Mechanisms of life strategies were studied for two closely related species from Orchidaceae family: Orchis punctulata Steven ex Lindl. and O. purpurea Huds. Cenopopulations from forest (Kiziltash mountain range) and steppe (Tepe-Oba ridge) communities were selected for the study. It was noted that the morphological parameters of O. punctulata individuals depend on both growing conditions and growing season conditions; morphological parameters of O. purpurea do only on growing season conditions. A defense-stress-defense ontogenetic strategy was determined for O. punctulata, while a stress ontogenetic strategy was done for O. purpurea. Using functional traits, we showed that O. punctulata indicates a mixed CR strategy, and O. purpurea indicates a mixed CS strategy. Thus, using of various methods made it possible to establish that the closely related species O. punctulata and O. purpurea indicate a mixed CSR strategy, its components depend on the ecological and cenotic growing conditions.

Letukhova V.Yu., Potapenko I.L.