Title
Central Pontic herb-rich grass steppes (Stipa tirsa, Stipa lessingiana, Bromus riparius, Helictotrichon schellianum, Anemone sylvestris, Lathyrus pannonicus, Echium russicum) with Stipa zalesskii, Caragana frutex
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Ukraine, Russia: from the Severskij Donec as far as to the Medvedica and Tereška west of the Volga
area frequency
16 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Stipeta tirsae pluriherbosa, Stipeta lessingianae pluriherbosa, Stipeta zalesskii pluriherbosa Lavrenko 1940.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
The horizontal and vertical structure is similar to that of unit M1. Stipa tirsa, Stipa lessingiana, Stipa capillata, Stipa zalesskii, Festuca valesiaca and Bromus riparius prevail here. Stipa pulcherrima, Stipa dasyphylla and Stipa pennata also occur, but without any major coenotic role. The Pontic euxerophilic species Stipa ucrainica is usually missing here. Apart from species typical for Pontic steppe lands such as Poa angustifolia, Bromus inermis, Elymus hispidus subsp. barbulatus amongst others, the east Pontic- Kazakh species Stipa zalesskii as well as the eastern species Elymus stipifolius and Helictotrichon schellianum are frequent. The common occurrence of mesoxerophilic meadow steppe herbs and typical xerophytic steppe species is also characteristic for the unit. The coenotic role of "eastern" herbs (Hedysarum grandiflorum, Asperula tephrocarpa, Crambe aspera etc.) increases, which distinguishes these steppes from those in the west-Pontic region. For middle-Pontic steppes an addition or dominance of the steppe shrub Caragana frutex is also characteristic, particularly at higher locations. On the other hand Spiraea hypericifolia, Spiraea crenata and Prunus tenella are much rarer.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Shrub layer
Caragana frutex, Spiraea crenata, Spiraea hypericifolia, Prunus tenella
Herb layer
Stipa tirsa, Stipa lessingiana, Stipa zalesskii, Stipa capillata, Stipa pulcherrima, Stipa dasyphylla, Stipa pennata, Bromus riparius, Bromus inermis, Festuca valesiaca, Helictotrichon schellianum, Elymus hispidus subsp. barbulatus, Elymus stipifolius, Anemone sylvestris, Hedysarum grandiflorum, Crambe aspera, Salvia nutans, Lathyrus pannonicus, Phlomis pungens, Echium russicum, Poa angustifolia, Asperula tephrocarpa
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Stipa tirsa, Stipa lessingiana, Stipa zalesskii, Bromus riparius, Helictotrichon schellianum, Anemone sylvestris, Lathyrus pannonicus, Echium russicum, Caragana frutex
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
The meadow steppe shrub Chamaecytisus ruthenicus also advances into the unit along its northern border.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Small-area incidences of north Ukranian/south Sarmatian small-leaved lime-pedunculate oak forests, of East European open pedunculate oak forests (Quercus robur) with steppe species at valley slopes; Pine forests (Pinus sylvestris); Meadow steppes (Stipa capillata, Stipa pennata, Daphne cneorum, Androsace koso-poljanskii, Bupleurum multinerve, Dendranthema zawadskii) on limestone in the area of the upper Oskol and Don rivers; solonetz and solonchak communities; Festuca valesiaca steppes in complex with halophytic dwarf semi-shrubs; tomillares steppes (Koeleria macrantha, 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.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
pine forests (D57), lime-pedunculate oak forests (F71, F72), forest steppes (L5), steppes (M1, M5, M6, M7), alluvial forests (U14).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
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grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pasture grounds (especially on slopes).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Primarily fields.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Flat to undulating relief, sometimes cut deeply by river and tributary valleys, particular in the interfluvial region between the Don and Medvedica upper courses
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland-colline; 80-240 m, on average 180 m
Geology (bedrock)
eolian (sand, bluff formation) and fluviatile sediments (Pleistocene, Pleistocene above Tertiary, Cretaceous)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
humic black earth and its transitions to typical and southern black earths, degraded black soils and dark grey forest soils, solonetz-like black earths, locally solonetz-, solontchak- and gley soils; (haplic chernozems; haplic sodic kastanozems)
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry
soil fertility
meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VII1a
average annual temperature
6-7 °C
average annual precipitation
420-520 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
20-22 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-9 to -6 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
moderately continental climate, frequent droughts during the growing season, dry winds and dust storms.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Today these steppes are mostly converted into arable land, and fragments are found at slopes of valley cuttings, river valleys and ravines. They are severely degraded communities with reduced tussock grasses. In protected areas the tussock grass steppe is transformed into shrub steppe with dominating Caragana frutex and rhizome grasses (Elymus hispidus subsp. barbulatus, Bromus riparius, Stipa tirsa amongst others).
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Relict-communities of tomillares and Thymus steppes on cretaceous- and chalky clay-sites in the area of Don and Severskij Donec ("Hyssop-flora") with many steno endemics and species with disjuncted distribution (Koeleria macrantha, Stipa cretacea, Erysimum ucranicum, Silene cretacea, Hedysarum cretaceum, Hyssopus cretaceus, Daphne sophia, Scutellaria creticola, Artemisia hololeuca among others). They are highly worthy of protection. Also specific are psammophytic communities (Centaurea margaritacea subsp. protogerberi, Centaurea margaritacea subsp. donetzica, Jurinea centauroides, Tragopogon ruthenicus subsp. donetzicus, Tragopogon ruthenicus subsp. tanaiticus).
causes of endangerment
Arable farming, intensive grazing.
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation of near-natural remnants in conservation areas.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Ther are reserves in the distribution area of this mapping unit.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Alechin 1934; Bilyk 1973b; Kamyšev 1952; Keller (Red.) 1931; Lavrenko 1940; Lavrenko 1980; Lavrenko & Dochman 1933; Tanfil’ev 1898
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by Z.V. Karamyševa
