The paper presents research results on the current state of cenotic populations of the rare steppe species Paeonia tenuifolia L. These results were obtained by analyzing the average density, age spectra and spatial distribution of individuals. It was established that natural sozophyte populations in true steppe phytocenoses in the specially protected nature territory «Obushok» (Krynka river basin, Dubovoye settlement, Shakhtyorsky Municipal District) are complete, normal, mature systems with centered ontogenetic spectra, their maximum located in a group of middle-aged generative individuals. They have a high density of individuals distributed contagiously in space, that along with the completeness of age spectra facilitates more efficient utilization of habitat resources and maintenance of the territory occupied by the species.

Currently, the dendrological collections of the Stavropol Botanical Garden contain 17 species of angiosperms from the Red Book of the Russian Federation. The article provides information about the origin and years of introduction, some bioecological features, and propagation methods of these species. It has been established that most of the preserved Red Book species have high winter hardiness and drought tolerance, and are resistant to diseases and pests. As a result of the integral assessment of prospects, 9 species belong to group I (quite promising), 7 species belong to group II (promising), and 1 species belongs to group III (less promising).

This study evaluates the applicability of TESSERA embeddings for identifying dominant species in highdiversity steppe communities. Remote sensing has traditionally been effective for monocultures and forests (accuracy 85-95%), but yields poor results in species-rich grasslands due to spectral mixing. The research utilized field data from 87 plots and 128-dimensional TESSERA embeddings generated from annual time series of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2. Random Forest models demonstrated high efficiency for three of the four analyzed species (Festuca valesiaca Schleich. ex Gaudin, Stipa lessingiana Trin. & Rupr, Elymus repens (L.) Gould) with ROC-AUC >0.83, substantially outperforming traditional methods (R²≤0.4). Spatial analysis confirmed the ecological interpretability of predictions. Results open opportunities for cost-effective biodiversity monitoring across large territories.

Based on a detailed analysis of current data on living plant collections in botanical gardens of the Russian Federation for 2025, a comprehensive assessment of their current status was conducted. For the first time, data from 101 botanical garden collections, comprising over 430000 living plant specimens, have been subjected to comprehensive analysis. The conducted research clearly demonstrates that Russian botanical gardens represent a complex, climatically adapted, and geographically distributed system of biodiversity conservation, possessing characteristics of ecological sustainability and scientific rationale. The study revealed a clear regional specialization of botanical gardens, and comprehensively substantiated their key role as a strategic living gene bank of the country. This gene pool is of critical importance for ensuring food and environmental security of the Russian Federation in the context of modern global challenges, including climate change and accelerating biodiversity loss.

The article presents the results of studying 41 cultivars of Hemerocallis × hybrida hort., created in the period from the second half of the 19th century to the 90s of the 20th century, according to some quantitative criteria. Trends have been identified towards the absence of significant changes in the diameter of the flower, a decrease in its width, and an increase in the ratio of these indicators. There is a tendency to decrease the number of flowers on the peduncle in H. × hybrida cultivars created at different stages of breeding. It is shown that in cultivars created over a long chronological period, the number of flowers simultaneously opened on the peduncle varies in a very narrow range: from 1 to 2 pcs. It has been established that prolonged artificial selection leads to a slight change in leaf length.

Preserving the genetic diversity of plant resources is the main task of botanical gardens and other scientific research centers. The biotechnological method is considered one of the most effective and at the same time reproducible ways to preserve the plant gene pool. The cryopreservation method makes it possible to maintain living cells, tissues, and cultures at ultra-low temperatures (–196 °C) without genetic changes, it ensures the storage of biological materials for a long time. The article provides an overview of the main directions in the field of biotechnology and cryopreservation of plants.

The paper presents an ecologic-geographical and morphological analysis, research on seasonal developmental rhythms and hardiness assessment of five species of evergreen plants (Bergenia crassifolia (L.) Fritsch, Geranium macrorrhizum L., Geranium × cantabrigiense P.F. Yeo, Helleborus orientalis Lam., and Waldsteinia ternata (Stephan) Fritsch.) in the conditions of Donetsk Botanical Garden. All species were found to be highly adaptable to the regional conditions. Vegetative propagation is the basic method of propagation in the cultivation process. The studied species are promising for creating sustainable and ornamental plant compositions in Donbass. They are recommended for use in parkland, shade rockeries.

