The Department of Flora and Plant Systematics has existed since the founding of the Institute of Botany.
At one time it was headed by professors B. Fedchenko (1932-1935), N. Goncharov (1935-1040), academician of the National Academy of Science P. Ovchinnikov (1941-1977), corresponding member. Academician of NAST M. Rasulova (1977-1988), corresponding member. Academician of NAST M. Ismailov (1992-1991), Academician of Sciences Kh. Khisoriev (1994-2020).
The main directions of scientific research of the department:
- Study of biodiversity, taxonomy, ecology, taxonomy, geography and genesis of the flora of higher and lower plants, assessment of the status of rare and endemic plant species and development of scientific bases for their conservation and sustainable use.
As a result of the enormous work of several generations of botanical florists, more than 4,500 species of vascular plants, representatives of 120 families and about 1,000 genera, have been identified in Tajikistan today, more than 200 species new to science and more than 800 endemic species that grow only in Tajikistan have been described.
A great contribution to the study of the natural flora of vascular plants in Tajikistan was made by B. Fedchenko, N. Goncharov, P. Ovchinnikov, R. Kamelin, M. Rasulova, S. Yunusov, M. Ismailov and others. Long-term studies on the study of higher vascular plants are summarized in 10 -volume book “Flora of the Tajik SSR”. As a result of a critical inventory of the flora of Tajikistan, more than 267 rare and endemic species have now been identified, included in the second edition of the “Red Book” of the Republic of Tajikistan (2015).
With Kh. Khisoriev (1994-1999) a new direction of botanical research originates: floristic ecological-geographical, systematic, taxonomic and bioindicative significance of algae (Algae) of natural and artificial reservoirs of Tajikistan.
At present, the algological school created by Kh. Khisoriev has completed a complete inventory of euglenophyte algae in Central Asia (Khisoriev, 1999-2019), algae of reservoirs and streams of Southern Tajikistan (Boboev, 2005-2019), lakes of the Eastern Pamir (Niyatbekov, 2008-2019), river ecosystems (Kurbonova, 2012-2019), geothermal and mineral waters (Dzhumaeva, 2008), a study of the biodiversity of algae in cascade reservoirs along the river. Vakhsh, reservoirs of Northern Tajikistan (Mirsaburov, Khudzhaev, 2019). The results of the algofloristic works of Tajik scientists are given in a number of monographs: “Euglenophyta algae of reservoirs of Central Asia”, “Euglenophyta of continental reservoirs”, “Algal flora of watercourses and reservoirs of the South Tajik depression”, “Ecological and floristic features of algae of reservoirs of the basin of the river. Gunt” and others. Currently, more than 2200 species of algae from 12 divisions, 105 families and more than 400 genera have been identified on the territory of Tajikistan.
As a result of long-term studies of spore plants for the territory of Tajikistan, more than 2500 species of freshwater, soil and rock algae, 2000 species of micro- and macromycetes, more than 300 species of lichens and over 400 species of deciduous and liver mosses have been identified.
The most important achievements of research on lower plants, which are of practical importance, are works on:
- The study of algae and their role in wastewater treatment, in the development of the food base of fish farms, the use of mosses, lichens, algae and fungi in the monitoring of anthropogenic pollution, as well as in bioindication of the environment.
- Lichenological (Lichenophyta) study of Tajikistan was started by Professor A. Oksner and his student, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor I. Kudratov, who published dozens of scientific articles and the monograph “Lichens of the Mountain Zeravshan”.
- Studies of the bryoflora (Bryophyta) of Tajikistan were carried out by Professor U. Mamatkulov and his student B. Boborajabov, the results of which were published in a number of monographs: “Deciduous mosses of the Darvaz Range”, “Analysis of the Pamir-Alay bryoflora”, “Bryophyte flora of Tajikistan”.
Currently, the staff of the department are:
- Khisoriev Kh., Academician of the National Academy of Science Leading Researcher
- Davlatov A.S., Ph.D., Associate Professor. Senior Researcher
- Kurbonov. P.A., Ph.D. Senior Researcher
- Abrorov.S.S., Senior Researcher
- Yusupova F., Researcher
- M. Khudzhaev, Junior Researcher
- Rakhmatova T., doctor PhD