Distribution of Poisonous Plants in Biomes of the Southern Far East of Russia

Abstract

Poisonous plants are a collective group of plants of various systematic categories that contain phytotoxins that pose a potential danger to humans and animals. A number of publications both in Russia and abroad are devoted to the problem of patterns of distribution of plants hazardous to human health in connection with environmental factors. This work is a continuation of research into the spread of plants dangerous to humans in Russia. The aim of this work is ecological and geographical analysis of poisonous plants distribution in biomes of the Far East in Russia. Resulted from the research work on the territory of the far-eastern biomes of Russia we revealed 87 the most toxic vascular plant species that belong to 21 plant families. Some of the most poisonous plants of the Russian flora are plants of the genus Aconitum, of the family (Ranunculaceae). About 70 species of this genus grow in Russia, of which 40 are found only in the Far East, since this territory is considered the center of botanical diversity of the genus in question. The cartographical analysis showed that the highest number of poisonous plant species could be found in the south-east regions – in Primorye, the basin of Ussuri river, in the lower and middle course of the river Amur. Based on a map of Russian biomes, optimal habitats for poisonous plants were identified. Maximum number of Aconitum species, as the most poisonous genus of Russian flora, is in the mountain biomes and in the plain forest-steppe biomes in the Amur basin. The types of ecosystems with the maximum abundance and diversity of poisonous plants have been identified. The species richness distribution shows the concentration of poisonous plant species in small mountain biomes and in arid-like biomes. Correlation analysis of relationships between the number of plant species and climatic factors revealed the significant closeness of the correlation with the average annual air temperature (0,66). Maximum correlation closeness appeared to be between number of poisonous plant species per 10 000 km 2 and total number of vascular plants per 10 000 km 2 (0,81).