Northern limit of the Veronica Beccabunga (Plantaginaceae) range in the northern taiga (Murmansk region)
- Authors: Blinova I.V.1, Asming S.V.2
-
Affiliations:
- N. A. Avrorin Polar-Alpine Botanical Garden-Institute, KSC RAS
- Murmansk Arctic University
- Issue: Vol 110, No 3 (2025)
- Pages: 239-260
- Section: COMMUNICATIONS
- URL: https://freezetech.ru/0006-8136/article/view/686798
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.31857/S0006813625030015
- EDN: https://elibrary.ru/FPXWPX
- ID: 686798
Cite item
Abstract
Changes in vegetation cover and frequency of plant species occurrence have been documented in Fennoscandia over the last century along with climatic changes. A shift of southern species northwards has been noted in prognoses of the last decades. Monitoring of new populations of such plant species stays important north of the Arctic Circle because this latitude is a natural limit for distribution of biota northwards.
Veronica beccabunga L. (Plantaginaceae) has a wide range in Eurasia with single northernmost occurrences in the northern Fennoscandia. The species was first recorded in Murmansk Region in 2016. New populations were described in 2016–2024 in riparian communities of the Imandra Lake basin. Their phytocoenotic surroundings, seasonal development along with sexual and asexual reproduction have been studied.
Five populations have been monitored. Their areas were small (up to ca. 150 m2), they encountered from ten to thousand individuals. The populations were described in floodplain willow and tall-herb communities within a specific ecological niche, or on gravel deposits on river shores. It is revealed that all the populations are confined to rock outcrops enriched in phosphates which have local distribution in the region. The individuals of this species in the populations north of the Arctic Circle are found to set fruits and seeds. Both a high vegetative (1.7 × 103–18.8 × 103 shoots) and a high sexual (0.1 × 106–3.1 × 106 seeds) reproduction have been found in the populations. This is an evidence of the optimal reproduction strategy of the species for survival in extreme and unstable environmental conditions.
Since Veronica beccabunga is able to accumulate high concentration of phosphorus and to grow rapidly in riverside stands, its cultivation in artificial ponds is recommended, including buffer ponds in the areas with excess of phosphorus. The species is suggested to include in the threat category “In need of monitoring” in the next edition of the Regional Red Book until identified the species threats and protection status.
Full Text

About the authors
I. V. Blinova
N. A. Avrorin Polar-Alpine Botanical Garden-Institute, KSC RAS
Author for correspondence.
Email: ilbli@yahoo.com
Russian Federation, Akademgorodok, 18A, Apatity, Murmansk Region, 184209
S. V. Asming
Murmansk Arctic University
Email: asming@yandex.ru
Apatity Branch
Russian Federation, Lesnaya Str., 29, Apatity, Murmansk Region, 184209References
- Albach D.C., Martínez-Ortega M.M., Fischer M.A., Chase M.W. 2004. Evolution of Veroniceae: A phylogenetic perspective. – Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 91: 275–302.
- Arzamastsev A., Yakovenchuk V., Ivanyuk G. 2008. The Khibina and Lovozero alkaline massifs: Geology and unique mineralization. Apatity. 47. 58 p.
- Baisheva E.Z., Solomeshch A.I., Grigoryev I. 2004. Obzor rastitel'nosti ruch'ev Yuzhnogo Urala [Survey of streams plant communities in the Southern Urals]. – Rastitel'nost' Rossii. 6: 3–14 (In Russ.).
- Barkman J.J., Doing H., Segal S. 1964. Kritische Bemerkungen und Vorschläge zur quantitativen Vegetationsanalyse. – Acta Bot. Neerl. 13(3): 394–419.
- Bejdeman N.I. 1974. Metodika izucheniya fenologii rastenij i rastitel'nyh soobshchestv [Methodology for studying phenology of plants and plant communities]. Novosibirsk. 154 p. (In Russ.).
- Bilz M., Kell S.P., Maxted N., Lansdown R.V. 2011. European Red List of Vascular Plants. Luxembourg. 130 p.
