Insights into Biological and Ecological Features of Four Rare and Endemic Plants from the Northern Tian Shan (Kazakhstan)
Sadyrova G. Taskuzhina A. Pozharskiy A. Orazbekova K. Yanin K. Kerimbek N. Zhamilova S. Kamiyeva G. Tanybaeva A. Gritsenko D.
August 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Plants
2025#14Issue 15
This study presents an integrative investigation of four rare and threatened plant species—Taraxacum kok-saghyz L.E. Rodin, Astragalus rubtzovii Boriss., Schmalhausenia nidulans (Regel) Petr., and Rheum wittrockii Lundstr.—native to the Ile Alatau and Ketmen ridges of the Northern Tian Shan in Kazakhstan. Combining chloroplast genome sequencing, geobotanical surveys, and anatomical and population structure analyses, we aimed to assess the ecological adaptation, genetic distinctiveness, and conservation status of these species. Field surveys revealed that population structures varied across species, with T. kok-saghyz and S. nidulans dominated by mature vegetative and generative individuals, while A. rubtzovii and R. wittrockii exhibited stable age spectra marked by reproductive maturity and ongoing recruitment. Chloroplast genome assemblies revealed characteristic patterns of plastid evolution, including structural conservation in S. nidulans and R. wittrockii, and a reduced inverted repeat region in A. rubtzovii, consistent with its placement in the IR-lacking clade of Fabaceae. Morphological and anatomical traits reflected habitat-specific adaptations such as tomentose surfaces, thickened epidermis, and efficient vascular systems. Despite these adaptations, anthropogenic pressures including overgrazing and habitat degradation pose significant risks to population viability. Our findings underscore the need for targeted conservation measures, continuous monitoring, and habitat management to ensure the long-term survival of these ecologically and genetically valuable endemic species.
Astragalus rubtzovii , chloroplast genome , Rheum wittrockii , Schmalhausenia nidulans , Taraxacum kok-saghyz , threatened species
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Faculty of Geography and Environmental Management, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan
Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan
Research Center AgriBioTech, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan
Institute of Geography and Water Security, Almaty, 050010, Kazakhstan
Faculty of Natural Sciences and Geography, Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Almaty, 050010, Kazakhstan
Faculty of Geography and Environmental Management
Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology
Research Center AgriBioTech
Institute of Geography and Water Security
Faculty of Natural Sciences and Geography
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