The research objective was studying the vitality and variability of morphological features of coenopopulations of Medicago falcata L. and Medicago × varia L. in the conditions of the valley of Central Lena. The research was conducted on the crops of the territory of the Re-search Station of the Institute for Biological Problems of Cryolithozone SB RAS (and in a wild), in 13 km from the city of Yakutsk, the capital of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The objects of the research were Medicago falcata L. and Medicago × varia L. For the assessment, the population-ontogenetic methods were used. The structure of variability of morphological parameters was studied using the method suggested by N.S. Rostova. Variability degree was estimated according to G.N. Zaitsev. Coenopopulation vitality was estimated by means of coenopopulation vitality index (IVC) proposed by A.R. Ishbirdin and M.M. Ishmuratova. To achieve the objective the analysis of biometric parameters was per-formed which allowed revealing the peculiarities of plant structure and variability of their parts. The assessment of coenopopulations’ vitality was given as well. Thus it was stated that coenopopulations of both Medicago falcata and Medicago × varia showed high level of vari-ability for such parameters as stem height, total leaf amount, total inflorescent amount, the number of seedpods in an inflorescent, and the number of inflorescents with seedpods. Vitality assessment of populations of Medicago falcata on a dimensional range of individual plants showed that in more favorable condi-tions of Medicago falcata were the plants of central pro-cessing unit 1 (Medicago falcata) which grew on the territory of the Research Station, protected from tram- pling and mowing, and as for Medicago varia, the best growing conditions were revealed for the fenced-in CP2. The analysis of vitality spectra of studied coenopopulations stated that the more favourable eco-logical conditions there were the larger amount of the specimens of highest and intermediate vitality classes develop.
Medicago falcata L, Medicago × varia, coenopopulations, variability, vitality, variability coeffi-cient, size range
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