Title
Pre- and Transcaucasian Stipa-steppes (Stipa tirsa, Stipa pulcherrima, Stipa daghestanica, Stipa transcaucasica, Stipa araxensis, Stipa pontica, Stipa holosericea, Stipa hohenackeriana) with Elytrigia gracillima, Astragalus haesitabundus, Astragalus gjunaicus, Medicago daghestanica, Onobrychis transcaucasica, Linaria megrica and Bothriochloa ischaemum-steppes with Onobrychis ruprechtii, Onobrychis kachetica, Salvia daghestanica, Hyssopus officinalis subsp. angustifolius, Medicago caerulea, Polygala transcaucasica, alternating with tomillares (Thymus daghestanicus, Thymus karamarjanicus, Thymus tiflisiensis, Thymus kotschyanus, Scutellaria orientalis) and thorn-cushion communities (Astragalus aureus, Astragalus denudatus, Astragalus microcephalus, Astragalus uraniolimneus
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Russia (Chechnya, Daghestan); Georgia; Armenia; Azerbaijan. Caucasus: northern foothills Terskyi and Sunjenskyi; towards the Caspian Sea orientated slopes of the Greater Caucasian between Alty-Agač and Šemacha, southern slope of the Geokčaj basin, in the Iori-Šeki highland. Low Caucasus: volcanian highland Džavakheti (Achalkalaki plateau), mountain kettle in the Armenian highland (Lori, Širak, Sevan), slopes of high mountain massifs (Vardenis, Karabach), west and east margins of the Zangezur ridge (Daralagez and Bargušat ridge, mountains Kapudžuk, Agdag); Talysh Mountains
area frequency
30 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Stipeta (tirsae, pulcherrimae, daghestanicae, hohenackeranae, ponticae) herbosa; Bothriochloeta ischaemum herbosa; Thymeta (daghestanicus, karamarjanicus, kotschyanus); Astragaleta (aureus, microcephalus, denudatus).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
The most important components of these mountain range steppes are Stipa tirsa, and sometimes the xeropetrophytic species Stipa pontica, more rarely Stipa pennata, Stipa lessingiana and Stipa pulcherrima, and at very stony and rocky sites Stipa capillata, Stipa holosericea, Stipa hohenackeriana, Stipa daghestanica, Stipa araxensis, Stipa transcaucasica and Festuca valesiaca. Often Carex humilis is present. Typical species for the Pontic steppes (e.g. Koeleria macrantha, Phleum phleoides, Bromus riparius) are characteristic in combination with mountain and meadow steppe species. Herbs are very numerously represented (130 species), steppe and meadow steppe species are particularly widely distributed, and many mountain steppe species are also present.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Herb layer
Stipa tirsa, Stipa pulcherrima, Stipa pontica, Stipa pennata, Stipa holosericea, Stipa hohenackeriana, Carex humilis, Festuca valesiaca, Dactylis glomerata, Brachypodium pinnatum, Filipendula vulgaris, Trifolium alpestre;
Bothriochloa ischaemum-steppes with Stipa capillata, Elytrigia gracillima, Cleistogenes bulgarica, Melica transsilvanica, Salvia daghestanica, Centaurea daghestanica, Scabiosa gumbetica, Onobrychis cyri, Gagea commutata, Crocus biflorus subsp. adamii, Bellevalia wilhelmsii; tomillares with Thymus-species, Nepeta racemosa, Artemisia daghestanica; in Tragacanthae-communities: Astragalus aureus, A. microcephalus, A. denudatus, A. uraniolimneus, Onobrychis cornuta, Acantholimon glumaceum, A. hohenackeri
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Bothriochloa ischaemum-steppes with Tortula ruralis, Tortula subulata, Pleurochaete squarrosa
Diagnostically important species
Stipa tirsa, Stipa holosericea, Stipa hohenackeriana, Stipa daghestanica, Stipa araxensis, Stipa transcaucasica, Elytrigia gracillima, Astragalus haesitabundus, Astragalus captiosus, Astragalus gjunaicus, Onobrychis transcaucasica, Onobrychis kachetica, Linaria megrica, Scutellaria orientalis, Scutellaria sosnowskyi
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In Daghestan there are variants with local and Greater-Caucasian endemics (Stipa daghestanica, Elytrigia gracillima, Onobrychis bobrovii, Medicago daghestanica, Astragalus haesitabundus etc.; Salvia daghestanica, Onobrychis ruprechtii, Scabiosa gumbetica etc.); a south-Transcaucasian variant features local endemics and numerous Transcaucasian-Anatolian species (Stipa araxensis, Stipa holosericea, Stipa hohenackeriana, Stipa transcaucasica, Linaria megrica, Verbascum hajastanicum, Pulsatilla armena, Astragalus gjunaicus etc).
