Botanical Diversity of the Steppe Plains of the Suhbaatar and Dornogovi Aimags (Eastern Mongolia)

• Published in: Arid ecosystems 2018-07, Vol.8 (3), p.203-212
• Main Authors: Miklyaeva, I. M., Belyavsky, D. S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied Problems Of Arid Land Development; Biodiversity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Desert plants; Deserts; Ecology; Flora; Flowering; Flowers & plants; Genera; Humidification; Life Sciences; Plains; Plant diversity; Plants; Position indicators; Species; Species diversity; Steppes; Watersheds; Zonal distribution
• ISSN: 2079-0961; 2079-0988
• DOI: 10.1134/S2079096118030046

The botanical diversity of the steppe plains of the Suhbaatar and Dornogovi aimags (eastern Mongolia) is examined on the species and cenotic level and on the basis of the ecofloristic classification. The taxonomic diversity of vascular Embryophyta plants of the observed area is represented by 35 families, 104 genera, and 169 species, which is 51% of the total eastern Mongolia flora families, 36% of its genera, and 25% of its species. The species were assigned to ecocenotic groups by the characteristics of their zonal distribution as follows: 37% of all observed plant species fit into the “dry-steppe” category, 25% are in the “meadow steppe—dry steppe” category, 15% are in the “dry steppe—desertificated steppe” category, 16% are in the “dry steppe—desert” category, and 7% were “widespread.” The syntaxonomical diversity of the observed plains is established by processing geobotanical descriptions by the Braun-Blanquet method and is represented by one class, three alliances, and eight associations reflecting the features of the watershed plain “plakor” vegetation. The selected associations are distinguished by their higher vascular flowering plant species, genera and family diversity, species abundance, grass density, and position in the relief. An indirect indicator of the humidification conditions, which express the relation of plant species inhabiting the outer ranges on the humidification gradient, was developed: plants found in desertified steppes and deserts and plants found in forest steppes. Subzonal affiliations of associations were adjusted in accordance with the value of the indirect indicator.