Tundra and steppe locations of Altai highland depressions: features of vegetation community and soil cover, their thermal regime
K. V. Chistyakov1, M. I. Amosov1, Yu. N. Kurochkin1, S. N. Lessovaia1, I. I. Strelkov1, G. A. Tyusov1,2
1St. Petersburg University, St. Petersburg, Russia
2Komarov Botanical Institute of RAS, St. Petersburg, Russia
Keywords: highlands, Altai, tundra, steppe, microclimate, permafrost
Abstract
Combination of steppe and tundra locations at the Altai highland depressions - Bertek and Khindiktig-Khol’ - is considered with regard to the hypothesis verification of steppe-tundra existence in northern Eurasia during the Last Glacial Maximum and its contemporary landscape analogues. Data on soil-vegetation cover diversity at the Altai highland depressions are represented. Cause-and-effect relations explaining spatial differentiation of nature complexes are identified. Thermal regime of locations with the predominance of steppe and dwarf birch vegetation is investigated. Interrelation between soil-vegetation cover differentiation and distinction in microclimate and permafrost boundary are proved.
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