Status of Rare Plant Cenopopulations of the Bol’shie Mochazhiny Tract in the Balashov District, Saratov Oblast

Cenopopulations of three rare and protected plants of Saratov oblast (Gladiolus tenuis, Iris halophila, and Dactylorrhiza incarnata) were found in Bolshie Mochazhiny. These species are protected in neighboring regions as well, Tambov, Voronezh, and Penza oblasts, among others. The species are of high ornamental value, which is another factor apart from the narrow ecological amplitude of the plants. G. tenuis, I. halophila, and D. incarnata require good moisture and soil fertility, are high in abundance, and create aspects. In the cenopopulations of the plant studied, the process of self-renewal is ongoing and is not hampered by anthropogenic factors, as the tract is far from settlements and is swampy in some places. The morphometric indices of the rare species correspond to their biology. The ontogenetic status of the species cenopopulations is characterized by a single-vertex spectrum with a high proportion of individuals of the generative fractions: 49.4% for G. tenuis, 40.0% for D. incarnata, and 62.2% for I. halophila, respectively. According to Rabotnov’s classification, the cenopopopulations of the studied species are normal incomplete. According to Zhivotovskii’s delta–omega classification, the cenopopulations of G. tenuis and D. incarnata are old, whereas that of I. halophila is aging. The studied cenopopulations of rare plants are stable in time and space. It is necessary to declare the Bol’shie Mochazhiny tract a natural monument of regional importance.