Home – Home – Jornals – Flora and Vegetation of Asian Russia 2010 number 2

Flora of halophytic vegetation within Western Zabaikaliye is overviewed. Three hundred thirty six species and subspecies of vascular plants from 163 genera and 52 families have been registered. The distinct specificity of flora is a high rank of Chenopod family in the families’ spectra, and Chenopodium, Suaeda, as well as Plantago, Puccinellia — in the genera’ spectra. Enrichment of the saline habitat flora is achieved mostly due to numerous glycophytes tolerant to substrate salinity. Despite it, plant communities in saline habitats are always predominating by halophytes. The preliminary classification of halophytic plant communities in accordance with Braun-Blanquet approach is proposed. As a result 3 orders, 4 alliances, 14 associations, 4 subassociations, and 11 variants, belonging to the classes Scorzonero-Juncetea gerardii and Thero-Salicornietea, are distinguished. The first class contains the majority of recognized syntaxa. Such features as great variability of synmorphology, widely fluctuating physiognomic aspects, and mostly low species richness have been noted as typical of halophytic plant communities.