- Blindheim T. 2024. Biofokus. Version 1.2632. Biofokus. Metadata dataset. https://doi.org/10.15468/jxbhqx https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2981641304 (accessed: on 20.02.2024)
- Blinova I.V. 2009a. Chislennost' populyacij orhidnyh i ih dinamika na severnom predele rasprostraneniya v Evrope [The size of orchid populations and their dynamics at the northern limit of distribution in Europe]. – Bot. Zhurn. 94(2): 212–240 (In Russ.).
- Blinova I.V. 2009b. Biologiya orhidnyh na severo-vostoke Fennoskandii i strategii ih vyzhivaniya na severnoj granice rasprostraneniya [Biology of orchids in northeastern Fennoscandia and strategies for their survival at the northern border of distribution]: Diss. … Doct. Sci. St. Moscow. 552 p. (In Russ.).
- Blinova I.V. 2011. Osobennosti sezonnogo razvitiya orhidnyh za Polyarnym krugom [Peculiarities of seasonal development of orchid species north of the Arctic Circle]. – Bot. Zhurn. 96(3): 396–411 (In Russ.).
- Blinova I.V. 2014. Ekologo-cenoticheskie i ontogeneticheskie strategii redkih vidov sosudistyh rasteniy Murmanskoy oblasti [Ecological-coenotic and ontogenetic strategies of rare species of vascular plants of Murmansk Region]. – Vestnik Kol'skogo nauchnogo centra RAN. 19(4): 83–9 (In Russ.).
- Blinova I.V. 2016. O sopryazhennosti prostranstvennogo razmeshcheniya populyacij redkih vidov orhidnyh i osokovyh s kislotnost'yu i elektroprovodnost'yu pochv na minerotrofnom i nasyshchennom osnovaniyami bolote v Murmanskoj oblasti (Rossiya) [Effects of soil conductivity and pH on population spatial structure of rare orchids and sedges in a base-rich fen in Murmansk Region (Russia)]. – Herald of the Kola Science Centre of RAS. 4(27): 109–121 (In Russ.).
- Blinova I.V. 2016. Prostranstvennaya struktura populyatsiy redkikh vidov orhidnykh na minerotrofnykh travyanykh bolotakh v tsentral'noy chasti Murmanskoy oblasti [Spatial structure of populations of rare orchid species in minerotrophic grass swamps in the central part of Murmansk Region. – Ecologia. 47(3): 180–188 (In Russ.).
- Blinova I. 2018. Redkie vidy orhidnykh i osokovykh bogatykh minerotrofnykh bolot: prostranstvennaya i ontogeneticheskaya struktura populyatsiy, fitotsenoticheskoe okruzhenie i okhrana [Rare orchids and sedges of base-rich fens: spatial and ontogenetic structure of populations, ecological environment and protection / Base-rich fens of north-eastern Fennoscandia]. Riga. 127 p.
- Blinova I. 2019. A new species of Veronica (Plantaginaceae) in the extreme north of Europe: a northward migration due to recent climatic changes? – Eurasian Journal of Forest Science. 7(3): 269–276.
- Blinova I.V. 2022. Population demography of rare sedges (Eriophorum gracile and Carex livida) north of the Arctic Circle in Murmansk Region and climate change impacts. – Environmental dynamics and global climate change. 13(4): 202–214.
- Blinova I., Chmielewski F.-M. 2015. Climatic warming above the Arctic Circle: Are there trends in timing and length of the thermal growing season in Murmansk Region (Russia) between 1951 and 2012? – International Journal of Biometeorology. 59(6): 693–705.
- Blinova I., Chmielewski F.-M. 2020. Climatic Changes and Evidence from Plants and Animals Responses: The Data which could be Associated with Climatic Changes in the Extreme North of Europe. – Annals of Geographical Studies. 3(2): 34–38.
- Bobrov A.A., Chemeris E.V. 2012. Maloizvestnye soobshchestva rechnyh makrofitov na severe evropejskoj Rossii [A little-known communities of river macrophytes in the north of European Russia]. – Izvestia of Samara Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 1–4: 71–973 (In Russ.).