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Tomillares (Thymus daghestanicus, Thymus karamarjanicus, Thymus tiflisiensis, Thymus kotschyanus, Scutellaria orientalis); thorn-cushion vegetation (Astragalus aureus, Astragalus denudatus, Astragalus microcephalus, Astragalus uraniolimneus).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
alpine grasslands (B56, B58), krummholz- and open woodlands (C43, C45, C46, C47), pine forests (D64), Oriental beech forests (F164, F166), mixed hornbeam-oak forests (F167, F170, F172), downy oak forests (G62), hygrophilous mixed broadleaved forests (H2), open juniper woodlands (K33), steppes (M4, M18), thorn-cushion vegetation (N5, N6, N7, N8), deserts (O7, O8, O9, O10), freshwater and brackish water reed vegetation (R1, R3).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Scrub with Paliurus spina-christi, Jasminum fruticans; in Daghestan Colutea orientalis, Spiraea hypericifolia, Berberis iberica; on lava substrates in Armenia Spiraea crenata, Cotoneaster nummularius, and Rosa species amongst others.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pasture grounds, meadows.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Cereal fields (e.g. wheat); vineyards and fruit gardening. Ruderal plants (on arable fields, uncultivated land, in vineyards): Avena fatua, Avena persica, Rapistrum rugosum, Lolium rigidum, Galium tricornutum etc.; Picnomon acarna, Centaurea solstitialis, Carthamus lanatus, Carthamus glaucus, Achillea setacea, Salvia verticillata etc.; Cynodon dactylon, Alopecurus myosuroides, Chenopodium album, Sonchus oleraceus etc.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
no details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Mountain range massifs and plateaux, with a more or less gently undulating relief and eroded valleys; with stony and stepped steep slopes
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
submontane to altimontane; 600 m (Terek-mountain chain), 800 m (Daghestan) up till hights of 1600-1800 m (east-Caucasus); 650-1500 m in Transcaucasia
Geology (bedrock)
volcanic ashes, tuffs, basalt, andesite; limestone, chalky clay, sandstone; alluvial and fluvioglacial sediments in basic locations; fluviatile and marine sediments; flysch (Pleistocene, Pleistocene above Tertiary; Cretaceous)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
mountain-black earths; (haplic chernozems; haplic lithic kastanozems)
soil texture
sandy-loamy, here and there stony to rocky
soil moisture, water balance
dry
soil fertility
mesotrophic, meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI(IV), VII2b
average annual temperature
4-6 °C
average annual precipitation
400-600 mm, in the Talysch as much as 700 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
14-18 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-11 to -5 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
the climate is moderately warm and dry.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Used mainly for agriculture, enriched with xerophytic scrub communities by grazing, and eroded. Increasing annihilation of the steppe vegetation.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Especially worthy of protection are endemics and species of the adjacent areas in the south like Onobrychis bobrovii, Onobrychis kachetica, Onobrychis transcaucasica, Dianthus crinitus, Dianthus fragrans, Jurinea cartaliniana, Pulsatilla armena, Centaurea carthalinica, Astragalus haesitabundus, Astragalus bungeanus, Astragalus gjunaicus, Medicago daghestanica, Tanacetum chiliophyllum, Linaria megrica, Verbascum hajastanicum among others; in Daghestan the xerophytic endemics Salvia daghestanica, Onobrychis ruprechtii, Scabiosa gumbetica, Artemisia marschalliana; in Transcaucasia endemics like Polygala transcaucasica, Onobrychis cyri. Also worthy of protection are species, which are frequent in southern situated areas (Veronica multifida, Astragalus brachycarpus among others). Occurrences of the Caucasian endemic: Pinus eldarica.
causes of endangerment
Intense grazing.
required measures for protection and restitution
A limit on and regulation of sheep grazing, maintenance of typical stands with characteristic endemics in conservation areas.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Georgia: nature reserve Vašlovani; Armenia: in the Širak basin, at the Aregunij ridge in the national park Sevan (basin of the Sevan lake), in the nature reserve Chosrov (western part of the southern margin of the Gegam ridge), in gorges of the rivers Azat and Chosrov, on the plateau at the watershed of the rivers Chosrov and Achsu at the Urc ridge.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
---
Most important references (author, year)
Čilikina 1960a; Čilikina 1960b; Gabrieljan, Gejlikman & Unanjan 1990; Grossgejm 1948; Jarošenko 1956; Kavrišvili 1960; Magak’jan 1941b; Tachtadžjan 1941b; Troickij 1930; Zedel’mejer 1931; Zedel’mejer 1933
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by M. Ivanišvili
