Nicola Arndt und Matthias Pohl - Neobiota

The deserts of Artemisia lerchiana are widely distributed in various environments on plains with
loamy, sandy-loamy and sandy soils (Table. 1). Large areas in this region are covered by communities
of sand wormwood (A. arenaria) confined to loose sands. In these communities participation of shrubs
is appreciable. Communities of black wormwood (A. pauciflora) are spread on solonetz and saline
soils. Often these communities consist only of one species or include some annuals. On solonchak-
solonetz they are codominated by Camphorosma monspeliaca.
On the right bank of the Ural River (and eastwards) large areas are covered by perennial saltwort
deserts on saline soils; these are monodominant communities of Anabasis salsa and communities of
Atriplex cana.
Table 1: Ecological-phytocoenotical dominant-determinant classification of European deserts.
Subzone
on the European
Vegetation Map
Northern lowland
plain deserts
Southern foothill
deserts
Formation Ecotype Association, complex of
communities
Artemisia lerchiana pl 1
Caspian
Lowland
Artemisia lerchiana +
pl hal Artemisia lerchiana-nabasis
aphylla
+
hps Artemisia lerchiana-Poa bulbosa +
hps Artemisia lerchiana-Stipa
sareptana
+
hps Artemisia lerchiana-Stipa
lessingiana
+
ps Artemisia lerchiana with
Calligonum aphyllum
+
ps hal Artemisia lerchiana with
Calligonum aphyllum and
Krascheninnikovia ceratoides
+
Artemisia pauciflora pl hal Artemisia pauciflora +
pl hal Artemisia pauciflora-
Camphorosma monspeliaca
+
Artemisia arenaria ps Artemisia arenaria-Calligonum
aphyllum
+
Anabasis salsa pl hal Anabasis salsa +
Atriplix cana pl hal Atriplex cana +
Artemisia fragrans pl Artemisia fragrans-Poa bulbosa,
Catabrosella humilis
Artemisia szowitsiana pl hal Artemisia szowitsiana-annual
saltworts
Salsola nodulosa pl hal Salsola nodulosa-Poa bulbosa,
Catabrosella humilis with
Artemisia fragrans
Salsola ericoides pl hal Salsola ericoides-Poa bulbosa,
Catabrosella humilis with
Artemisia fragrans
Salsola dendroides pl hal Salsola dendroides-Poa bulbosa,
Catabrosella humilis with
Artemisia fragrans
Eastern
Transcaucasus
1 pl − pelitophytic, pl hal − pelitophytic halophytic, hps − hemipsammophytic, hps hal − hemipsammophytic
halophytic, ps − psammophytic, ps hal − psammophytic halophytic
Solonchak depressions are rather widely distributed in the Caspian Lowland. Around sors (solonchaks
lacking vegetation) vegetation cover is formed by communities of hyperhalophytic annual saltworts
and perennial saltworts, belonging mostly to the following formations: Halocnemum strobilaceum,
Kalidium foliatum, Atriplex verrucifera, A. cana (Table 2).
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