Assessment of the Current Condition of Populations of the Red List Species Salvia submutica Botsch. & VVED. (Lamiaceae Lindl.) In Nuratau Mountain Ridge, Uzbekistan

Abstract The high-mountain ecosystems of Central Asia consist of very rich biodiversity with unique plant communities and many endemic species. High human pressure and long drought periods due to global warming have caused habitat destruction in these areas and a parallel increase in the number of endangered species. In Uzbekistan, the number of red listed plant species has risen in the last 30 years, from 163 in 1984 to 324 in 2009. Among those red-listed species are 23 species in the Lamiaceae family. The aim of this study was to estimate the current populations of red-listed species Salvia submutica. This species is endemic to the Nuratau ridge, and it is growing under climatic changes and human pressure. We found two populations of this species in the Nuratau ridge. For each population, we measured the plant density and determined the population spectrum. We also describe the plant community where each population grew. At all sites, the population density was low, with most populations being classified as mature with centered ontogenetic structure. These results indicated this species might, in the near future, become extinct in the wild.