The growth of gross rice grain yields is significantly influenced by the creation of new varieties with high productivity and better adaptability to the environmental conditions of a particular area, and their accelerated introduction into production. The breeding achievements of the Federal Rice Research Center include more than 40 varieties, which differ in a number of traits and properties, as well as in their response to environmental conditions. The results of tests in 2023–2024 of fourteen varieties of rice in the fields of the farm of Niva LLC in the Kizlyar region of the Republic of Dagestan are presented. It was established that the realization of the potential productivity of the variety largely depended on the following factors: early ripening, resistance to lodging and shattering. The highest yields were generated by the following varieties: Kauris, Azovsky, Dialog, Strombus and Valentina.

The influence of natural light intensity on the seed germination of the yellow-fruited form of Psidium cattleianum Afzel. ex Sabine was studied in the greenhouse complex conditions of Donetsk Botanical Garden. It was found that maximum germination (44.1 %) is achieved under full illumination (3882.4± 235.9 lx). 50 % reduction in light intensity significantly reduces germination by 14.4 %. The results proved the positive photoblastism of seeds and the importance of optimal light regime for the species propagation.

The article presents the results of ecological and geographical testing of woody and herbaceous plants made at the Central Siberian Botanical Garden of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the educational (school) botanical garden in the southeast of the Republic of Tatarstan. The research included a comparative analysis of the seasonal development of ornamental plants in a moderately continental climate (Aktubinsky) and a continental climate (Novosibirsk). Ornamental plants belonging to shrubby, short-rhizome, and brush-rhizome biomorphs, which are promising for the landscape design of the school grounds in a moderately continental climate, have been identified. The promising herbaceous species are represented mainly by spring-summer-green and winter-green phenorhythm types. Brief descriptions of ornamental perennial varieties and rose varieties from various garden groups that are promising for the southeast of the Republic of Tatarstan have been compiled.

The research results on heat and drought resistance of the local grapevine cultivars of Crimea during 2023–2024 are presented. The criteria for assessing the cultivar resistance included plant water balance (determined by measuring the water potential of leaves and their water-holding capacity); growth processes (determined by measuring shoot length and leaf area); and yield (determined by the weight of the harvest per vine). An assessment of yield depression due to stress is provided. It has been reliably established that plant water status influences the growth, development, and formation of the grape harvest. The data obtained as a result of the research allowed us to identify the following varieties that are the most resistant to heat and drought: ‘Asma’, ‘Tergulmek’, ‘Alburla’ and ‘Kok Pandas’.

The drought resistance of 16 hybrid forms of Chaenomeles was determined. The average field score ranged from 3.8 to 5 points, the total water content in the leaves was within 53.2–64 % and the water deficit was 7.6–25 %. An assessment of the water-holding capacity revealed that by the end of the first hour of forced dehydration, the leaves of the studied samples lost on average 14–27.6 % of water, and after 3 hours, losses amounted to 31.4–53.7 %, reaching sub-lethal values in some of them. The proportion of leaves that restored turgor varied widely: from 21.2 to 93.3 %. In 7 hybrids, 62.5–79.2 % of leaf tissue was restored. The best indicators of the whole complex of drought resistance parameters were shown by the hybrids НП5-16/3, НП5-13/4, НП5-5/1, НП5-3/1, recommended for further testing.

The indicators of pollutant emissions from the operating burning rock dump of the A.F. Zasyadko mine (Donetsk, Donetsk People’s Republic) have been determined and their dispersion in atmospheric air within the sanitary protection zone has been modeled. At a distance of 100 to 1000 m from the dump, the maximum permissible concentration for sulfur dioxide exceeded 2.8 times, carbon monoxide 2.8 times, and that of hydrogen sulfide 2.5 to 3.5 times. For nitrogen oxides, there was no excess of the maximum permissible concentration within the sanitary protection zone up to 1000 m. A positive correlation between the concentration of pollutant emissions in the atmosphere and the distance from the rock dump was revealed, which is caused by the processes of turbulent diffusion, which ensures the transport of pollutants.

The article discusses the stages of work on the formation of a phyto-purification system of mine wastewater at a mining enterprise: from the selection of species to the period of their use in the phyto-purification process. The phyto-purification system was created in the form of a system of artificially floating islands on a settling pond and a pilot phyto-purification system in the form of lagoons. The results of studies of the phytoremediation ability of coastal aquatic plants in relation to wastewater from a mining enterprise are presented. Special attention is paid to the peculiarities of clonal micropropagation of phytoremediant plants.

