Due to the global increase in CO₂ in the atmosphere, studies focusing on the carbon balance in forest ecosystems are currently particularly relevant. Abandoned agricultural lands could provide an important contribution to carbon sequestration in many parts of the world. In the broad-leaved forest zone of the Cis-Ural (Southern Ural region, Russia), the carbon sequestration dynamics in the biomass of woody and herbaceous plants, as well as in the litter and soil on abandoned arable lands repopulated with silver birch (Betula pendula), was studied. The data were collected on 35 round (with diameter of 30 m) sample plots located within communities representing the different stages of reforestation with tree stands aged 3 to 30 years. It was found that the carbon content of the stem wood and herbaceous understory did not depend on the succession stages, which largely corresponds to the literature data. The carbon content in root biomass and soil organic matter increased along with the growth of tree stands. While the forest stand grew, the carbon content in the grey forest soil increased from 2.5 to 4.4%, and in the more fertile dark grey forest soil it changed only slightly. The carbon deposition by the forest stands on the sample plots located on the dark grey forest soils was higher than on grey forest soils. The average rate of carbon sequestration in the tree stand was 2.7 t/ha/year. Most mature, 25–30-years-old silver birch tree stands provided the highest average annual increase in tree biomass and the rate of carbon sequestration evaluated was 9 t/ha/year. Also, the carbon pool in the 30 cm soil layer was 2.7 times greater than in the tree stand. It was concluded that abandoned agricultural lands overgrowing by forest in the Cis-Ural are promising for carbon sequestration.

Typha lepechinii, a new species from European Russia, is described. In terms of the external morphology, it is similar to T. shuttleworthii but differs from the latter by the shape of female inflorescence, wider leaf blades and geographical distribution. Like T. shuttleworthii, T. lepechinii is clearly distinct from all other cattails of T. sect. Ebracteolatae due to its short male inflorescence that is 2–4 times shorter than the contiguous female inflorescence. The spatial disjunction of this new species from the main distribution range of predominantly European T. shuttleworthii is significant: T. lepechinii is an endemic of the outmost East of the Russian Plain, in particular, the regions of Middle and Southern Cis-Ural region (basin of the Middle and Lower Kama). In terms of the political administrative borders, this new cattail was found in the Udmurt Republic, the Republics of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, the parts of the Russian Federation. From the elementary comparative molecular standpoint, T. lepechinii is different from its sister T. shuttleworthii due to four single nucleotide positions and two indels of the rpl32 gene and rpl32-trnL intergenic spacer (cpDNA). The new cattail is named after I. I. Lepechin (1737–1802)—a Russian scientist-encyclopedist whose primary botanical interest focused on the regions of Ural and Siberia.

An analysis of the current potential range of the Pleistocene relict plant species Schoenus ferrugineus and modeling of changes in its future range under moderate (RCP4.5) and strong (RCP8.5) climate change in the middle and second half of the 21st century were carried out. The MaxEnt program was used for modeling. Climate variables from CHELSA Bioclim, the global digital soil mapping system SoilGrids, and a digital elevation model were used as predictors. Modeling has shown that climate change will lead to a significant reduction in the suitability of S. ferrugineus habitat conditions by the mid-21st century. The predicted changes in the distribution of habitats of S. ferrugineus, a diagnostic species of calcareous mires and an indicator of their ecological state, indicate a possible strong transformation of wetland complexes in the Southern Urals region even under moderate climate change. A reduction in the distribution of S. ferrugineus at the eastern limit of its range will also be facilitated by more frequent extreme droughts. To maintain the distribution of S. ferrugineus on the eastern border of its range, a number of measures are proposed to mitigate the negative consequences of climate change, contributing to the preservation of the hydrological regime of calcareous mires.

The study shows the analysis of the current potential range and the modeling of its changes in the hemiboreal species Anticlea sibirica. The models show the habitat suitability for A. sibirica under moderate climatic changes (RCP4.5) in the middle and second half of the 21st century. For modeling, we used MaxEnt software with the predictors being climate variables from CHELSA Bioclim and a digital elevation model. The modeling has shown that climate change can be favorable for the spread of A. sibirica to the northeastern part of its range by expanding highly suitable habitats in mountainous landscapes along the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. In the rest of the range, the total area of suitable habitats will decrease. In areas with extremely deteriorating growing conditions, the species will persist in low-competition habitats such as rocky outcrops, riverbanks, and screes. The predicted change in the distribution of A. sibirica indicates a possible strong transformation of the vegetation cover in Siberia and the Urals, even under moderate climate change.

   Aim. Data collection and analysis of the composition and productivity of vegetation and assessment of carbon sequestration by vegetation and soil in meadow steppe at a fallow site in the Bashkir Cis‐Urals, Russia.   Material and Methods. The work is based on a survey of vegetation and soils of meadow steppe located in fallow areas, where post‐agrogenic restoration succession has been going on for more than 20 years.   Results. The plant cover of the area studied is close to natural rich‐forb meadow steppes but differs in lower indicators of species richness and saturation, as well as the presence of weedy segetal species. The total plant biomass on the plot studied was estimated at 11.35 t/ha (including live aboveground biomass 2.98 t/ha, mortmass 3.11 t/ha, root weight 5.25 t/ha). The average stock of carbon in the plant biomass is 427.6 g/m², and the total carbon stock in plant matter within the site is 36.88 tons. The soil cover of the area studied is Chernozem Calcic. The average levels of carbon stocks in short‐thickness soil at the 0–90 cm layer is 308 t/ha, while in medium‐thick soil it is 378 t/ha.   Conclusions. A feature of the communities surveyed is a poor floristic composition, low productivity and low proportion of roots (47 % of the total plant biomass), which is caused by incomplete recovering of steppe vegetation and low thickness of the humus horizon. The soils of the site are close to virgin steppe lands in terms of carbon content and reserves.