UDC 581.5

Vlasenko M.V., Kulik A.K. PHYTOCENOTIC POTENTIAL OF PASTURES ON THE SANDY MASSIFS OF THE DON BASIN // Arid Ecosystems. 2024. Vol. 30. № 2 (99). P. 45-55. | PDF

The aim was to analyze the phytocenotic potential of pasture ecosystems in the Tsimlyansk sand massif using ecological scales of humidity, soil reactions and soil richness with mineral nitrogen according to Ellenberg N Index. The research was based on landscape-bioecological and ecologicalmorphological methods using special techniques to study the structure, stability and development of plant communities. The Poaceae, Fabaceae and Asteraceae families played the major role in the projective covering. Hemicryptophytes turned out ot be the predominant life form of vegetation at all the sites (40-71%). The yield of phytocenoses averaged 156-287 g/m2. The species composition and yield of pasture phytocenoses varied significantly depending on humidity, physico-chemical properties and the soil richness of N. Key species of the moist, non-drying, slightly acidic soils with an average N content were Agrostis canina L., A. tenuis Sibth., Thlaspi arvense L., Typha angustifolia L., T. latifolia L., Tanacetum vulgare L., Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud., and Scirpus lacustris L. Key species of the slightly acidic soils with average humidification and an average N content were Achillea millefolium L., Astragalus arenarius L., Elytrigia repens (L.) Nevski, Medicago falcata L., and Phleum pratense L. Key species of the slightly acidic soils with average humidification and rich with N were Apera spica-venti (L.) P. Beauv., Atriplex tatarica L., and Calamagrostis epigeios (L.) Roth. Key species of the neutral soils with average humidification and average N were Artemisia abrotanum L., Cirsium incanum (S.G. Gmel.) Fisch., Gypsophila paniculata L., Inula germanica L., Juncus gerardii Loisel., and Senecio erucifolius L. Key species of the dry and slightly acidic soils with an average N were Chamaecytisus ruthenicus (Fisch. ex Wol) and Festuca valesiaca Gaudin. Key species of the dry and slightly acidic soils with poor N were Anisantha tectorum (L.) Nevski, Artemisia campestris L., A. maritima L., A. marschalliana Spreng., A. scoparia Waldst. & Kit., Bromopsis inermis (Leyss.) Holub, Crepis tectorum L., Koeleria glauca (Spreng.) DC., Leymus racemosus (Lam.) Tzvelev, Potentilla incana P. Gaertn., B. Mey. & Scherb., Psammophiliella muralis (L.) Ikonn., and Stipa capillata L. Key species of the neutral or slightly acidic soils with sufficient or variable moisture, with an average N were Agropyron cristatum L. and Thlaspi arvense L. There was a large proportion of therophytes species (22.9%) in the Bromopsis-Calamagrostis-Artemisia community, which indicates that the territory is under an anthropogenic pressure.

Keywords: phytocenoses, species diversity, sand massifs, pasture ecosystems, environmental assessment, Ellenberg scales.

Funding. This work was carried out as part of the research No. 122020100450-9 “Development of a New Methodology for Optimal Management of Biological Resources in Agricultural Landscapes in the Arid Zone of the Russian Federation Using System-Dynamic Modeling of Soil-Hydrological Processes, Complex Impact Assessment of the Climatic Changes and Anthropogenic Loads on Agrobiological Potential and Forest Conditions”.

DOI: 10.24412/1993-3916-2024-2-45-55
EDN: QPBFCR