Endemic plant species richness of Surkhondaryo province, Uzbekistan

Surkhondaryo province is one of the largest and richest in vascular plant species diversity administrative units of Uzbekistan, which also has an extremely high concentration of species endemic to Mountainous Central Asia and Uzbekistan in particular. A characteristic geological feature of this area is the wide spread of variegated outcrops formed during the Cretaceous and partly Paleogene age. Using the botanical-geographical zonation of Uzbekistan and 5x5 km grid cells, we analyzed the distribution of 63 Surkhondaryo province endemics to identify the hotspots of endemic species richness. The Boysun phytogeographic region, located in the southwest spurs of the Hissar ridge, had the largest number of species-rich grid cells. The Surkhon-Sherobod and Bobotog phytogeographic regions, located mainly in the piedmonts, foothills and low mountain belt of the Kugitang and Bobotog mountains, turned out to be poor in endemic species. The extent of occurrence and area of occupancy of 63 provincial endemic species were estimated for the first time. Based on the analysis of available data and long-term field observations, the extinction of one of the narrow endemics of the Surkhondaryo province - Dipcadi turkestanicum Vved. appears to be a sad reality.

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