is mapped in three major floristic regions of Kyrgyzstan over a period of three years. In each region, a cropland area of 5 x 5 km is selected for investigation (see attachment). Ground truth data is collected along two transects (each 2500 m in length): one is set orthogonal to the adjacent north-facing slope, the other parallel to it. Along each transect, rectangular plots of 1 x 10 m are placed in an alternating manner at the edge and centre of the fields. All vascular plants, including crops, are recorded and their relative abundance measured in each plot. The collected data is analysed with emphasis on factors such as crop type, distance to slope and positioning within the field as well as the relationships between the local assemblages and the regional species pool. The intra- and inter-regional disparities will be compared subsequently.
Results
Species richness and species composition differ greatly between the three regions. Only two weed species were shared by all regions. The most frequent species in each region was absent in the other two. More segetal species were recorded in higher altitudes and towards the edges of the fields. Reversely, the average vegetation cover was greater in the centre plots. The number of weeds typical of scree vegetation increased with proximity to the slopes.
Discussion
Most arable lands in MoCA are situated in narrow valleys, separated from one another by mountain ranges that foster a vast array of ecological niches, supporting a myriad of species (Nowak et al. 2014b). The scree vegetation in particular is very diverse (Nowak et al. 2016). As a result of climate change, the natural habitats of many such species are being altered or lost entirely (Raduła et al. 2021). Studies in Tajikistan have shown that a vertical range shift can result in some species finding secondary habitats in extensively used arable lands (Nowak et al. 2014a). The initial findings of our first year´s field mapping indicate that a comparable phenomenon is taking place in Kyrgyzstan. Over time, accelerating environmental changes could fundamentally alter the plant compositions in croplands. Mountain ridges serve as physical barriers to dispersal, leading to notable differences among the regional floras. This year´s field data will provide further insights into these patterns. The interconnections between regional species pools and local assemblages are currently under investigation.
References
Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (2017) Mountains of Central Asia Biodiversity Hotspot. URL: https://www.cepf.net/sites/default/files/mountains-central-asia-ecosystem-profile-english.pdf
Mustaeva N, Kartayeva S (2019) Status of Climate Change Adaptation in Central Asian Region. In: Alam M, Lee J, Sawhney P (eds) Status of Climate Change Adaptation in Asia and the Pacific. Springer Nature, pp 41–68
Nowak A, Nowak S, Nobis M, Nobis A (2014a) A report on the conservation status of segetal weeds in Tajikistan. Weed Research 54:635–648. doi:10.1111/wre.12103
Nowak A, Nowak S, Nobis M, Nobis A (2014b) Vegetation of rock clefts and ledges in the Pamir Alai Mts, Tajikistan (Middle Asia). Cent. Eur. J. Biol. 9(4):444-460. doi:10.2478/s11535-013-0274-x
Nowak A, Nowak S, Nobis M, Nobis A (2016) Vegetation of screes of the montane and colline zones in the Pamir-Alai Mts in Tajikistan (Middle Asia). Tuexenia 36:223–248. doi:10.14471/2016.36.001
Raduła M, Świerszcz S, Nobis M, Nowak S, Nobis A, Nowak A (2021) Palaeoclimate has a major effect on the diversity of endemic species in the hotspot of mountain biodiversity in Tajikistan. Scientific Reports 11:18684. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-98027-3
| Keywords | Segetal flora; Central Asia; Biodiversity hotspot; Biogeographical patterns; Climate-driven habitat shifts |
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