East Black Sea forb-bunchgrass steppes of the Don River basin (within Rostov region)

Abstract

The studied steppe communities to the east of the Black Sea were attributed to the alliance Festucion valesiacae and two suballiances: Festuco rupicolae—Stipenion pennatae and Phlomenion pungentis. A comparison of the floristic composition of the described associations: Trifolio alpestris—Stipetum tirsae, Artemisio marschallianae—Stipetum dasyphyllae and Bellevalio sarmaticae—Stipetum pennatae, belonging to the suballiance Festuco rupicolae—Stipenion pennatae, and communities of the east European meadow steppe, shows their significant difference. The described associations are neighboring ones to these of the suballiance Phlomenion pungentis which represents the true steppes of the Azov Sea area, Donetsk oblast (Saitov, Mirkin, 1991 : 92). Plant community associations such as Plantagini urvillei—Stipetum tirsae and Stipetum lessingianae were attributed to the suballiance Phlomenion pungentis.