The first in the Arctic

2021-Jubilee for the polar-alpine Botanical Garden-Institute named after N. A. Aurorin of the Kola Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Pabsis). On August 26, 1931, at a meeting of the chiefs of research parties working in the Khibins, Nikolai Alexandrovich Avroorin made a substantiation of the creation of the world's first Botanical Garden beyond the Polar Circle. A month later, by a decree of the biological group of the USSR Academy of Sciences of October 3, 1931, the Polar-Alpine Botanical Garden was organized as part of the Khibinsky research station of the Academy of Sciences, and the November session of the USSR Academy of Sciences approved this decision. To date, Pabi is the only botanical garden in the Russian Arctic.

First of all, PABSI is an academic research institute, the main areas of work of which are the study of the plant world of the Arctic, conducting introduction experiments to adapt plants of other geographical areas to the conditions of the Arctic and the creation of an assortment for landscaping northern cities. In the history of the Botanical Garden there were ups and falls; There was an evacuation of the collective during the war in Syktyvkar, reorienting scientific research for practical needs (obtaining glucose from lichens, the preparation of vitamin concentrates from local raw materials) and the selfless work of the few remaining employees to preserve the collection. There was a significant increase in PABSI area in the 1950s and expanding scientific topics, as well as obtaining the status of the institute in 1967. There were difficult times of the 1990s, when, despite the difficult economic crisis in the country, it was possible to preserve the collections and the main personnel of the institute. Finally, in the 2000s, the garden became sadly famous because of some exotic directions of development and appeared on the pages of the TRV-hobby exclusively in a negative context. Fortunately, recently in Pabsis there have been positive shifts. Birthday is a good reason to talk about some of the most significant areas and projects.

Over the decades of their work, scientists studying the flora and vegetation of the region have achieved great success. There is little left on the map of the Murmansk region, where the botanist’s leg did not step. A rare region in Russia boasts such complete data on the identified variety of vascular plants, mosses, liver, lichens and algae.

In recent decades, PABSI officers have not limited research in the "home" region. The annual expeditions on Spitsbergen allowed to significantly supplement knowledge about vegetation, the composition and spread of mossy, lichens and cyanobacteria on the archipelago, the physiology of Arctic plants and the characteristics of soils. Over the past year alone, two new species for science were described - Lophozia Svalbardensis and Nodosilinea Svalbardensis liver. In many respects, the high scientific results obtained on Svalbard are associated with a good organization of expeditionary work and the participation of highly qualified and experienced specialists. Spitsbergen's research is not easy both in logistics and in the conditions in which expeditions work. Work here requires scientists of certain courage and endurance. Field studies are accompanied by harsh changeable weather and frequent meetings with white bears. The danger of the visits of the “owner of the Arctic” forces the participants of the expedition, who often live in tents, to conduct constant night watch. Using all types of transport and overcoming bureaucratic obstacles, the Pabsis expedition on Svalbard is working throughout the archipelago. Wide coverage of the research areas gives competitive advantages compared to colleagues from other countries who have the opportunity to work almost exclusively at stationary bases.

The interests of PABSI scientists are connected not only with the study of the Arctic. Expeditionary work is carried out in Karelia, in the Caucasus, Urals, Siberia and the Far East. Botanists strive to visit inaccessible and unlearned areas, study the species composition and describe plant communities, identify botanical and geographical patterns and find new species for science. Important areas of PABSI are the study of production processes in plant communities and the cycle of individual elements in biogeocenosis, the study of the types and features of soil formation in the conditions of the Arctic and the development of methods of biological protection of plants.

Fundamental and applied studies in the field of introduction and acclimatization of plant species in the botanical garden include the study of adaptive mechanisms and the selection of agricultural technology for growing introducers, testing and developing recommendations for the use of species and varieties in landscaping cities and internal premises.

Residents of the cities of the Murmansk region in the bustle of life rarely pay attention to the fact that some trees, shrubs and beautifully blooming on the flower beds are not found in the natural nature of the region. Our parks, squares and alleys are a visual result of PABSO long -term work on landscaping cities. Almost all types and varieties that were planted here during the years of the USSR were brought to the Botanical Garden from the southern regions and passed many years of acclimatization. Those species that have adapted well to the conditions of the Arctic are able to endure long cold winters and a short rainy summer, while maintaining aesthetic qualities, were recommended for use in cities and were grown in nurseries of the garden for distribution. Unfortunately, many years of scientific experience in the resettlement of plants in the Arctic is often ignored by the administrations of the municipalities of the Murmansk region or the owners of the territory. Here and there there are thuja, Cossack junipers and oaks that live for one or two season and fall out. One of the missions of botanical gardens is to be the keepers of the Geno Front of the World Flora. In PABSI, the types of rare plants included in the red list of threatened species of the International Union of Nature Protection, in the Red Books of the Russian Federation and the Murmansk Region, are preserved and studied.

A significant part of the botanical garden is located on the slopes of the mountains and is a specially protected natural area. It presents seven species of lichens, 13 species of mossy and 15 species of vascular plants included in the Red Book of the Murmansk region. Unfortunately, most of the conservation territory does not have alloices and stands, the boundaries and tourist trails are not indicated, there is no visual information about the protection mode, the map schemes of routes and other visual agitation. The lack of navigation and labeling of borders leads to trampling and random destruction of plants and lichens. For a long time, this was not paid to attention, partly, possibly due to the brevity of the period of active visit to the protected area, limited by summer-autumn months. In 2021, with the support of the Beautiful Children in the Beautiful World, the creation of a navigation and orientation system on the territory of the botanical garden began.

The botanical garden is one of the most famous attractions of the Murmansk region. Orange, nurseries, open soil expositions and natural ecosystems through which the ecological trail (“Geographs Trail”) passes - the main tourist facilities that attract thousands of visitors. Traditional tourist routes pass along the territory of the garden - through the pass of geographers, to the molybdenitic mine, there are places of training of climbers. The annual tourist flow has about 10,000 visitors. The garden is actively involved in various tourist projects. So, in 2020, Pabsis participated in a competition organized by the agency of strategically initiatives, and as part of the project “Hibina for all” went to the final. In July of this year, the main part of the school of natural tourism guides was held on the territory of PABSI. In the anniversary year, with the support of the design office of the development of the Arctic and the Phenomena of the Arctic Phenomena project, the Kolarktik border cooperation program was prepared and published in the Botanical Garden for 20 years. A guide to the ecological trail was prepared for printing. At the beginning of this year, the updated Pabgi.ru site was launched.

To solve heterogeneous problems, such as the creation of new and the functioning of old collectible nurseries, educational work and preservation of natural ecosystems and habitats of rare species this year for the first time in the history of the garden, the territory was justified and a differentiated regime of protection for various sections was established.

On the eve of the anniversary, I would like to thank all the former and current employees of the Botanical Garden for their selfless work, for putting their souls in their work!

Evgeny Borovich, Ph.D. Biol. sciences,
deputy. Chairman of the Kola Scientific Center for Scientific Work

Denis Davydov, cand. Biol. sciences,
deputy. Director of the Polar-Alpi Botanical Garden Institute
them. N.A. Avororina KNC RAS ​​for scientific work

Photo from the archive of Pabi