Assessment of Cousinia mindshelkensis populations (Asteraceae) at the Karatau Ridge, South Kazakhstan
Article Sidebar
Abstract Views: 289
File Views: 210
Main Article Content
Abstract
Abstract. Kenesbay A, Kurmantayeva A, Sitpayeva G, Shmakov A, Koltunova A, Kulymbet K. 2025. Assessment of Cousinia mindshelkensis populations (Asteraceae) at the Karatau Ridge, South Kazakhstan. Biodiversitas 26: 6174-6187. Cousinia mindshelkensis is a narrow-localized endemic species, spread by small populations in the central part of the Karatau ridge, Western Tien Shan, and is included in the Kazakhstan Red Book. This study aimed to assess the current state of C. mindshelkensis populations in the Karatau range based on morphological, ecological, and molecular characters. Four populations (P1-P4) were investigated. Morphological data was analyzed based on test plots with 10-15 individuals from each population, while ecological analysis included habitat description. Molecular data based on iPBS and ITS markers were carried out using the STRUCTURE program, cluster and phylogenetic analysis. Morphological traits showed high variability. Plants from P1 and P2 were the smallest, P4 was characterized by intensive vegetative growth with reduced flowering, whereas P3 demonstrated the best reproductive performance. The highest density occurred in P1 and P2 of 4.1±0.9 and 1.6±0.79 individuals/m², respectively. Ecological analysis indicated that the species inhabits petrophytic, mixed-herbaceous-woody-shrubby, and herbaceous-shrubby communities. Genetic diversity assessed by 3 iPBS markers was an average of 61.2% with the highest presented by iPBS2373 of 87.5% polymorphism and phylogenetic analysis confirmed all samples belong to a single clade. These results highlight the necessity of continuous monitoring and justify the inclusion of C. mindshelkensis among priority targets for biodiversity conservation in the region.
Article Details
Issue
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
References
Ali F, Yılmaz A, Nadeem MA, Habyarimana E, Subaşı I, Nawaz MA, Chaudhary HJ, Shahid MQ, Ercişli S, Zia MAB, Chung G, Baloch FS. 2019. Mobile genomic element diversity in world collection of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) panel using iPBS-retrotransposon markers. Plos One 14 (2): e0211985. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211985.
Atazadeh N, Sheidai М, Attar F, Koohdar F. 2020. Genetic and morphological diversity in Cousinia calocephala Jaub. & Spach (Asteraceae; section Cynaroideae Bunge) populations. Genetika 52 (1): 199-213. DOI: 10.2298/GENSR2001199A.
Baitenov MS, Vasilyeva AN, Gamayunova AP, Goloskokov VP, Karmysheva NH, Myrzakulov P, Orazova A, Polyakov PP, Roldugin II, Semiotrocheva NL, Filatova NS, Fisyun VV, Tsagolova VG. 1972. Illustrated Guide to the Plants of Kazakhstan. Kazakh SSR, Alma-Ata. [Russian]
Banchi E, Ametrano СG, Greco S, Stanković D, Muggia L, Pallavicini A. 2020. PLANiTS: A curated sequence reference dataset for plant ITS DNA metabarcoding. Database 2020: baz155. DOI: 10.1093/database/baz155.
Bazarov B, Rajamuradov Z, Safin M, Rajabov A, Khayitov D, Kuziev M, Aminjonov S, Ismayilova M, Kudratov J, Khujabekov M, Khaydarov D. 2023. The productivity, chemical composition and nutritional value of pastures dominated by Artemisia diffusa and Cousinia resinosa in arid lands of southwestern Uzbekistan. Biodiversitas 24 (7): 3917-3918. DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d240730.
Begenov AB, Ametov AA, Eszhanova BE, Abidkulova KT, Satybaldieva GK, TynybekoV BM, Baimurzaev NB, Childebayeva AZH, Nurmakhanova AS. 2015. Methodological Guidelines for Conducting Educational Practice in Botany. Kazakh University, Almaty. [Kazakh]
Bonchev GN, Vassilevska-Ivanova R. 2020. Fingerprinting the genetic variation and intergeneric hybrid dynamics in the family Asteraceae (genera Helianthus, Echinacea, Tagetes, and Verbesina) using iPBS markers. Biologia 75: 457-464. DOI: 10.2478/s11756-019-00363-3.
