Phytosozological study of natural monuments to determine the ecological status of specially protected natural areas

The article gives a phytosozological assessment of natural monuments of regional importance in the Penza region, based on a number of phytosozological criteria that characterize the vegetation cover and their ecological state. The assessment is based on such criteria as the degree of study of the vegetation cover of the territory, the demonstration (reference) value, the area occupied, the anthropotolerance of the vegetation cover, the coenotic diversity of the territory, the total number of species diversity of vascular plants, the number of species listed in the Federal and regional Red Books, the degree transformation and recovery potential. The assessment used is of interest as a test express system that allows you to quickly assess the dynamics of the main qualitative and quantitative indicators of natural complexes. On the territory of the Penza region, located mostly on the western slope of the Volga Upland, and geobotanically located within the forest-steppe zone, in order to preserve biological and landscape diversity, 90 natural monuments of regional significance were identified on an area of 627.4 km2, which is 1.44% from the territory of the region. The highest concentration of natural monuments is noted in the north-east of the region, the most elevated and wooded part of the region. The largest area of more than 40 thousand hectares was noted in the Vyshe-Moksha botanical-geographical region. The largest number of monuments, of which 70% are botanical, are noted in the Prisursky botanical-geographical region with an average rating score of 62.2. The maximum score was noted at the natural monument Ardymsky Shikhan. The largest number of hydrological monuments of nature are located in the Zasursky and Prisursky botanical and geographical regions, which is associated with the location of the Sura River basin in these regions. The largest number of zoological monuments is located on the territory of the Vyshe-Moksha botanical-geographical region. The results obtained are necessary to determine the dynamics and directions of the processes of conservation and restoration of the composition of the flora and fauna of unique communities of regional natural monuments, as well as to increase the level of representativeness and ecological status, which in the future will allow monitoring changes in ecosystems.