M13: Central Pontic grass steppes (Stipa lessingiana) with Dianthus leptopetalus, Aster tarbagatensis

Title

Central Pontic grass steppes (Stipa lessingiana) with Dianthus leptopetalus, Aster tarbagatensisa = in combination with vegetation on solonetz-soils (Festuca valesiaca, Kochia prostrata, Artemisia santonicum, partly A. pauciflora)

Geographical distribution

Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)

Stipeta lessingianae pauciherbosa; Festuceto-Stipeta lessingianae pauciherbosa Lavrenko 1940.

Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)

The community forming grasses correspond to the dominants of the west-Pontic steppes. Widespread species (Pontic-Kazakh, western palaeoarctic, western Mediterranean species) include Stipa lessingiana, Stipa capillata, Festuca valesiaca, Koeleria macrantha, Agropyron cristatum subsp. pectinatum as well as Stipa pulcherrima in the northern part and Stipa ucrainica in the western part. In the north, Bromus riparius often occurs. Amongst the herbs, xerophilic steppe species predominate; compared to the west-Pontic steppes there are more eastern species in the trans-Volgian-Kazakh steppes (e.g. Dianthus leptopetalus, Aster tarbagatensis, Onosma simplicissima, Aster sedifolius subsp. angustissimus, Tanacetum achilleifolium).

Dominant and most frequent species in different layers

Diagnostically important species

Stipa lessingiana, Dianthus leptopetalus, Aster tarbagatensis; on solonetz soils: Artemisia santonicum, partly Artemisia pauciflora, Kochia prostrata

Ecological variants

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Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)

Soil halination increases to the east and the south. There is also an associated increase in a variety of soil and vegetation types. Communities with Festuca valesiaca, which occur together with dwarf semi-shrub communities on solonetz soils, dominate. At slopes of the Stavropol Uplands between Terek and Kuma specific steppe types form in which, apart from ubiquitous steppe grasses, the thermophilous western Mediterranean species Bothriochloa ischaemum plays a major phytocoenotic role alongside the also present Pontic steppe petrophyte Cleistogenes bulgarica.

Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)

Small-area incidences of East European open pedunculate oak forests (Quercus robur) with steppe species (Caragana frutex, Prunus tenella, Brachypodium pinnatum) at valley slopes; Festuca valesiaca-steppes in complex with halophytic dwarf semi-shrubs, petrophyte herb and petrophyte dwarf semi-shrub-communities; tomillares and tomillare steppes (Koeleria talievii, Stipa cretacea, Erysimum cretaceum, Daphne sophia, Thymus calcareus, Hyssopus cretaceus, Artemisia hololeuca) on chalk and marlstone in the area of the Donets and Don rivers; north-Turanian Artemisia pauciflora communities on solonetz soils.

Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)

lime-pedunculate oak forests (F72), forest steppes (L8), steppes (M5, M6, M7, M8, M14), desert steppes (M16, M17, M18), alluvial forests and scubs (U14, U21, U42).

Land use, substitute communities

Site conditions of the mapping unit

Importance for nature protection

Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection

Most important references (author, year)

Gorbačev 1967; Gorbačev 1974; Lavrenko 1940; Lavrenko 1980; Novopokrovskij 1921; Novopokrovskij 1922; Zacepina 1971

Compiled by

Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by Z.V. Karamyševa