Buglova LV, Nuzhdina NS. 2018. Evaluation of ISSR analysis for studying of the genus Trollius (Ranunculaceae) diversity. Fl Asian Russ 2 (30): 66-75. DOI: 10.21782/RMAR1995-2449-2018-2(66-75). [Russian]
Cheng T, Xu C, Lei L, Li C, Zhang Y, Zhou S. 2016. Barcoding the kingdom Plantae: New PCR primers for ITS regions of plants with improved universality and specificity. Mol Ecol Resour 16 (1): 138-149. DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12438.
Cherneva ОV. 1962. Experience of the Cousinia Cass. genus system in the flora of the USSR. Bot Mater Herb Inst Bot Uzbek SSR Acad Sci 17: 77-108. [Russian]
Cherneva ОV. 1974. A brief analysis of the geographical distribution of species of the genus Cousinia Cass. Bot Zh 59: 183-191. [Russian]
Cherneva ОV. 1983. Cousinia Cass. The Position of the Genus Cousinia Cass. in the Subtribe Carduinae Dumort. (Asteraceae). [Report]. 7th Delegate Congress of the All-Union Botanical Society. Donetsk, 11-14 May 1983. [Russian]
Dierckxsens N, Mardulyn P, Smits G. 2017. NovoPlasty: De novo assembly of organelle genomes from whole genome data. Nucleic Acids Res 45: 18-25. DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw955.
Dorogina OV, Zhmud EV. 2020. Molecular-genetic methods in plant ecology. Contemp Probl Ecol 13: 333-345. DOI: 10.1134/S1995425520040058.
Ebel AL, Kupriyanov AN, Lashchinskij NN, Hrustaleva IA. 2020. Additions to the flora of the Boraldai Branch of the Ssyrdarya-Turkestan Natural Park. Bot Res Siber Kazakhst 26: 36-41. [Russian]
Erzhapova ES, Alikhadzhiev MH. 2015. Plant Morphology. Chechen State University, Grozny. [Russian]
Fomina NA, Antonova OY, Chukhina IG, Gavrilenko TA. 2019. Herbarium collections in molecular genetic research. Turczaninowia 22 (4): 104-118. DOI: 10.14258/turczaninowia.22.4.12. [Russian]
Freitas A, da Anunciacao R, Oliveira-Matielo C, Stefenon V. 2018. Chloroplast DNA: A promising source of information for plant phylogeny and traceability. J Mol Biol Methods 1: 1. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4615-3276-7.
Gao X, Zhang X, Meng H, Li J, Zhang D, Liu C. 2018. Comparative chloroplast genomes of Paris Sect. Marmorata: Insights into repeat regions and evolutionary implications. BMC Genom 19: 878-889. DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-5281-x.
Ghaffari SM, Ghaffari SB, Hesamzadeh Hejazi SM, Zare AG. 2022. Behavior of b-chromosomes during meiosis in Cousinia lactiflora Rech.f. (Cynaroideae, Asteraceae) from Iran. Cytologia 87: 119-122. DOI: 10.1508/cytologia.87.119.
He H, Wang T, Tang C, Cao Z, Pu X, Li Y. 2023. Complete chloroplast genomes of Saussurea katochaete, Saussurea superba, and Saussurea stella: Genome structures and comparative and phylogenetic analyses. Genes 14 (11): 2002. DOI: 10.3390/ genes14112002.
Herrando-Moraira S, Calleja JA, Galbany-Casals M, Garcia-Jacas N, Liu JQ, López-Alvarado J. 2019. Nuclear and plastid DNA phylogeny of tribe Cardueae (Compositae) with Hyb-Seq data: A new subtribal classification and a temporal diversification framework. Mol Phylogenet Evol 137: 313-332. DOI: 10.1016/ j.ympev.2019.05.001.
