Crop wild relatives of Kazakhstani Tien Shan: Flora, vegetation, resources

This paper presents the results of the field study on species composition, geographical distribution, phytocoenotic diversity and resources of crop wild relatives (CWR) in Kazakhstan's ranges of the Tien Shan Mountains. List of CWR includes 289 species belonging to 39 families and 145 genera - among them, 9 species listed in the Red Data book of Kazakhstan. The highest plant diversity is recorded in intermountain plains and river valleys where meadow vegetation forms a high abundance of forage and resource plants. The diversity of wild fruit plants is concentrated in gallery forests. CWR of cereals are confined to dry steppe slopes in low piedmont belt.