Title
West and central Pontic desert steppes (Stipa capillata, Stipa lessingiana, Festuca valesiaca, Agropyron cristatum subsp. pectinatum, Artemisia taurica, Artemisia santonicum)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Ukraine: thin strip in the south of Ukraine along the coast of the Black and the Azovian Sea; the most connected steppe belt is developed along the northern and southern Sivaš coast. Isolated areas are to be found on the Kercenskij peninsula (eastern part of the Crimean); Russia: on terraces along Manyč and Kalaus. Along Terek and Kuma and on the foothills of the north-eastern Caucasus (not shown on the map)
area frequency
14 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Artemisieto (taurica, santonicum)-Stipeta (capillatae, lessingianae), Artemisieto-Festuceta vallesiacae Lavrenko 1940.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Xerophilic tussock grasses are the most important components of these steppes. Xerophilic dwarf semi-shrubs are of major coenotic importance, particularly Artemisia species, as well as halophilous dwarf semi-shrubs (e.g. Camphorosma monspeliaca, Frankenia hirsuta). Perennial herbs are rare and represented by southern steppe xerophytes. Ephemerals, ephemeroid and hemiephemeroids are very frequent, and form an independent prevernal synusium. Summer-autumn annuals are also typical. Sometimes the lichen and moss-rich ground layer is well developed. Many species of these steppes are also common to the trans-Volgian-Kazakh steppes, but there are only a few typically Pontic species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Herb layer
Stipa capillata, Stipa lessingiana, Stipa ucrainica, Agropyron cristatum subsp. pectinatum, Artemisia santonicum, Artemisia taurica, Eryngium campestre, Dianthus lanceolatus, Dianthus guttatus, Limonium meyeri, Goniolimon rubellum, Prangos odontalgica, Tulipa schrenkii, Poa bulbosa, Erophila verna
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Cladonia rangiformis, Cladonia subrangiformis, Parmelia ryssolea, Parmelia vagans, Cornicularia steppae; Tortula ruralis
Diagnostically important species
Stipa ucrainica, Artemisia taurica, Artemisia santonicum, Iris pumila, Cerastium ucrainicum, Consolida regalis subsp. paniculata, Medicago minima, Trifolium retusum
Ecological variants
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Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the northern part of the Crimean peninsula and in the eastern Caucasus headland steppes with Stipa capillata, Stipa lessingiana, Festuca valesiaca, Agropyron cristatum subsp. pectinatum, Artemisia taurica, Stipa ucrainica. Artemisia santonicum in the west of the desert steppe sub-zone, from the Dnieper delta to the city of Skadovsk, while Artemisia taurica is distributed further to the western part of the Caspian lowland. Along the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus, steppes with Bothriochloa ischaemum and Artemisia taurica are typical.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Fescue-feather grass steppes (Stipa capillata, Festuca valesiaca) without participation of desert steppe dwarf semi-shrubs, "Pody" (pan-like flat depressions) with meadow vegetation (Carex melanostachya, Beckmannia eruciformis, Elymus repens subsp. pseudocaesius, Elymus repens).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
steppes (M1, M5, M7, M8, M12, M13), dune vegetation (P15), salt vegetation (P30, P35).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
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grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures, Artemisia taurica substitute communities, steppe fragments.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Cereal fields.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
weakly structured plains along the sea coast; it encompasses islands and coastal terraces that are interrupted by hollows and limans.
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland, colline; absolut altitudes 100-400 m
Geology (bedrock)
eolian (sand, bluff formation), fluviatile and marine sediments (Pleistocene, Pleistocene above Tertiary)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
solonetz-like dark chestnut soils and chestnut soils in complex with solonetz- and solontchak soils; in the pre-Caucasus light chestnut soils, predominately solonet-like; (orthic solonetz; haplic sodic kastanozems)
soil moisture, water balance
dry
soil reaction
neutral (salificeous with easily soluable salts)
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic, mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI2, VII1b, VII2a
average annual temperature
9-10 °C
average annual precipitation
as much as 300 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 23-24 °C, (absolute maximum 38-40 °C)
average temperature of the coldest month
January -4 to -3 °C, (absolute minimum -34 to -30 °C)
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
The climate is dry, with short, cool, snow-poor winters and with long periods free of precipitation.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
The steppes have been transformed almost completely into arable land. Preserved steppe fragments have been degraded to varying degrees.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
steppe units.
causes of endangerment
Overgrazing.
required measures for protection and restitution
Termination of intense grazing.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Ukraine: biosphere reserve Černomorskij (Jagorlyckij peninsula), Public Asovsches hunting reserve and further reserves close to the coast.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Alekseenko 1950; Bilyk 1947; Bilyk 1956; Bilyk 1963; Bilyk 1973b; Bilyk & Tkačenko 1970b; Dzens-Litovskaja 1951; Kotov 1928; Kotov 1929; Lavrenko 1940; Lavrenko 1980; Lavrenko & Desjatova-Šostepko 1928; Levina 1928/1929; Levina 1938; Tkačenko & Majackij 1989; Troickij 1954
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by Z.V. Karamyševa