Climate change is accelerating the growing season beginning for horticultural plants in Donbass. This increases the risk and damage from returnable spring frosts. Frosts were observed in 2024 in Donetsk Botanical Garden until the end of the first ten days of May, causing widespread damage to horticultural crops. Quince, dogwood and peach varieties selected at the Donetsk Botanical Garden suffered less significant damage or those comparable to other collection varieties. When establishing commercial fruit crop plantings in the region, it is necessary to consider such risks and select a terrain location conducive to the preservation of orchard plantings, establish protective forest belts from hazardous directions and create frost-resistant infrastructure.

Essential oils of plants of the genus Citrus L. (Rutaceae) possess significant nutritional and pharmacological potential, making it important to study their component composition. GC-MS was used for the first time to study essential oils from the leaves and peel of Ponderosa lemon (Citrus × pyriformis Hassk.), cultivated indoors at the Donetsk Botanical Garden. It was found that the oil yield from the leaves (0.20 %) was 1.5 times lower than that from the peel (0.30 %). The component composition of the oils differed significantly: citral predominated in petitgrain oil from the leaves (66.94 %), while D-limonene was the main component in the peel oil (63.65 %). The obtained data were compared with literature sources and demonstrate the influence of cultivation conditions on terpenoid biosynthesis.

The results of research on stimulation of barberry cuttings (Berberis thunbergii DC) using vacuum infiltration technology for their forced saturation with water are presented. When soaking cuttings in a vacuum infiltrator in a rarefied medium (0.2 atmosphere), an increase in their weight by 7.1 % was recorded compared to the control (soaking in distilled water at atmospheric pressure) and twice as intense formation of axillary leaves. The nitrogen content of the treated and untreated cuttings was not significantly different. In the variant with vacuum infiltration, a statistically significant decrease in the content of phosphorus and potassium in the plant material and an increase in the content of disaccharides were noted, which indicates the intensification of biochemical processes.

For the first time, 5 alien plant species were discovered in the territory of Donbass: Allium denudatum Redoute, Melissa officinalis L., Reynoutria × bohemica Chrtek & Chrtkova, Spiraea japonica L., Symphyotrichum × salignum (Willd.) G.L. Nesom. New localities have been identified for 10 sparsely distributed alien species: Abutilon theophrastii Medik., Celtis caucasica Willd., Consolida orientalis (J. Gay ex Gren. & Godr.) Schroedinger, Echinocystis lobata (Michx.) Torr. & A. Gray, Elodea canadensis Michx., Impatiens parviflora DС., Phytolacca americana L., Sisymbrium irio L., Solanum zelenetzkii Pojark., Symphoricarpos albus (L.) S.F. Blake. According to the degree of naturalization, 2 species are ephemerophytes, 2 are colonophytes, 6 are epecophytes, and 5 are agriophytes. The greatest danger to natural ecotopes is Elodea canadensis.

In the autumn of 2025, the dangerous alien invasive fungus Cryptostroma corticale (Ellis & Everh.) P.H. Greg. & S. Waller (Ascomycota: Pezizomycotina), the causal agent of sooty bark disease of maples, was recorded in artificial plantings in Donbass (Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics). Abundant sporulation of the fungus was observed beneath the bark of Acer platanoides and A. pseudoplatanus. All infested trees died during the current year, despite having successfully produced foliage and fruits during the spring-summer period. The characteristic bark peeling of trunks and branches, typically associated with the disease, was not observed. In the detected foci, the incidence of the disease reached 15 % in Donetsk and up to 30 % in Lugansk. The article provides descriptions of disease symptoms as well as brief morphological and ecological-biological characteristics of the pathogen.

In the south of the European Russia, the leafhopper Metcalfa pruinosa (Say, 1830) (Hemiptera: Flatidae) has been registered to undergo larval development on 467 vascular plant species, representing 92 families across 4 plant divisions. In the Donbas region 295 species from 74 families have been recorded as host plants for the leafhopper, in Krasnodar Krai – 222 species from 63 families, in Crimea and Sevastopol – 73 species from 34 families, in the Kherson region – 30 species from 16 families. The most preferred and frequently infested species in most of the surveyed regions include Juglans regia L., Morus alba L., Celtis orientalis L., Prunus cerasus L., Laburnum anagyroides Medik., Robinia pseudoacacia L., Acer negundo L., Cornus mas L., Catalpa bignonioides Walt., Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall, Syringa vulgaris L., and several species of the genus Ulmus L.

From June 16 to 20, 2025, the International Scientific Conference «Resources of the Natural and Cultivated Flora of Southern Russia for Sustainable Economic Development of the Country» was held in Donetsk (DPR, Russia) in Donetsk Botanical Garden. This conference was dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Donetsk Botanical Garden. The paper presents the main issues and areas of work of the conference, draws key conclusions, and summarizes the results.