Research Training Program

Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of Natural History

PROJECT SUMMARY
1996

Maria Fokina
Novosibirsk State University
Novosibirsk, Russia
Stanwyn G. Shetler, Ph.D.
Supervising Scientist
Department of Botany
"The NMNH Research Training Program is an excellent opportunity to conduct your own research and receive an intensive and broad learning experience. The professionalism of the Smithsonian scientists and stimulating environment at the Smithsonian Institution have set an unforgettable example for me."

Flora and Vegetation of the Lake Teletskoye Area
of the Altai Region, Southwestern Siberia

ABSTRACT
Lake Teletskoye is located in the northeastern Altai Mountains. It is of tectonic origin and is surrounded by steep mountain slopes covered by coniferous forests and forest meadows. The Lake Teletskoye area is unique because of the richness of its flora, beauty of its landscapes, and interesting geological history. The Altai flora as a whole is well described, but there is no survey of the flora and other natural features of this particular area available to the general public. Both authors have done field work in the area that resulted in gathering firsthand information about the local flora and plant communities. Dr. Stanwyn G. Shetler made collections and observations in 1983 during a brief visit as part of the Seventh Field Expedition to the USSR under the USA/USSR Cooperative Agreement on the Protection of the Environment. Field work was also done in the same place in 1993 as part of a university program. Working in the NMNH Research Training Program, Shetler's collections were analyzed from the Lake Teletskoye area in the herbarium of the Natural History Museum to verify the identifications and identify untitled specimens. Then, these data were compiled together with information from personal observations and the literature. The present paper describes the area's location, general features, geology, human history, climate, and plant communities and includes an annotated list of species recorded in the area. The checklist contains 179 species, representing 128 genera and 49 families. Some plants belong to the categories of rare and endangered species and endemics of the Altai-Sayan Region. The checklist is likely to be enlarged considerably by further work. Floristic surveys are basic to conservation efforts and other biological studies.

This research was supported by a grant from the James Smithson Society.

Letter of Gratitude