Title
East Transcaucasian wormwood deserts (Artemisia fragrans) with ephemeroids (Poa bulbosa, Catabrosella humilis)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Azerbaijan: large areas in the Kura-Araks lowland (plain) and its outliers, further in shallow Jorskoe-mountains, Nakhichevan; Armenia: in the Araratskaja basin (locally also on analogous ecotypes)
area frequency
24 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Catabrosella humilis-Poa bulbosa-Artemisia fragrans community.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Dominant desert communities of east Transcaucasia. They form two clear synusia: 1) with the dwarf semishrub Artemisia fragrans and 2) with the short-lived grasses Poa bulbosa and Catabrosella humilis. In relatively wet years the degree of cover reaches 85 %. As well as dwarf semishrubs and grasses, ephemeroids and ephemerals are also frequent.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Herb layer
Artemisia fragrans, Poa bulbosa, Catabrosella humilis, Kochia prostrata, Agropyron cristatum, Allium rubellum, Allium pseudoflavum, Noaea mucronata, Bongardia chrysogonum, Gagea commutata, Iris iberica, Alyssum turkestanicum, Anthemis candidissima, Bromus japonicus among others
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Artemisia fragrans, Catabrosella humilis, Poa bulbosa
Ecological variants
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Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the basins of Erevan and Ararat this mapping unit occurs in alternation with Achillea tenuifolia desert. On analogous ecotopes in Armenia Tanacetum chiliophyllum and Tanacetum argyrophyllum are characteristic, and in the Džulfinskaja basin in Azerbaijan: Neogaillonia szovitsii and Stipagrostis plumosa.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Salsola deserts (on alluvial soils with a Salsola dendroides community, on loamier soils of plains and flat promontory hills with a Salsola ericoides community, at slopes and slope bases with a Salsola nodulosa community), also annual halophilous communities with Petrosimonia, Suaeda, Gamanthus and Salsola species, steppe communities (only in the mountains).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
hygrophilous thermophytic oak forests (H2), open juniper woodlands (K33), steppes (M11), thorn-cushion vegetation (N7), southern dwarf semishrub deserts (O8, O9, O10), dune vegetation (P16), salt vegetation (P36), alluvial and moist forests (U22).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
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grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
orchards and vineyards, crop fields.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
plains, promontory slopes
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland to montane; up to 400-500 m, partly up to 1200 m
Geology (bedrock)
fluviatile and marine sediments (Holocene, Pleistocene, Pleistocene above Tertiary; Tertiary, Cretaceous)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
weakly saliferous, mostly alluvial soils, brown mountain soils; (haplic, calcic and luvic xerosols)
soil texture
sandy, loamy-sandy, chady
soil moisture, water balance
very dry
soil fertility
oligotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
III(VII), VII2b, VII(IV)
average annual temperature
12-15 °C
average annual precipitation
200-300 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 22-26 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January -8 to -6 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
continental, arid climate.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
No details
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Achillea tenuifolia-deserts with many endemic and north Iranian species. Occurrence of the Caucasian endemics: Pinus eldarica.
causes of endangerment
Heavy grazing, orchards and vineyards, crop fields.
required measures for protection and restitution
Regulation of grazing intensity.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Azerbaijan, Armenia.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Abdullaev et al. 1963; Grossgejm 1932; Grossgejm 1948; Grossgejm & Sachokia 1931; Magak’jan 1941b; Stepanjan (Ed.) 1961
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by I. Safronova
