DIVERSITY OF DESERT VEGETATION OF THE KETPEN RIDGE

Abstract

The article presents the results of many years of research into the desert vegetation of the Ketpen ridge. The paper presents an analysis of the desert vegetation of the Ketpen ridge. Within the study area, desert vegetation is represented by various communities. Communities with Artemisia stand out here, these are Artemisia terrae-albae; Salsola orientalis + Artemisia terrae albae, and Salsola orientalis + Artemisia terrae - albae + Haloxylon aphyllum   associations. The total projective cover in these communities ranges from 25 to 70%, artemisia cover is 25-30%. They always include short-vegetating (Poa bulbosa, 8-10%) and long-vegetating (Stipa caucasica, 15-25%). Subshrubs include Salsola orientalis, Salsola arbusculiformis, Anabasis salsa, and Nanophyton erinaceum. Annual saltwort species are also abundant: Petrosimonia sibirica, Climacoptera brachiata, Girgensohnia oppositiflora, Climacoptera lanata. These communities are more saturated with ephemerals and ephemeroids, forming ephemeral-artemisia groups of communities. Artemisia sublessingiana + Artemisia terrae-albae stand out; Stipa caucasica + Artemisia sublessingiana + Artemisia sublessingiana; Artemisia terrae-albae + Stipa capillata; Ceratocarpus utriculosus + Artemisia terrae-albae associations. The grass herbage contains: Festuca sulcata, Poa stepposa, Poa bulbosa, Stipa caucasica; from forbs - Ceratocarpus utriculosus, C. arenaria, Climacoptera brachiata, as well as weeds and poisonous plants: Goebelia pachycarpa, Acroptilon repens, Xanthium strumarium, Urtica dioica, Atriplex tatarica and others.     

Keywords: Ketpen Ridge, diversity, desert vegetation.