- Boutin C., Harper J.L. 1991. A comparative study of the population dynamics of five species of Veronica in natural habitats. – Journal of Ecology. 79: 199–221.
- Chemeris E.V. 2004. Rastitel'nyj pokrov istokovyh vetlandov Verhnego Povolzh'ya [The vegetation cover of riverhead wetlands of the Upper Volga region]. Rybinsk. 158 p. (In Russ.).
- Chuzherodnye vidy na territorii Rossii [Alien species in Russia]. Web-portal IPEE RAS. http://www.sevin.ru/invasive/ (accessed: 16.02.2024)
- Chytrý M., Hájek M., Kočí M., Pešout P., Roleček J., Sádlo J., Šumberová K., Sychra J., Boublík K., Douda J., Grulich V., Härtel H., Hédl R., Lustyk P., Navrátilová J., Novák P., Peterka T., Vydrová A., Chobot K. 2019. Red List of habitats of the Czech Republic. – Ecological Indicators. 106: eP. 105446.
- Demin V.I. 2022. Sozdanie odnorodnogo ryada srednemesyachnykh temperatur vozdukha v Apatitakh (Murmanskaya oblast’) dlya izucheniya klimaticheskikh izmeneniy [Creation of a homogeneous series of average monthly air temperatures in Apatity (Murmansk Region) to study climate change]. – In: Physics of Auroral Phenomena, Proceedings of XLV Annual Seminar. Apatity. P. 144–148 (In Russ.).
- Drugova T.P. 2019. Listostebel'nye mhi poselka Nivskij (Murmanskaya oblast') [Mosses of Nivskij settlement (Murmansk Region)]. – Herald of the Kola Science Centre of RAS. 3: 13–32 (In Russ.).
- Eichenberg D., Bowler D.E., Aletta B., Bruelheide H., Grescho V., Harter D., Jandt U., May R., Winter M., Florian J. 2020. Widespread decline in plant diversity across six decades. – Global Change Biology. 27: 1097–1110.
- Elenevskiy A.G. 1971. Veronica beccabunga L. i eyo podvidy [Veronica beccabunga L. and its subspecies]. – Nauchnye doklady vysshej shkoly. Biologicheskie nauki. 11: 61–64 (In Russ.).
- Elenevskiy A.G. 1973. Proiskhozhdenie i razvitie roda Veronica L. [Origin and development of the genus Veronica L.]. – Bulletin of Moscow society of naturalists. Biological series. 78(1): 70–83 (In Russ.).
- Elenevskiy A.G. 1978. Sistematika i geografiya veronik SSSR i prilezhashchih stran [Systematics and geography Veronique USSR and adjacent countries]. Moscow. 259 p. (In Russ.).
- Elenevskiy A.G. 1981. Rod Veronika – Veronica L. [The genus Veronica – Veronica L.] – Flora of the European part of the USSR. Leningrad. 3: 241–256 (In Russ.).
- Ellmouni F.Y., Karam M.A., Ali R.M., Albach D.C. 2018. Systematic treatment of Veronica L. Section Beccabunga (Hill) Dumort (Plantaginaceae). – Taeckholmia. 38: 168–183.
- eFloras. 2024. Veronica. – Flora of China. 18: 80. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=210002275 (accessed: 27.09.2024)
- Fischer M.A., Grau J., Huber-Morath A., Rechinger K.H., Wendelbo P., Yeo P.F. 1981. Flora Iranica. Naturhistorisches Museums Wien. 147: 1–298.
- Fischer M.A. 1985. Veronica beccabunga gliedert sich in drei vikariierende Unterarten. – Flora. 176(1–2): 117–128.
- Geologia SSSR [Geology of the USSR]. 1958. M. 27(1): 714 p. (In Russ.).
- Grant V. 1985. Problema geneticheskogo potoka v geograficheskom masshtabe [The problem of gene flow on a geographic scale]. – Zhurnal obshchey biologii. 46(1): 20–31 (In Russ.).
- Han L., Wang Y., Liu X. 2024. Comparisons between non-native species invasion and native species range expansion. – Biodiversity Science. 32(1): 23396.
