Incomplete Data on Diversity of Elusive Aquatic Plants and Better Studied Birds Hinders Protection of Vulnerable Ecosystems of the Northern Pamir-Alai

Abstract Pamir-Alai is the key area in one of the world major biodiversity hotspots (the mountains of Central Asia). Nevertheless, biota of its northern part is understudied. On July 3–15, 2025 we performed simultaneous survey of birds and aquatic vascular plants. We explored different parts of the Alai Valley to cover its high habitat diversity; we also surveyed two high-altitude areas on northern and southern macroslopes of the Alai Ridge (belonging to Subfergana biogeographic region). We supplied the list of the Alai Valley biogeographic region biota by 8 taxa of aquatic plants (Potamogeton gramineus is new for entire Kyrgyzstan) and 17 bird species. All the three new taxa of aquatic plants that we firstly report for Subfergana region belong to taxonomically difficult groups (including the fertile hybrid between Ranunculus rionii and R. trichophyllus that have been never reliably documented before in a world-wide scale). Such hybridization event highlights the importance of lower edge of alpine belt as a contact zone for aquatic plants, reinforcing the conception of Central Asian montane waterbodies as hotspots of aquatic plant biodiversity. Our brief ornithological survey added new information to all the available 21st century data regarding the distribution of 15 bird species in the Alai Valley and 19 bird species in the respective parts of the Alai Ridge. Taken together, the results of our joint birds and aquatic plants survey highlight the urgent need of even large-scale studies and relevant protection of the modern biota of the Northern Pamir-Alai.