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.