- Hulme P.E., Bernard-Verdier M. 2018. Comparing traits of native and alien plants: Can we do better? – Funct. Ecol. 32: 117–125.
- Hultén E., Fries M. 1986. Atlas of North European vascular plants north of the Tropic of Cancer. Königstein. 1172 p.
- IUCN Standards and Petitions. 2024. Guidelines for Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Version 16. https://www.iucnredlist.org/documents/RedListGuidelines.pdf (accessed: 23.09.2024)
- Jäger E.J. (hrsg.). 2011. Rothmaler Exkursionsflora von Deutschland. Gefäßpflanzen: Grundband. Springer-Verlag. 930 p.
- Kozhin M.N., Sokolov D.D. 2022. Novye i redkie vidy sosudistyh rastenij Murmanskoj oblasti. 3 [New and rare vascular plants for Murmansk Province. 3]. – Bulletin of Moscow Society of naturalists. Biological series. 127(3): 31–33 (In Russ.).
- Kravchenko A.V. 2007. Konspekt flory Karelii [A compendium of Karelian flora (vascular plants)]. Petrozavodsk. 403 p.
- Kravchenko A.V., Kuznetsov O.L. 2009. Izmeneniya v spiske sosudistyh rastenij v novoj redakcii Krasnoj knigi Respubliki Kareliya [Changes in the vascular plants list in the new edition of the Red Data Book of Republic of Karelia]. – Transactions of the Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 1: 7–20 (In Russ.).
- Kuzeneva O.I. 1966. Scrophulariaceae. – In: Flora Murmanskoy oblasti. Мoscow–Leningrad. Vol. 5. P. 96–136 (In Russ.).
- Landucci F., Šumberová K., Tichý L., Hennekens S., Auniņa L., Biţă-Nicolae C., Borsukevych L., Bobrov A., Čarni A., Bie E., Golub V., Hrivnák R., Iemelianova S., Jandt U., Jansen F., Kacki Z., Lájer K., Papastergiadou E., Šilc U., Chytry M. 2020. Classification of the European marsh vegetation (Phragmito-Magnocaricetea) to the association level. – Applied Vegetation Science. 23: 297–316.
- Lemoine N.P., Burkepile D.E., Parker J.D. 2016. Quantifying Differences Between Native and Introduced Species. – Trends Ecol. Evol. 31(5): 372–381.
- Lindgaard A., Henriksen S. 2011. The 2011 Norwegian Red List for ecosystems and habitat types. – Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre, Trondheim.
- Les D.H., Stuckey R.L. 1985. The introduction and spread of Veronica beccabunga (Scrophulariaceae) in eastern North America. – Rhodora. 87(852): 503–515.
- Lokhorst I.R., de Lange S.I., van Buiten G., Selaković S., Kleinhans M.G. 2019. Species selection and assessment of eco-engineering effects of seedlings for biogeomorphological landscape experiments. – Earth Surf. Process. Landforms. 44: 2922–2935.
- Malinovskij K.A., Carik I.V., Zhilyaev G.G. 1988. O granicah prirodnyh populyacij rastenij [On the boundaries of natural plant populations]. – Zhurnal obshchey biologii. 49(1): 46–57 (In Russ.).
- Marshall G.J., Vignols R.M., Rees W.G. 2016. Kola Peninsula climate change during the last 50 years from meteorological observations. – Journal of Climate. 29: 6823–6840.
- Mazur M., Marcysiak K., Dunajska A., Gawlak M., Kałuski T. 2022. Taxonomic Significance of Seed Morphology in Veronica L. (Plantaginaceae) Species from Central Europe. Plants. 11(1): eP. 88.
- Moggridge H.L., Gurnell A.M., Mountford J.O. 2009. Propagule input, transport and deposition in riparian environments: the importance of connectivity for diversity. – Journal of Vegetation Science. 20: 465–474.
