Distribution of Biodiversity of Wild Beet Species (Genus L.) in Armenia under Ongoing Climate Change Conditions.

The reported annual temperature increase and significant precipitation drop in Armenia impact the country's ecosystems and biodiversity. The present study surveyed the geographical distribution of the local wild beet species under the ongoing climate change conditions. We showed that , and are sensitive to climate change and were affected to various degrees, depending on their location. The most affected species was , which is at the verge of extinction. Migration for ca. 90 and 200-300 m up the mountain belt was recorded for and , respectively. was found at 100-150 m lower altitudes than in the 1980s. A general reduction in the beet's population size in the native habitats was observed, with an increased number of plants within the populations, recorded for and A new natural hybrid Aloyan between and was described and confirmed using chloroplast DNA trnL-trnF intergenic spacer (LF) and partially sequenced alcohol dehydrogenase () of nuclear DNA. An overview of the wild beets reported in Armenia with the taxonomic background, morphological features, and distribution is provided. Conservation measures for preservation of these genetic resources are presented.