M7: Pontic hemi-psammophytic herb-grass steppes (Stipa capillata, Stipa anomala, Cleistogenes squarrosa) with Goniolimon graminifolium, Scabiosa argentea, Astragalus varius, Eryngium campestre

Title

Pontic hemi-psammophytic herb-grass steppes (Stipa capillata, Stipa anomala, Cleistogenes squarrosa) with Goniolimon graminifolium, Scabiosa argentea, Astragalus varius, Eryngium campestre

Geographical distribution

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

Stipeta (capillatae, borysthenicae) hemiarenoso-herbosa.

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

The horizontal and vertical structure corresponds to that of M4, M5, and M6. Phytocoenoses predominate here that are formed from components of the interfluvial steppes (Stipa capillata, Stipa lessingiana, Festuca valesiaca, Koeleria macrantha, Agropyron cristatum subsp. pectinatum etc.) as well as from typical steppe psammophytes (e.g. Stipa anomala). Carex supina occurs as a co-dominant species. Amongst the herbs one finds general euxerophytic steppe species of sandier-loamier soils and psammophytes. Euryxerophytic steppe plants are also generally distributed.

Dominant and most frequent species in different layers

Diagnostically important species

Stipa capillata, Stipa anomala, Festuca beckeri, Cleistogenes squarrosa, Goniolimon graminifolium, Scabiosa argentea, Astragalus varius, Eryngium campestre, Carex supina

Ecological variants

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Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)

In the steppes of the Dnieper- lower course one rarely finds petrophytes (e.g. Teucrium capitatum, Thymus dimorphus) on lighter soils.

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

Solonchak vegetation (Salicornia europaea, Halocnemum strobilaceum, Puccinellia bilykiana, Puccinellia fominii), halophilous meadows (Elymus obtusiflorus); north-Turanian Artemisia pauciflora communities on solonetz soils; small-area incidences of East European open pedunculate oak forests (Quercus robur) with steppe species (Caragana frutex, Prunus tenella, Brachypodium pinnatum) at valley slopes; tomillares and tomillare 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; Festuca valesiaca steppes in complex with halophytic dwarf semi-shrubs (Festuca valesiaca, Camphorosma monspeliaca, Atriplex verrucifera); northern and north-east-European tree-poor transitional mires.

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

lime-pedunculate oak forests (F72), steppes (M2, M6, M8, M12, M13), desert steppes (M16), salt vegetation (P34), feshwater-tall reed swamps (R1), alluvial and moist forests as well as scrubs (U14, 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)

Gael’ 1932; Gožev 1929; Lavrenko 1940; Lavrenko 1980; Lavrenko & Prjanišnikov 1926; Machov & Lavrenko 1927; Novopokrovskij 1915; Novopokrovskij 1921; Pačoskij 1922; Pačoskij 1923b

Compiled by

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