Title
East Transcaucasian halophytic Salsola dendroides-deserts with ephemeroids (Poa bulbosa) and Artemisia fragrans
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Azerbaijan: Kura-Araks lowland; from Baku to the north-east along the Caspian Sea
area frequency
5 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Poa bulbosa-Salsola dendroides community.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Apart from the dwarf semishrub Salsola dendroides and the ephemeroid Poa bulbosa one often also finds other dwarf semishrubs, halophilous grasses, Tamarix species and annual halophytes.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Shrub layer
Tamarix-species
Herb layer
Salsola dendroides, Poa bulbosa, Artemisia fragrans, Limonium suffruticosum, Aeluropus littoralis, Puccinellia-species, Tamarix-species, Sphenopus divaricatus, Lepidium vesicarium, Nepeta micrantha
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Salsola dendroides, Poa bulbosa, Artemisia fragrans
Ecological variants
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Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the east: Salsola dendroides with Artemisia terrae-albae.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Artemisia fragrans, Salsola ericoides-Artemisia fragrans and Salsola nodulosa desert, halophytic communities with Halostachys belangeriana, Kalidium caspicum and Anabasis aphylla.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
Oriental beech forests (F164), oak forests (F170, F171), hygrophilous thermophytic oak forests (H2), steppes (M11), thorn-cushion vegetation (N5), southern dwarf semishrub deserts (O7, O8, 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)
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arable land (characteristic weed communities)
agricultural lands (fields, watered as well as irrigated orchards and vineyards).
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
lowland plains and mountain slopes
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland, colline
Geology (bedrock)
fluviatile and marine sediments (Holocene, Pleistocene, Pleistocene above Tertiary, Tertiary)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
solonchak, saliceous soils rich in fine earth; (luvic, haplic and calcic xerosols; orthic solonchaks)
soil moisture, water balance
very dry
soil fertility
oligotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VII2b, VII(IV)
average annual temperature
13-16 °C
average annual precipitation
200-300 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 22-25 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January -3 °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)
Only a rarely occurring unit.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
all communities of the mapping unit.
causes of endangerment
agricultural use.
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
south Azerbaijan.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Grossgejm 1932; Grossgejm 1948; Grossgejm & Sachokia 1931
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by I. Safronova
