History of the floristic study of the Karelian Isthmus, Leningrad Region

Authors

• Anna Ju. Doronina
• Mikko Piirainen

Abstract

The Karelian Isthmus is located in the Leningrad Region, NW Russia, between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga. The political boundaries have changed several times during the history. The state boundary has in practice also defined the study areas of Russian and Finnish botanists working in the area in different times. This has especially been true after Finland became independent in 1917, and again after WorldWar II. The first floristic records from the area date back to 1749–1752, when the Russian geographer S. P. Krascheninnikov travelled in the area. Amore systematic study started in themid 1840’s. The first Finnish floristic study on the isthmus was made by W. Nylander, based on his travels in 1844, 1849 and 1850. This pioneer work of the floristic study in Finlandwas followed by several others, and rather intensive floristic exploration by Finnish botanists was carried out on the isthmus untilWorldWar II. The most important explorers were I. Hiitonen and V. Erkamo. The Russian botanists studying the area during the latter half of the 19th century includedK. F.Meinshausen and I. F. Schmalhausen. On the Russian side, there was an interruption in the floristic study from the 1920’s to 1947, when the first inventories for the “Flora of the Leningrad Region” were started; the four-volume flora was printed in 1955–1965. Since then, several botanists have carried out field work on the Karelian Isthmus, which today is floristically rather well known. Finally, in the 2000’s two handbooks with keys and a thorough conspectus were published on the vascular plant flora of the Karelian Isthmus and its adjacent regions.