State of the population of Pulsatilla patens (L.) Mill. on the territorу National Nature Park «Podilski Tovtry»

The population of Pulsatilla patens has been described in the NNP «Podilski Tovtry» national nature park on the territory of the «Ivakhnovetskiy» protected area. The article analyzes the data from the literature on the possible systematic position of P. patens and its range. Literary sources and herbarium specimens stored in local herbaria were processed, and probable localities in the territory of the national park were described. The only place of growth on the «Ivakhnovetskiy» of the NNP «Podilski Tovtry» has been confirmed. The ecological and coenotic relationships are characterized, and the biological features of the studied species are discussed. The geobotanical descriptions within the «Ivakhnovetskiy» protected area are carried out. The habitats and communities from the Green Book of Ukraine with P. patens were identified. The physical and geographical features of the habitat of the studied species are characterized. The results of statistical processing of morphometric parameters of P. patens, which were analyzed within the NNP «Podilski Tovtry», are processed and presented. It was found that the population on the «Ivakhnovetskiy» is predominantly homogeneous. The largest coefficient of variation was determined for the number of flowers and the height of the pedunculate shoot, which is due to the biological characteristics of the species. Based on the results of accounting for the age structure of the P. patens population in this locality, it was found that the recovery index is moderate. The factors of influence on the population of Pulsatilla patens on the «Ivakhnovetskiy» were determined. The conservation measures for the restoration and conservation of the rare species P. patens in the territory of NNP «Podilski Tovtry» and in Ukraine in particular at the eastern limit of its distribution are proposed. It is proposed to propagate the germinated seeds at the collection site with further return to the natural habitat of «Ivakhnovetskiy» and other localities identified during the study of literary and herbarium materials – to reintroduce it. Controlled spontaneous succession in abandoned and/or still active limestone quarries with large areas devoid of dense vegetation can be an effective tool for population recovery.