Herrando-Moraira S. 2020. Generic boundaries in subtribe Saussureinae (Compositae: Cardueae): Insights from hyb-seq data. Taxon 69: 694-714. DOI: 10.1002/tax.12314.
Imanbayeva A, Duisenova N, Orazov A, Sagyndykova M, Belozerov I, Tuyakova A. 2024. Study of the floristic, morphological, and genetic (atpF-atpH, Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS), matK, psbK-psbI, rbcL, and trnH-psbA) differences in Crataegus ambigua populations in Mangistau (Kazakhstan). Plants 13 (12): 1591. DOI: 10.3390/plants13121591.
Ivashchenko AA. 2024. Implementation of R. V. Kamelin’s proposals for the protection and monitoring of the flora of Syrdarya Karatau: Results and prospects. Probl Bot South Siber Mongol 23: 105-112. DOI: 10.14258/pbssm.2024020. [Russian]
Ivashchenko АА. 2019. Little-studied endemics of the Western Tien Shan in the flora of Sairam-Ugam National Park (Kazakhstan). Probl Bot South Siber Mongol 18 (1): 270-275. DOI: 10.14258/pbssm.2019055. [Russian]
Ivashchenko АА. 2020. Some endemic representatives of the Asteraceae family in the Kazakh part of the Western Tien Shan and Karatau. Probl Bot South Siber Mongol 2: 234-239. DOI: 10.14258/pbssm.2021110. [Russian]
Ivashchenko АА. 2021. Distribution and condition of populations of some endemic representatives of the Syrdarya Karatau and Western Tien Shan flora. Probl Bot South Siber Mongol 1: 23-27. DOI: 10.14258/pbssm.2021040. [Russian]
Kalouti S, Osaloo SK, Attar F, Susanna A, Garcia-Jacas N. 2022. Molecular phylogeny of Cousinia sections Albidae, Stenocephalae and Cousinia (Asteraceae): Systematic implications. Phytotaxa 536: 109-125. DOI: 10.11646/ phytotaxa.536.2.1.
Kamelin RV. 1990. Flora of the Syrdarya Karatau. Science, Leningrad. [Russian]
Karimov B, Tojibaev ShK, Azimova D, Yusupov Z, Liu L. 2025. Comparative analysis of complete chloroplast genomes of Cousinia (Asteraceae) species. Front Plant Sci 16: 1522950. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1522950.
Kenesbay AH, Kurmantayevа AA, Sitpayeva GT. 2024. Assessment of the state of the cenopopulation of Cousinia mindschelkensis B. Fedtsch. of Karakuys Gorge in the Karatau Reserve. BIO Web Conf 100: 2-6. DOI: 10.1051/bioconf/202410004044.
Khapilina O, Turzhanova A, Danilova A, Tumenbayeva A, Shevtsov V, Kotukhov Y, Kalendar R. 2021. Primer Binding Site (PBS) profiling of genetic diversity of natural populations of endemic species Allium ledebourianum Schult. BioTech 23: 6-9. DOI: 10.3390/biotech10040023.
Kolter А, Gemeinholzer B. 2021. Internal transcribed spacer primer evaluation for vascular plant Metabarcoding. Metabarcod Metagenom 5: 133-152. DOI: 10.3897/mbmg.5.68155.
Kurmantayeva. 2003. Geography of the Genus Cousinia Cass. in the Flora of the Syrdarya Karatau Ridge. [Report]. Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty. [Russian]
Kutlunina NA, Ermoshin AA. 2017. Molecular Genetic Methods in Plant Research. Ural University Press, Yekaterinburg. [Russian]
Kutsev MG, Uvarova OV, Sinitsyna TA. 2014. Set of synthetic Oligonucleotides for the Amplification and Sequencing of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 Vascular Plants. Patent of the Russian Federation No. 2528063. Russia, 30 June 2014. [Russian]
Laface VLA, Musarella CM, Sorgonà A, Spampinato G. 2022. Analysis of the population structure and dynamic of endemic Salvia ceratophylloides Ard. (Lamiaceae). Sustainability 14 (16): 35-40. DOI: 10.3390/su141610295.
