O1: Caspian pelitophytic wormwood desert complex on clay soils dominated by Artemisia lerchiana, partly with Anabasis aphylla, with scattered Artemisia pauciflora-community

CountryKazakhstan
Province Caspian lowland as far as to the interfluvial region Volga-Ural, south-west of the lower Volga
References

Ivanov 1953b; Kljukin et al. 1968; Kunaev (Red.) 1982; Ladygina, Račkovskaja & Safronova (Red.) 1995a; Ladygina, Račkovskaja & Safronova (Red.) 1995b; Lavrenko 1962; Pjatin (Ed.) 1997; Prozorovskij 1940; Prozorovskij & Maleev 1947; Račkovskaja, Safronova & Chramcov 1990; Rodin & Rubcov 1956; Safronova 1975; Safronova 1980b; Sangadziev et al. 1974

Remarks

CONIF
BLD
BLE
SCL
LEG
ZONPALM
ARBFERN
D-HERB
M-HERB
AZONAL WOODY
AZONAL NON-WOODY
AQUATIC
PROBLEMATIC TAXA
Sum of taxa
CONIF
0.00
BLD
0.00
BLE
0.00
SCL
0.00
LEG
0.00
ZONPALM
0.00
ARBFERN
0.00
D-HERB
0.00
M-HERB
0.00
AZONAL WOODY
0.00
AZONAL NON-WOODY
0.00
AQUATIC
0.00
PROBLEMATIC TAXA
0.00
Percentage of zonal taxa
CONIF
NaN
BLD
NaN
BLE
NaN
SCL
NaN
LEG
NaN
ZONPALM
NaN
ARBFERN
NaN
D-HERB
NaN
M-HERB
NaN
Percentage of zonal woody angiosperms
BLD
NaN
BLE
NaN
SCL
NaN
LEG
NaN
ZONPALM
NaN
Sum of all taxa0.00
Sum of zonal taxa0.00
Sum of zonal woody angiosperms0.00
Sum of % SCL + LEGNaN
Sum of % D-HERB + M-HERB (ZONAL HERB)NaN

Vegetation types

No vegetation types.

EuroVegMap information

Title

Caspian pelitophytic wormwood desert complex on clay soils dominated by Artemisia lerchiana, partly with Anabasis aphylla, with scattered Artemisia pauciflora-communitya = alternating with O2; b = alternating with O5; c = alternating with O6

Geographical distribution

Country/territory
Russia and Kazakhstan: Caspian lowland as far as to the interfluvial region Volga-Ural, south-west of the lower Volga
area covered
14670 km²
area frequency
7 polygons.

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

Artemisia lerchiana community, Artemisia lerchiana-Anabasis aphylla community.

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

Zonal vegetation type, very species deficient (10-15 species) and loose (degree of cover 25-35%). Artemisia lerchiana is accompanied almost always by the codominant dwarf semishrub Anabasis aphylla and at the boundary to the steppe by Tanacetum achilleifolium. In the early spring ephemerals occur frequently; summer and autumn annuals are rare. Artemisia lerchiana and Artemisia pauciflora communities occupy approximately the same areas in the complexes.

Dominant and most frequent species in different layers

Tree layer
---
Shrub layer
---
Lianas
---
Herb layer
Artemisia lerchiana, Anabasis aphylla, Artemisia pauciflora, Camphorosma monspeliaca, Kochia prostrata, Tanacetum achilleifolium, Bromus tectorum, Alyssum turkestanicum, Ceratocephala testiculata, Lepidium perfoliatum, Tulipa sylvestris subsp. australis, Tulipa biflora, Ferula caspica among others
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details

Diagnostically important species

Artemisia lerchiana, Anabasis aphylla, Artemisia pauciflora

Ecological variants

---

Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)

In the interfluve region between Volga and Ural there are complexes formed in parts by Artemisia lerchiana, Artemisia pauciflora and Anabasis salsa communities.

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

Small area occurrences of Artemisia taurica stands in Artemisia deserts on salty soils of the kalmuk steppes, of north Turanian halophytic dwarf semishrub vegetation (Halocnemum strobilaceum, Kalidium foliatum, Atriplex cana, Artemisia santonicum) on solonetz soils, and of vegetation-free salt pans; Artemisia pauciflora community, Anabasis salsa community, halophyte communities.

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

desert steppes (M18, M20, M21), northern dwarf semishrub deserts (O2, O4, O5, O6), salt vegetation (P35), alluvial forests and scrubs (U42).

Land use, substitute communities

forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
---
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
---
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
---

Site conditions of the mapping unit

Landscape type, geomorphology
shallow and weakly undulating plains, where negative relief forms prevail
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland; the absolute altitudinal range of -20 to +25 m
Geology (bedrock)
eolian, fluviatile and marine sediments (Holocene, Pleistocene)
Soil conditions
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
brown desert soils, weakly or stronger saliceous soils, solonetz; (haplic and luvic sodic xerosols; orthic solonetz)
soil texture
clayey
soil moisture, water balance
very dry
soil reaction
alkaline
soil fertility
oligotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VII3
average annual temperature
7-8 °C
average annual precipitation
200-250 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 24-26 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January -12 to -10 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
distinctively continental, arid.

Importance for nature protection

Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Natural Artemisia pauciflora deserts occupy only a small area in the European desert region.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Artemisia lerchiana community.
causes of endangerment
Intensive grazing.
required measures for protection and restitution
Regulated grazing.

Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection

of the natural vegetation
along the lower Volga.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
---

Most important references (author, year)

Ivanov 1953b; Kljukin et al. 1968; Kunaev (Red.) 1982; Ladygina, Račkovskaja & Safronova (Red.) 1995a; Ladygina, Račkovskaja & Safronova (Red.) 1995b; Lavrenko 1962; Pjatin (Ed.) 1997; Prozorovskij 1940; Prozorovskij & Maleev 1947; Račkovskaja, Safronova & Chramcov 1990; Rodin & Rubcov 1956; Safronova 1975; Safronova 1980b; Sangadziev et al. 1974

Compiled by

Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by I. Safronova

© Bundesamt für Naturschutz (BfN)
Texts were extracted from the EuroVegMap application with permission from the authors.

Taxons

Building of the IPR-vegetation analysis website and database was supported by the grant projects GA ČR (Grant Agency of the Czech Republic) No. P210/10/0124 and 18-25057S.