M6: Central Pontic herb-grass steppes (Stipa lessingiana, Stipa capillata, Salvia nutans, Salvia tesquicola, Medicago falcata subsp. romanica) with Calophaca wolgarica, Stipa zalesskii, Salvia stepposa, Aster sedifolius subsp. angustissimus

Title

Central Pontic herb-grass steppes (Stipa lessingiana, Stipa capillata, Salvia nutans, Salvia tesquicola, Medicago falcata subsp. romanica) with Calophaca wolgarica, Stipa zalesskii, Salvia stepposa, Aster sedifolius subsp. angustissimus

Geographical distribution

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

Stipeta lessingianae herbosa, Stipeta capillata herbosa Lavrenko 1940.

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

The dominant community types are herb-rich Festuca valesiaca-Stipa steppes with Pontic-Kazakh and western paleoarctic xerophytic tussock grasses (Stipa lessingiana, Stipa capillata, Festuca valesiaca) and with the east Pontic-Kazakh species Stipa zalesskii. Widespread species include Bromus riparius, Koeleria macrantha, Agropyron cristatum subsp. pectinatum, Elymus hispidus, Elymus hispidus subsp. barbulatus, and one also finds Poa angustifolia occasionally, and Poa bulbosa at impeded sites. Stipa pulcherrima, Stipa tirsa, and Stipa dasyphylla are much rarer. The absence of Stipa ucrainica, that dominates in the west-Pontic steppes, is characteristic. Xerophytic steppe species dominate amongst the herbs. Many "eastern" elements (mainly east-Pontic-Kazakh species) are typical here: Dianthus leptopetalus, Onosma simplicissima, Salvia stepposa, Aster sedifolius subsp. angustissimus, Aster tarbagatensis, Tanacetum achilleifolium, Onosma arenaria etc. Ephemerals and ephemeroids. Shrubs are also always present.

Dominant and most frequent species in different layers

Diagnostically important species

Stipa lessingiana, Stipa zalesskii, Calophaca wolgarica, Salvia stepposa, Salvia tesquicola, Medicago falcata subsp. romanica

Ecological variants

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Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)

In the east of the range Calophaca wolgarica; on solonetz soils and solonetz-like black earths Artemisia lerchiana and Artemisia pauciflora.

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

Small-area incidences of petrophytic herb grass steppes (Stipa tirsa, Stipa zalesskii, Stipa dasyphylla, Stipa pulcherrima, Festuca valesiaca, Achillea nobilis, Teucrium capitatum, Ephedra distachya) on slate and sandstone in the Donets area; tomillares and tomillares 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; 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.

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

pine forests (D57), lime-pedunculate oak forests (F72), forest steppes (L5), steppes (M1, M2, M5, M7, M8, M9, M13).

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)

Bilyk 1973b; Bilyk & Tkačenko 1971; Dobročaeva 1956; Keller (Red.) 1931; Lavrenko 1940; Lavrenko 1980; Lavrenko & Dochman 1933; Tarasov 1958; Tarasov 1968; Tkačenko 1989

Compiled by

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