- Nielsen T.F., Sand-Jensen K., Dornelas M., Bruun H.H. 2019. More is less: net gain in species richness, but biotic homogenization over 140 years. – Ecological Letters. 22(10): 1650–1657.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Monthly Global Climate Report for Annual 2022. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/global/202213 (accessed: 22.02.2024)
- Notov A.A., Notov V.A. 2009. Osnovnye napravleniya izucheniya genezisa adventivnogo komponenta flor [General trends in studying of genesis of florae's adventive components]. – Herald of Tver state university. Series: biology and ecology. 14(18): 127–141.
- Ordonez A., Wright I.J., Olff H. 2010. Functional differences between native and alien species: a global-scale comparison. – Funct. Ecol. 24: 1353–1361.
- Parzych A., Jonczak J. 2018. Comparison of nitrogen and phosphorus accumulation in plants associated with streams and peatbogs in mid-forest headwater ecosystems. – Journal of Elementology. 23(2): 459–469.
- Peterka T., Hájková P., Jiroušek M., Hinterlang D., Chytry M., Auniņa L., Deme J., Lyons M., Seiler H., Zechmeister H., Apostolova I., Beierkuhnlein C., Bischof M., Biţă-Nicolae C., Brancaleoni L., Ćušterevska R., Dengler J., Didukh Y., Dítě D., Hájek M. 2023. Formalized classification of the class Montio-Cardaminetea in Europe: towards a consistent typology of spring vegetation. Preslia. 95: 347–383.
- Pianka E.R. 1970. On r- and K-Selection. – The American Naturalist. 104(940): 592–597.
- Pozhilenko V.I., Gavrilenko B.V., Zhirov D.B., Zhabin S.V. 2002. Geologiya rudnykh rayonov Murmanskoi oblasti [Geology of ore districts of Murmansk Region]. Apatity. 359 p. (In Russ.).
- Ramenskaya M.L. 1983. Analiz flory Murmanskojy oblasti i Karelii [Analysis of flora of Murmansk Region and Karelia]. Lenindrad. 216 p.
- Red Data Book of East Fennoscandia. 1998. Helsinki. 351 p.
- Red Data Book of Republic Karelia. 2020. Belgorod. (In Russ.).
- Red data Book of the Murmansk region. Izd. 2. Sosudistye rastenia. Edition 2.0. 2014. Kemerovo. 584 p. (In Russ.).
- Regel C. 1935. Die Vegetationsverhältnisse der Halbinsel Kola. 1. Lieferung. Berlin-Dahlem, Verlag des Repertoriums. 160 S.
- Resursy poverhnostnyh vod SSSR: Gidrologicheskaya izuchennost' [Surface water resources of the USSR: Hydrological knowledge]. 1969. 1. Kol'skiy poluostrov. Lenindrad. 134 p.
- Richardson D., Pyšek P., Rejmanek M., Barbour M., Panetta F., West C. 2000. Naturalization and invasion of alien plants: Concepts and definitions. – Diversity and Distributions. 3: 14–93.
- Rubenstein M.A., Weiskopf S.R., Bertrand R., Carter S.L., Comte L., Eaton M.J., Johnson C.G., Lenoir J., Lynch A.J., Miller B.W., Morelli T.L., Rodriguez M.A., Terando A., Thompson L. M. 2023. Climate change and the global redistribution of biodiversity: substantial variation in empirical support for expected range shifts. – Environ. Evid. 12(1): 1–21.
- Savinykh N.P. 1979. Pobegoobrazovanie i vzaimootnosheniya zhiznennyh form v sekcii Veronica roda Veronica [Tillering and relationships of life-forms in the section Veronica genus Veronica]. – Bulletin of Moscow society of naturalists. Biological series. 84(3): 92–105 (In Russ.).
- Savinykh N.P. 2006. Rod veronica: morfologiya i evolyutsiya zhiznennykh form [The genus Veronica: morphology and evolution of life forms]. Kirov. 324 p. (In Russ.).
- Scalone R. 2011. Evolution of the sexual reproduction in Veronica (Plantaginaceae): phylogeny, phylogeography and invasion. PhD thesis. Mainz.