Medvedeva SO, Cherepanova OE, Filippov EG, Koporikov AR. 2023. The use of ITS markers for identification of birch species from section Apterocaryon. Probl Bot South Sib Mong 2 (22): 187-190. DOI: 10.14258/pbssm.2023123. [Russian]
Minaeifar A, Sheidai M, Attar F. 2015. Genetic and morphological diversity in Cousinia cylindracea (Asteraceae) populations: Identification of gene pools. Biodiversitas 16 (2): 288-294. DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d160225.
Minaeifar AA. 2025. Investigating the relationship between three sections of Cousinia using macroscopic and microscopic characters. Acta Cell Biologica 1 (1): 33-44.
Mukhitdinov NM, Eszhanov BE, Satybaldieva GK, Tynybekov BM. 2016. Bioresources of Kazakhstan. Kazakh University, Almaty. [Kazakh]
Naumov SY, Kirpichev IV. 2017. Geobotany. Lugansk, Elton. [Russian]
NCBI. 2025. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Nyamgerel N, Baasanmunkh S, Oyuntsetseg B, Oyuntsetseg D, Norris J, Choi HJ, Bayarmaa GA. 2023. Genetic diversity of the threatened Saussurea dorogostaiskii (Asteraceae) in the Khuvsgul region of Mongolia. Korean J Plant Taxon 53 (1): 14-24. DOI: 10.11110/kjpt.2023.53.1.14.
Paşayeva L, Kararenk A, Koşar M. 2020. Traditional usage, phytochemical compositions and biological activities of Сousinia Cass. genus. J Fac Pharm Ankara 44 (2): 293-307. DOI: 10.33483/jfpau.641516.
Pavlov NV. 1966. Flora of Kazakhstan. Science, Alma-Ata. [Russian]
Perezhogin YUV, Erohin NG, Petrov GD. 2021. Endemic species of the Lamiaceae family of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Bull Karag Stat Pedagog Inst 3: 56-62. [Russian]
Pérez-Vargas I, Portero AM, de Paz PL, Pérez JA. 2020. Retrotransposon-based molecular markers as a tool in delimiting species in section Ryncholotus, a recent radiation group of Macaronesian Lotus. Syst Biodivers 19 (2): 110-120. DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2020.1827076.
POWO. 2025. Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org.
Raizer OB, Khapilina ON. 2020. iPBS is a polymorphism of rare relict and endangered Allium species growing on the territory of Kazakhstan Altai. Agrar Bull Urals 9 (200): 63-73. DOI: 10.32417/1997-4868-2020-200-9-63-73. [Russian]
Rechinger КН. 1953. Cousinia-Studien. Osterr Bot Zeitschr 100: 4-5. DOI: 10.1007/BF01815051.
Red Book of Kazakhstan. 2014. Red Book of Kazakhstan 2nd Edition. ArtPrint, Astana. [Russian]
R-Studio Team. 2020. RStudio: Integrated Development for R. RStudio. PBC, Boston, MA. http://www.rstudio.com/.
Rumyantsev DE, Lapatkin VA, Zagreeva AB. 2023. Fundamentals of Geobotany. NOO Professional Science, Moscow. [Russian]
Salybekova N, Dalda-sekerci A, Apushev A, Gurcan K, Bulut-Topbas F, Tutuncu M, Sari O, Yusupov B, Celikel F, Turmetova G. 2025. Assessing genetic diversity and population structure in Tulipa species from Türkiye and Kazakhstan. Not Bot Horti Agrobot Cluj-Napoca 53 (1): 2-15. DOI: 10.15835/nbha53114252.
