This article provides an overview of the resources of basic medicinal plants surveyed in the ridges of Southern Altai in East Kazakhstan, used in official and traditional medicine. The ecologicalphytocenotic characteristic is given for each species. The operational stock (OS) is determined and the amount of possible annual procurement of raw materials (PAP) is calculated. According to the research, 35 coenopopulations (CP) of 20 species of medicinal plants are described. It is established that the majority of surveyed medicinal plants is focused on Narym ridge-7 species in 11 CPs and in the Bukhtarma mountains 7 species in 8 CPs. On the ridges: Azutau identified 4 species in 5 CPs; South Altai Tarbagatai-3 species in 5 CPs; Sarymsakty-2 species in 5 CP, Kurchum ridgeone species in 1 CP. Thus, out of 20 resource species for industrial blanks, 6 types with a total PAP of air-dry raw materials of more than 5 tons are recommended: Achillea millefolium; Booleurum multinerve; Patrinia intermedia; Rosa laxa; Sanguisorba officinalis; Solidago virgaurea. For the local pharmacy chain with a total PAP less than 5 tons, the following species are suitable: Acorus calamus; Antennaria dioica; Artemisia gmelinii; Bergenia crassifolia; Cichorium intybus; Hypericum elegans; Hypericum elongatum; Hypericum perforatum; Hyssopus ambiguus; Inula helenium; Salvia stepposa; Thermopsis alpina; Thymus serpyllum; Ziziphora clinopodioides.

Endemic species are especially vulnerable to biodiversity loss caused by isolation or habitat specificity, small population size, and anthropogenic factors. Endemic species biodiversity analysis has a critically important global value for the development of conservation strategies. The rare onion Allium ledebourianum is a narrow-lined endemic species, with natural populations located in the extreme climatic conditions of the Kazakh Altai. A. ledebourianum populations are decreasing everywhere due to anthropogenic impact, and therefore, this species requires preservation and protection. Conservation of this rare species is associated with monitoring studies to investigate the genetic diversity of natural populations. Fundamental components of eukaryote genome include multiple classes of interspersed repeats. Various PCR-based DNA fingerprinting methods are used to detect chromosomal changes related to recombination processes of these interspersed elements. These methods are based on interspersed repeat sequences and are an effective approach for assessing the biological diversity of plants and their variability. We applied DNA profiling approaches based on conservative sequences of interspersed repeats to assess the genetic diversity of natural A. ledebourianum populations located in the territory of Kazakhstan Altai. The analysis of natural A. ledebourianum populations, carried out using the DNA profiling approach, allowed the effective differentiation of the populations and assessment of their genetic diversity. We used conservative sequences of tRNA primer binding sites (PBS) of the long-terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons as PCR primers. Amplification using the three most effective PBS primers generated 628 PCR amplicons, with an average of 209 amplicons. The average polymorphism level varied from 34% to 40% for all studied samples. Resolution analysis of the PBS primers showed all of them to have high or medium polymorphism levels, which varied from 0.763 to 0.965. Results of the molecular analysis of variance showed that the general biodiversity of A. ledebourianum populations is due to interpopulation (67%) and intrapopulation (33%) differences. The revealed genetic diversity was higher in the most distant population of A. ledebourianum LD64, located on the Sarymsakty ridge of Southern Altai. This is the first genetic diversity study of the endemic species A. ledebourianum using DNA profiling approaches. This work allowed us to collect new genetic data on the structure of A. ledebourianum populations in the Altai for subsequent development of preservation strategies to enhance the reproduction of this relict species. The results will be useful for the conservation and exploitation of this species, serving as the basis for further studies of its evolution and ecology.

The genus Tulipa includes some of the most important ornamental plants. The aim of this work was to study the seed morphology of Tulipa species from East Kazakhstan, including seed coat structure. An analysis focused on five taxa from various natural environmental conditions. A total of 31 tulip populations were studied to establish morphological variability. Preliminary analyses of the importance of habitat-related ecological factors have been carried out. The results of this study provide new qualitative characteristics for distinguishing closely related species and are discussed in relation to their systematic relationships. The structure of the seed coat was studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy; however, the results did not show significant variability. An identification key to determine the species of tulips in East Kazakhstan is proposed.

