BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES OF ECHINOPS SPHAEROCEPHALUS L. IN THE SOUTH OF THE CENTRAL RUSSIAN UPLAND: MORPHOLOGICAL AND ECOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

The research of wild species of resource plants in various ecological and geographical conditions is relevant, since the research results will allow the selection of E. sphaerocephalus individuals with the best seed productivity, aboveground phytomass and other valuable morpho-biological characteristics for the purpose of their subsequent introduction into culture. In 2021-2023, the biological resources of Echinops sphaerocephalus L. were studied in the Cretaceous south of the Central Russian Upland during expeditionary research. The geographic coordinates of the location of coenopopulation I are 50.640835 оN, 38.666076 оE (Melovaya Gora, Alekseyevka, Belgorod Region); Coenopopulation II - 50.655869 оN, 38.765108 оE (Alekseevsky municipal district, Belgorod region). The aim of the research was to study the bioresource potential, morpho-biological and ecological features of wild individuals of E. sphaerocephalus in coenopopulations of the Cretaceous south of the Central Russian Upland. The biological reserve of E. sphaerocephalus cenopopulations is 31.3-52.7 kg / 10 m2 and the exploitable reserve is 7.8-13.2 kg / 10 m2. The study of ontogenetic spectra showed that the maximum number of individuals in coenopopulation I is in the virginal state (v) - 26.7 %, in coenopopulation II in the immature (im) region - 21.7 %, as well as young generative individuals (g1) - 25.5%. According to the delta-omega classification, the E. sphaerocephalus coenopopulations are young, full-fledged, and characterized by an active reproduction process and a low aging level. The recovery index is at the level of 1.41-1.46, the aging and age indices are 0.01-0.04, and the efficiency index is 0.02-0.09. High intra- and inter-population differences were revealed between individuals of the two coenopopulations: individuals from coenopopulation I significantly exceed plants from coenopopulation II in height by 44.8 %; the number of stems by 75.3 %; the proportion of set seeds by 34.8 %, and the weight of seeds per individual by 53.9 %. A positive correlation was established between the mass of seeds per plant and seed set (rs = 0.829), stem height (rs = 0.474), inflorescence color (rs = 0.451), leaf width (rs = 0.425), and number of stems (rs = 0.326).