Seledec VP, Probatova NS. 2022. Ecology of coenopopulations of the adventitious grass Phleum pratense L. in the south of Sakhalin (Russian Far East). Biol Environ Nat Areas 1: 50-68. DOI: 10.37102/2782-1978_2022_1_4. [Russian]
Sheikina OV, Gladkova EA, Gladkov YF, Alekseev IA, Vinokurova RI. 2019. Assessment of polymorphism and selection of SSR and iPBS markers for molecular genetic studies of silver birch. Vestnik PGTU 4 (44): 22-26. DOI: 10.25686/2306-2827.2019.4.59. [Russian]
Shevcov VA, Nazarec NA. 2024. Creation of an Electronic Database for the Systematization of the Flora of Kazakhstan. Symposium of Regional flora of Kazakhstan: Diversity, Genetics and Conservation. Astana. Kazakhstan, 30-31 May 2024. [Russian]
Sitpayeva GT, Kurmantayeva AA, Kenesbay AH, Asylbekova AA. 2021. Study of the chemical composition of the rare, endemic species Cousinia mindschelkensis B. Fedtsch. in the Syrdarya Karatau. Rep Natl Acad Sci Rep Kazakhst 6: 154-160. DOI: 10.32014/2021.2518-1483.124. [Russian]
Sitpayeva GT, Kurmantayeva AA, Kenesbay. 2020. Cousinia mindschelkensis B. Fedtsch. the role of a rare, endemic species in the flora of Kazakhstan. Bull Shakarim State Univ Semey 3: 191-195. [Russian]
Tastanbekova A, Kulymbet K, Kurmanbayeva M, Höhn M, Zhumagul M, Abduraimov O, Issayev GI, Alshynbayev O, Toktar M, Smanov Z. 2025. Implications of population size, structure, and soil parameters for the conservation of Allochrusa gypsophiloides in Kazakhstan. Biodiversitas 26 (5): 2051-2064. DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d260504.
Tonkin-Hill G, Lees JA, Bentley SD, Frost SDW, Corander J. 2019. Fast hierarchical Bayesian analysis of population structure. Nucleic Acids Res 47 (11): 5539-5549. DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz361.
Vanijajiva O, Pornpongrungrueng P. 2020. Inter-Primer Binding Site (iPBS) markers reveal the population genetic diversity and structure of tropical climbing Cissampelopsis (Asteraceae) in Thailand. Biodiversitas 21 (9): 3919-3928. DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d210901.
Wanda IF, Djuita NR, Chikmawati T. 2021. Molecular phylogenetics of Malesian Diospyros (Ebenaceae) based trnL-F spacer sequences. Biodiversitas 22 (9): 4106-4114. DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d220959.
Xing Y-P, Xu L, Chen S-Y, Liang Y-M, Wang J-H, Liu C-S, Liu T, Kang T-G. 2019. Comparative analysis of complete chloroplast genomes sequences of Arctium lappa and A. tomentosum. Biol Plant 63: 565-574. DOI: 10.32615/bp.2019.101.
Yildiz M, Arbizu C. 2022. Inter-Primer Binding Site (iPBS) retrotransposon markers provide insights into the genetic diversity and population structure of carrots (Daucus, Apiaceae). Turk J Agric For 46: 214-223. DOI: 10.55730/1300-011X.2972.
Yun S, Kim SC. 2022. Comparative plastomes and phylogenetic analysis of seven Korean endemic Saussurea (Asteraceae). BMC Plant Biol 22: 550. DOI: 10.1186/ s12870-022-03946-6.
Zhuikova TV, Popova АS. 2022. Ontogenetic tactics of morphological characteristics of the Betula pendula Roth leaf in the gradient of technogenic soil transformation under changing weather conditions. Samara J Sci 11: 30-38. DOI: 10.55355/snv2022114104. [Russian]
Zhukova AA, Minets ML. 2021. Biometrics in Three Parts. BGU, Minsk. [Russian]
Zoteeva EA. 2019. Botany: Morphology and Systematics of Plants. Ural State Forest Engineering University, Yekaterinburg. [Russian]
Zulfahmi Z, Parjanto, Purwanto E, Yunus A. 2021. Genetic diversity and population structure of Eurycoma apiculata in Eastern Sumatra, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22 (10): 4431-4439. DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d221036.