В Хибинских горах располагаются три памятника природы, которые были созданы в 1980 году на основании предложений сотрудников Полярно-альпийского ботанического сада-института. Эти территории привлекали внимание ботаников на протяжении XX и начала XXI веков, однако обобщенные сведения об их растительном покрове отсутствовали в литературе. В статье дана краткая характеристика растительности памятников природы регионального значения «Ущелье Айкуайвенчорр», «Криптограммовое ущелье» и «Юкспоррлак», представлены предварительные списки лишайников, цианопрокариот, мхов, печеночников и сосудистых растений. Все три памятника природы имеют сходное число видов в разных группах растений и лишайников, которое колеблется в пределах 1/3–1/2 от их разнообразия в Хибинах и 1/10–1/3 – в Мурманской области в целом. Памятники природы являются часто посещаемыми туристическими объектами и испытывают серьезную рекреационную нагрузку, однако играют важную роль в сохранении биоразнообразия и являются уникальными ботаническими объектами Хибин и Мурманской области.

The diversity and distribution of rare and threatened fungi, lichens, mosses, liverworts and vascular plants listed in the Red Data Books of the Murmansk Region (regionally red-listed) and Russia (nationally red-listed) within the Murmansk part of the Green Belt of Fennoscandia (GBF) are discussed. Records include 261 regionally red-listed species (8 species of fungi, 57 lichens, 31 liverworts, 55 mosses, and 110 vascular plants), i. e. 63.5 % of the total pool of red-listed species, and 17 nationally red-listed species (4 lichens, 5 liverworts, 1 moss and 7 vascular plants). Protected areas harbor 17 of the 30 nationally red-listed species known from the Murmansk Region, and 219 of the 411 regionally red-listed species, proving that protected areas inside GBF play an essential role in nature conservation in the Murmansk Region. The protected areas of greatest conservation significance for a majority of the analyzed groups are the Kutsa Nature Reserve (Zakaznik), Pasvik Stat Nature Reserve and Poluostrova Rybachy and Sredny Nature Park. For 43 red-listed species there are no records from protected areas inside GBF, including such species rare in the Murmansk Region as Peltigera lyngei, Carexatherodes, Botrychium lanceolatum, Lomatogonium rotatum, Draba nivalis, D. lactea, Flaviporus ci-trinellus, Skeletocutis lilacina, Chaenothecopsis fennica, Frullania tamarisci, Scapania simmonsii, Rhabdoweisia fugax, Tortula mucronifolia, Tanacetum bipinnatum, etc.). The priority steps to be taken to secure the preservation of rare and vulnerable species populations are reorganization of the Kutsa Nature Reserve into a Nature Park and alteration of the boundaries of the Poluostrova Rybachy and Sredny Nature Park.

Northern taiga and mountain birch forests were investigated on the slopes of Monche tundra and Khibiny Mountains (Murmansk Region, Russia) oriented towards Lake Imandra under long-term air-borne pollution from the metal processing industry. The subject of the study was the species composition and typological diversity of vegetation along the pollution gradient at different altitudes above sea level. Three zones were distinguished – impact zone, buffer zone, and unpolluted zone as the control, 166 relevés were included in the classification that resulted in 15 groups of associations. The groups of associations were characterized; the area occupied and the proportion in the plant cover were given based on remote sensing data. Changes in plant diversity along the pollution gradient were assessed using the average number of species per 400 m2, Sørensen index, Whittaker index, as well as Shannon index. The activity of species (sensu Malyshev) was determined in groups of associations, and cluster analysis (with Euclidean distance) was undertaken to assess the similarity between the groups of associations. In the tree layer, conifers were replaced with small-leaved species, and the structure of mountain taiga on the lower and middle parts of the slopes was significantly transformed compared to mountain birch forest. On the other hand, the composition of the field layer changed towards the pollution source in the mountain birch forest more essentially than in mountain taiga. The most essential were changes of the diversity and abundance of mosses and lichens in the ground layer. The species diversity (mainly of vascular plants) increased in the buffer zone of mountain taiga due to the advance of adventitious species atypical of the zonal communities. This increase apparently represents an adaptive response of the damaged ecosystems. Green mosses were substituted by liverworts and Pohlia mosses towards the pollution source, fruticose lichens – by crustose lichen, which is considered as an adaptation to contamination at the level of phytocoenoses. The typological diversity slightly increased towards the pollution source in the mountain taiga zone, and peaked in the buffer zone. The boundary between mountain taiga and mountain birch forest has shifted to a lower altitude, towards the pollution source, as illustrated by fragments of the vegetation map. This is considered to be an adaptation to the environmental damage at the level of complexes of phytocoenoses.

The results of study of diversity of plants, lichens and cyanoprokaryotes in specially protected areas (SPA) of Murmansk Province are presented. Compiled list of species collected in SPA includes 129 species of cyanoprokaryotes, 879 species of lichens, 192 species of liverworts, 417 species of mosses, 952 species of vascular plants. It is shown that majority of species of bryophytes (95.5% hepatics and 87.9% of mosses known in Murmansk Province) were registered in SPA whereas the rate of lichens (76.4%) and vascular plants (70.7%) found in SPA is lower. Only 42.8% of cyanoprokaryotes registered in Murmansk Province were collected in SPA at present. It reflects specific of studied groups.

Modern activities of the Laboratory of Flora and Vegetation Resources is concentrated on study of diversity of vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens and cyanoprocaryota both of European part of Arctic and Subarctic including Murmansk Province and Svalbard and Russia as a whole including Caucasus and Ural Mountains, Baikal area, Far East, central part of European Russia etc. As result new for Russia and Svalbard species were found. Knowledge on diversity of studied groups for different provinces and republics of Russia especially Murmansk Province was greatly enlarged. Distribution and ecology were specified for many species. Antropogenic transformation of flora and vegetation is permanently in the focus of laboratory study. Flora of vascular plants and moss flora of 6 cities were studied and analyzed. The important direction of study is compiling of Red Dada Books. Lists of species and outlines of many species were prepared for Red Data Book of Russia Red Data Books of 10 Provinces of Russia including Murmansk Province. Special attention is paid to dissemination and sharing of environmental and biological knowledge by means of science fictions papers and books.

New localities of 5 redlisted hepatics {Haplomitrium hookeri (Sm.) Nees, Crossocalyx hellerianus (Nees ex Lindenb.) Meyl., Riccardia palmata (Hedw.) Carruth., Tritomaria exsectiformis (Breidl.) Schiffn. ex Loeske, Prasanthus suecicus (Gottsche) Lindb.) and 5 redlisted lichens {Aspicilia mastrucata (Wahlenb.) Th. Fr., Aspilidea myrinii (Fr.) Hafellner, Bryoria nadvornikiana (Gyeln.) Brodo & D. Hawksw., Collema glebulentum (Nyl. ex Cromb.) Degel, Ionaspis lacustris (With.) Lutzoni) as well as two very rare in the Murmansk region lichens {Catillaria chalybaea (Borrer) A. Massal., Vestergrenopsis isidiata (Degel.) E.Dahl.) have been discovered in the Lovoserskiy district. Distribution in the Murmansk region of these species has been defined. All collected species have not ever been found in the protected areas of the Lovoserskiy district. Creating of a botanical sanctuary in the Zaga River valey as well as borders of this sanctuary have been discussed.