Ontogenetic Structure of Populations of Phlomis nubilans (Lamiaceae) in Uzbekistan Under Drought Climate

Abstract

Abstract The current study presents data on the structure of populations of an endemic species Phlomis nubilans Zakirov under a drought climate. The rare species P. nubilans belongs to the respective endemic genus of Uzbekistan. We studied the ontogenetic structure of populations, and the current state of P. nubilans populations was estimated based on a set of climate factors. The study focused on the ontogenetic structure of two populations of P. nubilans, revealing that the examined populations grew under drought conditions. The ontogenetic structure was incomplete, that is, it did not include all age groups. Their ontogenetic spectrum was centered and coincided with the characteristic spectrum. The research determined that the ontogenetic type was mature. The studied populations do have not any young plants (juvenile, immature, virginal) due to extreme drought conditions and various factors of elimination, including irregular seed propagation.