BIODIVERSITY OF LIVERWORTS OF THE CENTRAL CAUCASUS (WITHIN KABARDINO-BALKARIA)

It is known that the taxonomic diversity of liverworts in mountainous areas is characterized by high values. De- spite the considerable period of studies of this group in the Caucasus, in the Central Caucasus, and in particular in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic, the issues concerning the biodiversity of liverworts remain one of the less studied, rela- tive to other regions of the country. In this paper we analyzed the biotopic diversity of hepaticoflora of the Central Caucasus in the Elbrus and Tersk belt variants on the basis of literature data and herbarium material from the Insti- tute of Ecology of Mountain Territories named after A.K. Tembotov of the Russian Academy of Sciences. A.K. Tembotov RAS. In the Terek variant, sample collection sites: the vicinity of Nalchik (500 m), the vicinity of Belaya Rechka settlement (800 m), the vicinity of Karasu village (1200–1300 m), the area of Golubye Lakes (1000 m), and the Cherek-Bezenga gorge (2800 m). Collection and processing of herbarium material were carried out according to standard methods of studying mosses. The material for the Elbrus variant came from the Chegem Gorge (1100–1300 m), the National Park “Elbrusie” (NPP) near the Elbrus settlement, as well as from the Adyl-su, Irik-chat, Adyr-su gorges, the Narzan Glade area (1800–2600 m), and the northern slopes of Cheget (2700–3100 m). As a result of this work it was revealed that in the Elbrus variant of the belt the higher diversity of liverworts is observed in the conditions of the Adylsu Gorge, while in the Terek variant – Bezenghi Gorge. The lowest spe- cies diversity of hepaticoflora in the Elbrus variant is observed in the Irik-Chat Gorge, and in the Terek variant – in the vicinity of Nalchik. Protected species of liverworts included in the Red Data Book of KBR (2018) were recorded both in the Elbrus (6 species) and Terek variant (5 species) of the belt of the Central Caucasus. Frullania parvistipula, Cololejeunea calcarean, Isopaches decolorans, Liochlaena subulata were recorded in the protected areas of both variants. Scapania warty and Scapania swissiana are found only in the Elbrus variant (Irik-Chat Gorge), and Luunularia cruciformis is recorded only in the Terek variant of the belt.