- Savinykh N.P. 2015. O gigrofil'nojy linii evolyutsii odnoletnikh veronik [On the hygrophilous line of evolution of annual speedwells]. – Transactions of Papanin Institute for biology of inland waters RAS. 71(74): 97–111 (In Russ.).
- Serebryakova Т.I. 1977. Ob osnovnyh “arhitekturnyh modelyah” travyanistyh mnogoletnikov i modusah ih preobrazovaniya [About the main “architectural models” of herbaceous perennials and the modes of their transformation]. – Bulletin of Moscow society of naturalists. Biological series. 82(5): 112–128 (In Russ.).
- Serebryakova Т.I. 1981. Zhiznennye formy i modeli pobegoobrazovaniya nazemno-polzuchih trav [Life forms and models of shoot formation of ground-creeping grasses]. – Zhiznennye formy: struktura, spektry i evolyuciya. Мoscow. P. 161–179 (In Russ.).
- Shcherbakov A., Ershkova E., Khapugin A., Lyubeznova N. 2022. Alien aquatic plant species in European Russia. – Bot. Zhurn. 107: 70–80.
- Shults G.E. 1981. Obshchaya fenologiya [General phenology]. L. 188 p.
- Solovyeva V.V. 2021. Adventivnye pribrezhno-vodnye i vodnye rasteniya – indikatory global'nogo potepleniya klimata [Adventitious coastal-aquatic and aquatic plants – indicators of global climate warming]. – Samara Journal of Science. 3: 117–121.
- Sturtevant R., Lower E., Bartos A., Elgin A. 2021. A Review and Secondary Analysis of Competition-Related Impacts of Nonindigenous Aquatic Plants in the Laurentian Great Lakes. – Plants. 10(2): 406.
- Taheri E., Shadkami-Till H. 2012. Phenology of Veronica beccabunga L. flowering in NW Iran. – International Journal of Forest, Soil and Erosion. 2(2): 74–77.
- The 2010 Norwegian Red List for Species. 2010. Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre, Norway. Trondheim, Artsdatabanken, 480 p.
- The 2010 Red List of Finnish Species. 2010. Helsinki. 685 p.
- Tóth P., Green A., Wilkinson D., Brides K., Lovas-Kiss Á. 2023. Plant traits associated with seed dispersal by ducks and geese in urban and natural habitats. – Ecology and Evolution. 13: eP. 10677.
- Tyler T., Andersson S., Fröberg L., Olsson K.-A., Svensson A., Olsson O. 2020. Recent changes in the frequency of plant species and vegetation types in Scania, S. Sweden, compared to changes during the twentieth century. – Biodiversity Conservation. 29: 709–728.
- van Leeuwen C., Lovas-Kiss Á., Ovegård M., Green A. 2017. Great cormorants reveal overlooked secondary dispersal of plants and invertebrates by piscivorous waterbirds. – Biol. Lett. 13(10): eP. 20170406.
- Vargot E.V. 2008. Pribrezhno-vodnaya flora rusla Sury v ee srednem techenii [Coastal and aquatic flora of the Sura River in its middle course]. – Mordovia university bulletin. 2: 24–31.
- Wang J.C., Pan B.R., Albach D.C. 2016. Evolution of morphological and climatic adaptations in Veronica L. (Plantaginaceae). – Peer Journals. 4: eP. 2333.
- WFO. 2024. World Flora Online. worldfloraonline.org (accessed: 19.02.2024)
- World of Water. 2024. https://worldofwater.com/veronica-beccabunga-brooklime (accessed: 19.11.2024)
- Xi Y., Zhang W., Wei F., Fang Z., Fensholt R. 2024. Boreal tree species diversity increases with global warming but is reversed by extremes. – Nat. Plants. 10: 1473–1483.
- Yablokov A.V., Yasufov A.G. 1989. Evolyucionnoe uchenie [Evolutionary doctrine]. Мoscow. 335 p. (In Russ.).
- Yakovlev B.A. 1961. Klimat Murmanskoy oblasti [Climate of Murmansk Region]. Murmansk. 180 p. (In Russ.).
Supplementary files
