Page 137 - Proceedings of the State Natural History Museum. Issue 36 (Lviv, 2020)

128 Кияк В. Г., Малиновський А. К.

1 Інститут екології Карпат НАН України, м. Львів, e-mail: vlodkokyjak@ukr.net
2 Державний природознавчий музей НАН України, м. Львів
e-mail: armeria2@ukr.net

Kyyak V., Malynovskyі A.
Aspects of the methodology of plant populations research (by means of the example of rare species)
In this work basic concepts and problematic issues of modern population ecology of plants are
considered. Quite different views on many aspects of terminology and research methodology one can
observed in the scientific literature. Basic terms such as: «vitality», «age structure», «ontogenetic
structure», «self-renewal», «strategy», «regeneration niche», «buffering», population size
establishment, etc can be interpreted differently, which causes significant discrepancies in research
methodology, and thus are reflected in the interpretation of results. The population is considered as an
indivisible and unique set of individuals of one species, which is characterized by self-reproduction
while maintaining its main properties. The statemen concerning the population as a unit of biodiversity
accountability is justified.
The study of strategy, intra-population diversity, viability and mechanisms of self-recovery has
shown that the existence of populations for a long time is ensured by a certain structure. The structure
of the population is a set of quantitative and qualitative components of its organization at the individual
and group level, which characterize the structure and ensure the functioning of the population as a
whole system. At the same time, establishing which structural elements play a leading role in the
changed environmental conditions continues to be an urgent task for species of different life forms in
the variety of conditions of their habitats. The example of isolated populations of rare species shows
the most typical stages of structure change due to pessimization of living conditions: simplification of
spatial structure, aging or pseudo-rejuvenation, reduction of vitality of individuals and population loci,
reduction of self-sufficiency and reproduction, simplification and reduction of ontogenesis of
individuals, predominance of death rate over birth rate, reduction of area, number and density,
cessation of formation of generative individuals, cessation of undergrowth replenishment, reduction of
vegetative reproduction, loss of population viability.
An integral characteristic that reflects the current state of the population based on the most
important individual and group parameters of structure, growth, development and reproduction is the
vitality of the population. Intrapopulation structural components - population loci of reproduction - are
of the greatest importance in preserving the viability of populations and ensuring the prospects of their
existence in the event of adverse changes in the environment. Among population structures, the highest
dynamic endurance and stability of functioning for a long time under different conditions of natural
and anthropogenically altered environment were found in metapopulations.
Understanding of the processes taking place on the verge of existence of the population during its
emergence, and especially during the period of its loss of viability and extinction, is extremely
important. However, there are still not so many researches aimed at revealing the patterns of behavior
of populations during these most vulnerable periods of their long life cycle.
Key words: population ecology of plants, small populations, vitality, ontogenetic structure,
strategy, regenerative niche, self-renewal.