The Desert Steppes of Eastern Europe: Common Regularities and Specific Features
Abstract
Desert steppes are formed within the southern subzone of the steppe zone. Some researchers categorize this subzone not as a part of the steppe zone, but as a separate semi-desert zone. The aim of our research is to identify features of the structure of desert steppes and to understand the zonal status of the territory occupied by them. In Eastern Europe, desert steppes are common in the Ergeni Hills and the Caspian Lowland. Research was carried out by the route method. We made about 600 relevés 10 x 10 m2 in size. Plant communities of desert steppes consist of both firm-bunch grasses and dwarf semishrubs. Stipeta sareptanae is a zonal type with light chestnut soils. Communities of dwarf semishrubs (halophytic variations of steppes) grow on
saline soils and occupy quite large areas. A substantial part of the southern subzone of the steppe zone in Eastern Europe is used as pasture and hayfield: this is why modern desert steppes have been considerably modified, and dynamically unstable communities are often dominant.
Keywords: desert steppes, zonal type, ecological variants, peculiarities, Ergeni Hills, Caspian Lowland
References
[1] Ogureeva, G. N. (ed.). (1999). Zones and Types of Altitudinal Zonality of Russia and Adjacent Territories. Map of Scale 1: 8 000 000. Moscow: Euro-Asian Association “Ecological Balance” (TOO “EKOR”).
[2] Sangadziev, P. D. (ed.). (1974). Atlas of the Kalmyk ASSR. Moscow: Federal Service of Geodesy and Cartography of Russia.
[3] Piatin, V. A. (ed.). (1997). Atlas of the Astrakhan Region. Moscow: Federal Service of Geodesy and Cartography of Russia.
[4] Cherepanov, S. K. (2007). Vascular Plants of Russia and Adjacent States (The Former USSR). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[5] Safronova, I. N. (2005). Desert steppes of Low Volga region. Volga Ecological Journal, no. 3, pp. 262–268.
[6] Safronova, I. N. (2005). Phytocoenotic diversity of desert steppes of PonticKazakhstan subregion of the Eurasian steppe region. Problems of Steppe Investigation, vol. 5, pp. 19–27.
[7] Dimo, N. A. and Keller, B. A. (1907). In the Region of the Semi-Desert. Soil and Botanical Research in the South of the Tsaritsyn Uezd of Saratov Province. Saratov: Edition of the Saratov Provincial Zemstvo.
[8] Nikolaev, V. A., Kopyl, I. V., and Lindeman, G. V. (1997). Landscape ecotone in the Caspian Semi-Desert. Bulletin Moscow University, Moscow, Part 5, Geography, no. 2, pp. 34–39.
[9] Egorov, V. V., Fridland, V. M., Ivanova, et al. (1977). Classification and Diagnostics of the Soils of the USSR. Moscow: Publishing House “Kolos”.
[10] Uspanov, U. U. and Faizov, K. Sh. On the brown and gray-brown soils of a desert zone of Kazakhstan. News Academy of Science of Kazakh SSR, Part Biology, no. 2, pp. 1–15.
[11] Keller, B. A. (1938). Main types and general regularities of the vegetation of USSR. Vegetation of the USSR, vol. 1, pp. 133–181.
[12] Levina, F. Ya. (1964). Vegetation of the Semi-Desert of the Northern Caspian Region and Its Fodder Value. Moscow, Leningrad: Publishing House “Nauka”.
[13] Lavrenko, E. M. (1980). Steppe. Vegetation of the European Part of USSR, pp. 203–272.
[14] Prozorovsky, A. V. (1940). Deserts and semi deserts. Vegetation of USSR, vol. 2, pp. 207–480.
[15] Walter, H. (1975). Vegetation of the Earth. Tundra, Meadows, Steppes, Deserts (NonTropical), vol. III. Moscow: “Progress” press.
[16] Ozenda, P. (1994). Vegetation du Continent European. Lausanne (Switzerland)–Paris: Delachaux et Niestle.
[17] Lavrenko, E. M. (1970). Provincial subdivision of the Pontic-Kazakhstan subregion of the Eurasian steppe region. Botanicheskii Zhurnal, vol. 55, no. 12, pp. 609–625.
[18] Lavrenko, E. M., Karamysheva, Z. V., and Nikulina, R. I. (1991). Steppe of Eurasia. Leningrad: Nauka.
[19] Rachkovskaya, E. I. (ed.). (1995). Vegetation Map of Kazakhstan and Central Asia (Desert Region). S. 1: 2 500 000. Moscow: Euro-Asian Association “Ecological Balance” (TOO “EKOR”).
[20] Belov, A. V., Gribova, S. A., Karamysheva, Z. V., et al. (1990). Map of the Vegetation of the USSR. For Higher Schools. S. 1:4000000. Moscow: Federal Service of Geodesy and Cartography of Russia.
[21] Udo, B., Gollub, G., and Hettwer, C. (2000). Map of the Natural Vegetation of Europe. Scale 1: 2 500 000. Bonn-Bad-Godesberg: Federal Agency for Nature Conservation.