Calligonum zakirovii (Polygonaceae), A Native Species in Uzbekistan: Population, Habitats, and Threats

One of the central issues in conservation today is identifying areas rich in biodiversity for priority conservation. The local population structure of endangered species is one of the main criteria for assessing their state in their habitats. The range of the genus Calligonum L. is Holarctic, ancient Mediterranean, continuous. Calligonum L. (Polygonaceae) is an ancient genus in the arid desert flora, and Central Asia is the place of its origin. Calligonum is distributed from southern Europe through northern Africa to central Asia, and is typically found in arid, desert regions. Some species migrated to the Middle Asia and Iran, developing into a second center there. There are 41 (80) species of Calligonum L. worldwide, 29 of which are in Uzbekistan. They play a key role in the stability of desert and gravelly desert ecosystem of Uzbekistan. Calligonum zakirovii (Khalk.) Czerep. is classified as 1 category, threatened species, in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Uzbekistan. During the research, three local populations of the species were studied. The number of individuals in 1 m² area is 0.85‒1.25, and the ecological density is 0.94‒1.66. Therefore, inventory of regional floras as well as single species and their populations is highly important and necessary.