Title
North Caspian halophytic desert steppes (Artemisia pauciflora, Artemisia lerchiana, Camphorosma monspeliaca, Tanacetum achilleifolium) in combination with steppe communities (Agropyron desertorum, Stipa sareptana, Stipa lessingiana, Festuca valesiaca, Koeleria macrantha)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Russia; Kazakstan: isolated areas between Volga and 46° of eastern longitude.; northern, western and southern of the lake El'ton; at the lower course of the Malyj Uzen'; at the middle course of the Bol'šoj Uzen'; on the watershed of the rivers Kušum and Ural
area frequency
10 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Artemisieta pauciflorae, Artemisieta lerchianae, Artemisieto-Agropyreta desertorum, Artemisieto-Stipeta sareptanae, Stipeta lessingianae.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Vegetation complexes with dominant halophilous and hyperhalophilous semi-dwarf shrubs are widespread; homogeneous mugwort tussock grass steppes are almost completely absent. Trans-Volgan-Kazakh steppe, north-Turanian desert steppe and desert species dominate. The vegetation cover is very heterogeneous and characterised by a complicated vegetation pattern.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Shrub layer
Spiraea hypericifolia (in steppe communities)
Herb layer
in solonetz-communities: Artemisia pauciflora, Artemisia lerchiana, Tanacetum achilleifolium, Camphorosma monspeliaca; in desert steppes: Stipa sareptana, Stipa capillata, Stipa lessingiana, Festuca valesiaca, Artemisia lerchiana
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Stipa sareptana, Agropyron desertorum, Tanacetum achilleifolium, Artemisia lerchiana, Artemisia pauciflora
Ecological variants
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Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the western part, in the area between the Volga and 46° E, and north of Lake Elton one finds over large areas a complex of Artemisia pauciflora, Artemisia pauciflora-Camphorosma monspeliaca, Artemisia pauciflora-Tanacetum achilleifolium, Tanacetum achilleifolium-Artemisia pauciflora and Tanacetum achilleifolium communities. To the west and south of Lake Elton, a complex of Artemisia pauciflora-Artemisia lerchiana and Artemisia lerchiana-Artemisia pauciflora communities is typical.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Salicornia europaea communities; small-area incidences of north-Turanian halophytic dwarf semi-shrub vegetation (Halocnemum strobilaceum, Kalidium foliatum, Atriplex cana, Artemisia santonicum) on solonetz soils and vegetation-free salt pans; limans with meadow communities (mainly with Elymus repens, Beckmannia eruciformis, Poa pratensis etc.) at gently inclined slopes and with tall reed vegetation (Phragmites australis, Schoenoplectus lacustris) on the ground.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
steppes (M10, M14, M15, M18, M19, M21), deserts (O1, O2, O6), brackish water reed vegetation (R3), alluvial forests and scrubs (U14, U42).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Local plantations of Ulmus pumila, Acer negundo and Populus hybrids; wind protection plantations on streets and large crop fields.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Extensive pasture grounds (sheep, goats, cattle, horses) with vegetation altered to varying extents, mostly on farms.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Cereal fields (large).
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Isolated farms, villages (fruit and vegetable cultivation), ruderal vegetation.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Plains alternating with limans and solontchak depressions (Sor) (low monotonous relief).
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland; the absolute altitude decreases from the north to the south (below 50 m and less)
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- and solonetz-like light chestnut soils; (orthic solonetz; luvic sodic kastanozems)
soil texture
fine sanded loam and loamy sand
soil moisture, water balance
very dry
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VII3
average annual temperature
5-6 °C
average annual precipitation
100-350 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 24-26 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January -13 °C to -11 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
continental climate.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
The range is used for goat and sheep grazing. On strongly grazed surfaces, mugwort communities (Artemisia lerchiana) prevail. Areas converted into arable fields are not large. Instead of disused fields, weed-rich steppes followed by mugwort fallow lands (Artemisia lerchiana) form. There is relatively good preservation of the vegetation inside restricted access military ranges.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details.
causes of endangerment
Heavy grazing, arable farming.
required measures for protection and restitution
Designation of strictly protected nature reserves, particularly for stands in a good state of preservation.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
There are no reserves in the distribution area of this mapping unit, but in the year 1950 the Džanybekskij survey station of the Autonomy Republic of the former UdSSR at the border to the regions Volgograd and Ural north of lake El'ton was founded.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Gordeeva & Larin 1965; Larin, Šiffers & Levina et al. 1954; Lavrenko 1980; Levina 1964
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by Z.V. Karamyševa; U. Bohn