Sumbembayev AA, Abugalieva SI, Danilova AN, Matveyeva EV, Szlachetko DL. 2021. Flower morphometry of members of the genus Dactylorhiza Necker ex Nevski (Orchidaceae) from the Altai mountains of Kazakhstan. Biodiversitas 22: 3545-3555. Several species of Dactylorhiza (Orchidaceae) from the Altai mountains of Kazakhstan have been investigated regarding their morphological flower variability. Significant metric characters were identified allowing to differentiate between the four species: D. incarnata, D. fuchsii, D. maculata and D. salina. The morphometric structure of flowers was analyzed by comparing 17 metric parameters in representatives of 11 populations. We identified the most variable and stable traits as well as distinctive features for each species. A high degree of flower morphometric diversity was revealed from principal component analysis for species and populations. Cluster analysis demonstrated the structure of the population diversity. Structural schemes have been compiled from data of the photographic processing of flower morphometry, the analysis of variance ANOVA, and the degree of variation at the population level. Useful characters are provided for further taxonomic work on members of the genus Dactylorhiza in Kazakhstan.

A critical study of the herbarium material representing the orchid genus Dactylorhiza Necker ex Nevski in Kazakhstan was conducted in 2019–2020. The information on the species composition was clarified. Dactylorhiza fuchsii subsp. hebridensis (Wilmott) Soó and D. × kerneri (Soó) Soó were identified for the first time in the country. New taxa were noted for individual botanical and geographical areas. All taxa were presented in the list and annotated with studied herbarium materials from the Kazakhstan area. Based on the collected and available locations for the studied taxa, distribution modeling was carried out for the four taxa (D. incarnata, D. majalis subsp. baltica, D. salina, and D. umbrosa). Bioclimatic data for the present and future (2041–2060) based on four possible scenarios were used. The occurrence of Dactylorhiza representatives in Kazakhstan is threatened by global climate warming. It is likely that some of them may not occur in the country in the future (D. incarnata and D. majalis subsp. baltica), losing up to 99.87% of their modern range or their range may be significantly reduced (D. salina and D. umbrosa), losing up to 80.83% of their present distribution. It is worth considering global changes in planning conservation activities and identifying areas that may play a significant role in the functioning of the national flora in the future.

The Altai Mountains of Kazakhstan form a critical part of the Altai-Sayan Ecoregion, one of Central Asia’s most important centers of plant endemism and biodiversity. However, this fragile mountain ecosystem is increasingly threatened by climate change, unsustainable land use, and habitat degradation. This study provides the first comprehensive checklist of rare, endemic, and endangered vascular plant species of Kazakhstan’s Altai, integrating herbarium data and spatial analyses to support regional conservation and sustainability goals. A total of 65,540 herbarium specimens from eight major collections were reviewed, and species identifications were verified using national and international databases. In total, 230 rare and endangered species were recorded, including 73 strict endemics. Species were assessed using IUCN Red List categories, and their distributions analyzed with GIS and hierarchical clustering tools. The results revealed a high concentration of threatened species in the Ivanovskiy, Narym, and Azutau ridges. Notably, 127 species were assessed for rarity status for the first time, with families such as Poaceae and Orchidaceae disproportionately represented. The study highlights substantial gaps in current conservation frameworks, as many species remain in the “Data Deficient” category, and some highly threatened taxa occur outside protected areas. These findings provide essential baseline data to inform the expansion of protected zones, guide national Red Book updates, and support targeted ex situ conservation. By prioritizing biodiversity-rich areas and incorporating plant rarity data into spatial planning, this research contributes directly to long-term sustainability and ecosystem resilience strategies in Kazakhstan’s mountainous regions.