Rare and endangered plant species of the Chinese Altai Mountains

Abstract

Altai (also named Altay in China) Mountain Country (Mountain System) is a unique natural region, located on the border between different floristic regimes of the Boreal and ancient Mediterranean sub-kingdoms, where distribution of plant species is actually limited. It is known to have sufficient endemic floral biodiversity in the Northern Asia. Many plants of Altai Mountain System need effective care and proper conservation measures for their survival and longer-term protection. Important Plant Area identified as the IUCN (the International Union for Conservation of Nature), specified criteria attract global attention for protection of floral biodiversity across the world. The records of 71 plant species from the Chinese Altai Mountains attributed to the criterion A and the dark conifer forests of Chinese Altai Mountains satisfied the criterion C, which may help qualify to fulfill the national obligation of the Convention on Biological Diversity.