33. AP26199389 The study of species biodiversity and the creation of a digital herbarium of flora of the State National Natural Park «Kokshetau (Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor Sh.N. Durmekbayeva)

Information on scientific and (or) scientific-technical projects of grant financing by Ministry of Science and Higher EducationRepublic of Kazakhstan

1) Grant financing Grant financing of scientific and (or) scientific-technical projects for 2025-2027 (implementation period 36 months)

Project summary

Project title

AP26199389 The study of species biodiversity and the creation of a digital herbarium of flora of the State National Natural Park «Kokshetau

Project manager

Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor Sh.N. Durmekbayeva

Implementation period

2025-2027

Amount of funding

109 600 thousand tenge

Topicality

The project main idea is to use digital technologies and create digital herbarium collections in the study of the species biodiversity of the flora of the State National Natural Park «Kokshetau», as one of the main ways to ensure Internet accessibility for scientific and educational purposes.

Development of practical measures for the conservation and restoration of biodiversity of the SNNP «Kokshetau».

Considering the urgent need to apply new instruments of state regulation, Decree No.611 of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated July 30, 2024, approved the «National Development Plan of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2029». The National Plan plans to develop science, create a high-quality education system based on equal access to fundamental knowledge, digital technologies, and a comfortable educational infrastructure.

One of the main priorities of the National Plan is to increase the share of specially protected natural areas. For the conservation and management of biodiversity, it is planned to develop an integrated ecosystem approach that includes ecosystem-monitoring, assessment of environmental threats, development and implementation of management strategies for the restoration and protection of habitats. Along with strengthening legislation in the field of nature protection, it is planned to work out measures to ensure the necessary funding and resources for research, and practical measures for the conservation and restoration of biodiversity.

Within the framework of this project, it is planned to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the biodiversity of specially protected natural areas, conduct biomonitoring and establish the modern species composition of plants. Development and implementation of recommendations for the conservation of the plant gene pool. Applications of digitalization in scientific and educational activities, the creation of digital herbarium as a network resource on biodiversity

Objective

The aim of the project The study of the modern species composition of plants of the State National Natural Park «Kokshetau», the creation of a digital herbarium collection and ensuring accessibility via the Internet, the preparation of recommendations for the conservation and restoration of biodiversity

Project outcomes

Work with herbarium fund and floristic lists of 5 branches of SNNP «Kokshetau» will be carried out. The route of floristic surveys on the territory of SNNP «Kokshetau» will be developed. Species of vascular plants will be collected. Photofixation of plant species will be made. Plant species will be identified, herbarium and taxonomic list will be compiled.

According to the results of this work will be published 1 article in the materials of the International Conference in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Data will be collected to analyse plant life forms and ecological groups. Plant life forms will be identified. Ecological groups of plant species will be identified.Economically valuable and medicinal plant species will be identified. Rare and endangered plant species will be identified and photographed. Similarity of flora will be analysed.Morphological characterisation of plants will be given. Anatomical sections will be prepared, microdissections and microphotographs will be taken, anatomical description of plant organs will be given, morphometric analysis will be carried out.The component composition of medicinal plants will be studied by NMR spectroscopy on the device «NMR spectrometer Jeol JNM-ECA 400 (Japan)»

Collected herbarium materials and label information will be digitized. A digital herbarium collection will be compiled.

Processing of input data of the digital herbarium will be carried out for entering into the site database.Content filling of the website database will be performed and a certificate of inclusion in the state register of rights to copyrighted objects will be obtained.Recommendations on preservation and restoration of biodiversity on the territory of the State National Natural Park «Kokshetau» will be made.

Upon completion of the project, the following results will also be achieved:At the end of the project, there will also be the following results:at least 2 (two) articles and (or) reviews in peer-reviewed scientific publications indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded and included in the 1st (first) and (or) 2nd (second) quartile by impact factor in the Web of Science database and (or) having a CiteScore percentile in the Scopus database of at least 65 (sixty-five);

- at least 2 (two) articles or reviews in a peer-reviewed foreign or domestic publication recommended by the Committee for Quality Assurance in the field of Science and Higher Education of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan;One of the articles should be with the category - multidisciplinary (multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary practical application) on the tasks of enterprises from the real sector of the economy of Kazakhstan.

Publication of a monograph on the results of research with reference to the received grant with indication of its number in the Kazakhstani publishing house, with obtaining a certificate of inclusion in the state register of rights to copyrighted objects.During the implementation of the project, two (2) master’s students will be trained.

In the corresponding field of science:At least one (1) Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor in the field will be trained (joint training with higher education institutions licensed for postgraduate doctoral education is permitted). The defense of the dissertation may take place no later than two (2) years after the completion of the project;Alternatively, in the absence of a license for postgraduate doctoral education, at least two (2) individuals will be required to complete a postdoctoral training program (in accordance with Article 37 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Education” dated July 27, 2007, No. 319-III) and publish at least two (2) research articles in journals recommended by the Committee for Quality Assurance in the Field of Science and Higher Education (CQAHE) for each participant.