Ecological Analyses of Subnivale Vegetation of Azerbaijan in the Context of Climate Change

Abstract

The study is devoted to the analysis of changes in the structure and distribution of vegetation in the subnivale landscapes of Azerbaijan in the context of climate change. As a result of the conducted research, it was found that the vegetation of the subnival landscapes of Azerbaijan consists of 136 species belonging to 28 families and 83 genera, and makes up 3% of the country's flora. Among the families, Asteraceae (25), Poaceae (15), Caryophyllaceae (13), Brassicaceae (8), Saxifragaceae (7), Ranunculaceae (6), Lamiaceae (5) are the richest and dominant ones. As a result of a comparative analysis of the data obtained with the data from the middle of the last century, it was found that 93 of these species previously lived in alpine-subalpine landscapes and only in the last 70 years have risen to subnival landscapes. The main reason for this upward shift is thought to be the impact of recent global warming. Out of these, 43 species, belonging to 11 families, were described at altitudes of 3000 - 3800 m at the beginning of the last century. The families that previously existed in the subnival landscapes are: Poaceae, Apiaceae, Asteraceae Brassicaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Lamiaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae, Saxifragaceae, Scrophullariaceae, Valerianaceae are "aborigene" taxa. The families that have risen to altitudes of 3500 m or more are relatively new ones: Aspleniaceae, Boraginaceae, Cyperaceae, Juncaceae, Crassulaceae, Ericaceae, Fabaceae, Campanulaceae, Geraniaceae Gentianaceae, Papaveraceae, Orobanchaceae, Onagraceae, Liliaceae. 85 endemic species (63 %) have been described in the territory.