Assessment of the Population Status of Allium Oschaninii O. Fedtsch. In the Mountains of Uzbekistan

Abstract Currently, the genetic resources of plants are on the verge of gradual disappearance, called genetic erosion. The erosion of genetic diversity implies the loss of diverse genes in individual plant species. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the collection and conservation of genetic resources of endangered plants for future use. The aim of this study is to research the natural coenopopulation of the ancestral species of cultivated plant, Allium oschaninii in the mountains of Uzbekistan. Field studies were conducted in nine coenopopulations in the Turkestan, Gissar, and Alai ranges. For each coenopopulation, a phytocoenotic characteristic given on the sites of 100 m2. When determining the structure of A. oschaninii and the characteristics of the coenopopulation, transects from 10 to 30 sites of 1 m2 were established. The condition of the coenopopulation was assessed by the age structure of A. oschaninii and using a demographic indicator. We found that the condition of the coenopopulation is normal, but incomplete. The condition of the coenopopulations 1, 8, 9 is under threat due to anthropogenic load (overgrazing) and unfavorable factors of the ecotype. The ontogenetic spectrum is centered with a peak on average generative individuals and does not coincide with the characteristic one. Coenopopulations with a left-sided type, with a predominance of juvenile individuals, are formed on stony-gravelly, fine-grained gravel, and soft-soil mountain plains. By biological nature, the ontogenetic spectrum of A. oschaninii is left- sided, with an absolute maximum on one of the pregenerative groups. According to the demographic indicators, in diverse communities and in low-mountain and medium-category habitats and in a static substrate with grazing, the coenopopulation is young, mature, and in a transitional state.