Title
Transvolgian-pre-Ural meadow steppes (Stipa tirsa, Stipa pennata) with Stipa korshinskyi, Aster alpinus, Artemisia glauca alternating with lime-oak and lime forests (Quercus robur, Tilia cordata)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Russia: east of the Volga, south of the Kama as far as to the foreland of the south Ural, western foreland of the Ural
area frequency
9 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Herbeto-Stipeta pennatae, H.-S. tirsae, H.-Festuceta valesiacae (all Lavrenko 1940), Herbeto-Stipeta korshinskyi, Herbeto-Cariceta pediformis; Tilieto-Quercetum caricosum pilosae, T.-Q. aegopodiosum, T.-Q. dryopteriosum, T.-Q. filipendulosum (all Kleopov 1941).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Vegetation complex consisting of meadow steppes, in the north also steppe-like meadows, sometimes petrophytic meadow steppes, and maple-lime-oak forests. The basic species assemblage of the meadow steppes corresponds to the remaining east Eurasian meadow steppe types (Stipa tirsa, Stipa pennata, more rarely Stipa dasyphylla, Stipa pulcherrima, in more southern areas: S. capillata and S. zalesskii, as well as Festuca valesiaca, Koeleria macrantha etc.). In the northern part of the range steppe-like meadows with rhizome and tufted grasses (Agrostis vinealis, Brachypodium pinnatum, Helictotrichon schellianum, Helictotrichon pubescens, Koeleria delavignei, Phleum phleoides etc.). Admixtures of numerous herbs: Adonis vernalis, Anemone sylvestris, Filipendula vulgaris, Trifolium montanum, Linum flavum, Seseli libanotis, Peucedanum alsaticum etc.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
in forests: Quercus robur, Tilia cordata, Acer platanoides, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus laevis, locally Betula pendula, Populus tremula, Prunus avium
Shrub layer
in forests: Corylus avellana, Euonymus verrucosa, Lonicera xylosteum, Lonicera tatarica, Frangula alnus, Crataegus sanguinea, Cornus alba
Herb layer
in forests: Aegopodium podagraria, Pulmonaria obscura, Asarum europaeum, Carex pilosa, Lathyrus vernus, in the Ural foreland with Cacalia hastata, Crepis sibirica, Cicerbita uralensis, Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. lycoctonum;
in meadow steppes: Stipa tirsa, S. pennata, S. dasyphylla, S. pulcherrima, Festuca valesiaca, Koeleria macrantha; Agrostis vinealis, Brachypodium pinnatum, Helictotrichon schellianum, H. pubescens, Koeleria delavignei, Phleum phleoides; Adonis vernalis, Anemone sylvestris, Fragaria viridis, Linum flavum, Seseli libanotis, Peucedanum alsaticum, Filipendula vulgaris, Trifolium montanum, Galium verum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
in meadow steppes: Stipa tirsa, Stipa pennata, Stipa korshinskyi, Aster alpinus, Artemisia glauca, Carex pediformis, Artemisia latifolia, Artemisia sericea, Artemisia glauca, Artemisia armeniaca, Persicaria alpina
Ecological variants
Petrophytic meadow steppes on limestone with Helictotrichon desertorum, Carex pediformis, Bupleurum multinerve, Androsace villosa, Dendranthema zawadskii, Stipa korshinskyi etc.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the southern part open oak forests with added Betula pendula, Populus tremula, Acer platanoides, in the shrub layer with Euonymus verrucosa, Prunus fruticosa, Chamaecytisus ruthenicus, Prunus tenella, and in the herb layer with Brachypodium pinnatum, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Bromus inermis, Festuca valesiaca, Stipa capillata.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Small area occurrences of alder carrs, of East European open pedunculate oak forests (Quercus robur) with steppe species (Caragana frutex, Prunus tenella, Brachypodium pinnatum) at valley slopes.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
fir-spruce forests (D20), pine forests (D51, D55, D57, D58), lime-pedunculate oak forests (F72, F73, F74), steppes (M3), alluvial forests (U12, U13, U14).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
secondary birch-oak (Quercus robur, Betula pendula) and birch stands.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Meadows, pastures.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
primarily crop field use, particularly wheat.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
hilly country, plateaus, mountain basin landscapes
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline (-submontane); 200-380 m, up to about 500 m
Geology (bedrock)
bluff formation (Pleistocene above Tertiary, predominately Permian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
in the north predominately degraded black soils and parabrown soils, locally grey forest soils, in the south predominately typical, black soils of medium thickness (see above); (luvic and haplic chernozems; orthic luvisols, orthic greyzems)
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry to dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to neutral
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VII(VIII), VIII(VI)4, VIII1
average annual temperature
2-3 °C
average annual precipitation
400-500 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
19-21 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-16 to -14 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Here the continental climate of the whole east European forest steppe is to be found; the absolute maximum of temperature is 40 °C, the absolute mimimum -48 °C.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
The areas of this mapping unit have been converted for the most part into areas of arable land. Only small steppe fragments on slopes have remained preserved. As a result of severe overutilisation of the oak forests, secondary grass-rich oak stands as well as stands with Betula pendula and Populus tremula are widespread.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
steppe forests, meadow steppes.
causes of endangerment
Intensive forest use, clearing; intensive agricultural use.
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation of the last near-natural remnants and regeneration in suitable areas.
.
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)
Kotov 1966; Krašenninikov & Kučerovskaja-Rožanec 1941; Lavrenko 1940; Lavrenko 1980; Žudova 1950
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents of Z.V. Karamyševa
