Title
Crimean herb-grass steppes (Stipa pontica, Stipa browneri, Elymus nodosus, Festuca callieri, Bromus cappadocicus) with Asphodeline lutea, Asphodeline taurica alternating with tomillares (Thymus roegneri, Genista albida, Sideritis marschalliana, Asperula supina) and downy oak forests (Quercus pubescens)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Ukraine: foothills at the northern slope of the Crimean mountains
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Veronici multifidae-Stipion ponticae Diduch 1983.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Complex of thermophilous forests and feather grass steppes. It contains typical Pontic herb-feather grass steppes. They are characterised by the appearance of xero-petrophytic sub-Mediterranean species (Stipa pontica, Stipa lessingiana, Stipa capillata, Festuca valesiaca, Filipendula vulgaris, Medicago falcata, on skeletal-rich sites with Asphodeline taurica, Bromus cappadocicus, Medicago rupestris, Teucrium chamaedrys, Thymus roegneri).
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
in forests: Quercus pubescens, Carpinus orientalis
Herb layer
in forests: Physospermum cornubiense, Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum, Brachypodium pinnatum subsp. rupestre, Dactylis glomerata, Carex tomentosa.
In steppes: Stipa pontica, S. browneri, S. capillata, Festuca valesiaca, Elymus nodosus, Filipendula vulgaris, Medicago falcata, Asphodeline lutea, Veronica multifida, Galium glaucum, Asperula tenella, Convolvulus cantabrica, Paronychia cephalotes
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
in forests: Quercus pubescens, Carpinus orientalis, Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum; in feather grass steppes: Veronica multifida, Asperula tenella, Convolvulus cantabrica, Eryngium campestre, Aegilops triuncinalis, Muscari neglectum, Erysimum cuspidatum, Paronychia cephalotes, Teucrium capitatum, Sanguisorba minor subsp. polygama, Iris pumila, Aster oleifolius, Jurinea stoechadifolia; differential species towards the northerly situated Pontic steppes: Jurinea sordida, Scorzonera crispa, Salvia scabiosifolia, Onobrychis miniata, Onosma taurica among others
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the central part of the Crimean foothills the participation of petrophytic sub-Mediterranean species increases: Asphodeline taurica, Medicago rupestris, Satureja taurica and Salvia scabiosifolia. Downy oak forests (Quercus pubescens) have their distribution stronghold in the western part.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Rock communities.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
Oriental hornbeam-downy oak forests (G61), steppes (M5).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Schibljak scrub with Paliurus spina-christi, Rosa and Crataegus species.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Grazed steppes with Festuca valesiaca, Aster oleifolius and tomillares.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
orchards and vineyards, crop fields (cereals), sage and lavender plantations.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
foothills of the Crimean mountains with a gentle northern slope and a steep southern slope
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline-submontane; 250-400 m
Geology (bedrock)
chalky clay, limestone (Tertiary, Cretaceous), bluff formation
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
humus carbonate soils, black soils with changing humus layer; (rendzic leptosols; haplic and luvic chernozems)
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI(VII)3
average annual temperature
9,5-12 °C
average annual precipitation
300-550 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
20-22 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-2 to 2 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
sub-Mediterranean climatic type in the western part, subcontinental climate in the central and eastern part.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Natural vegetation remains preserved over about 25 % of the range.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Especially worthy of protection are Stipa pontica steppes as well as petrophytic communities with Asphodeline taurica and tomillares with the endemic species Satureja taurica and Medicago rupestris.
causes of endangerment
Agricultural use.
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
No details
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Vakarenko & Diduch 1985; Vakarenko, Šeljag-Sosonko & Diduch 1987
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents of Ja.P. Diduch
