NEW ALLIANCE OF SOUTH SIBERIAN PETROPHYTIC STEPPES
Irina S. Chupina1,2, Andrey Yu. Korolyuk1,2
1Central Siberian Botanical Garden, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
2Altai State University, Barnaul, Russia
Keywords: Altai-Sayan mountains, piedmonts, syntaxonomy, petrophytic steppes, Festuco-Brometea
Abstract
Petrophytic steppes are widespread in steppe and forest-steppe landscapes of piedmonts and low mountains of Altai-Sayan region. They belong to the class Festuco-Brometea Br.-Bl. et R. Tx. in Br.-Bl. 1947 and the order Helictotricho-Stipetalia Toman 1969. Petrophypic communities usually occupy steep stony southern slopes and ridge tops. A formalized cluster analysis was performed on 31 associations representing the alliances Centaureion sumensis Golub et al. 1995, Elytrigion pruiniferae Korolyuk et al. 2022, Helictotricho desertorum-Orostachyion spinosae , Scorzonero austriacae-Koelerion sclerophyllae Solomeshch et al. 1994 (Fig. 1). South Siberian petrophytic steppes differ from the steppes by a numerous group of plant species (Table 1). For this reason, we describe a new alliance. Alliance Alysso obovatae-Orostachyion spinosae all. nov. Holotypus - ass. Allio rubentis-Caricetum humilis Korolyuk 2007. Diagnostic species (D. s.): Alyssum obovatum , Artemisia gmelinii , Astragalus ceratoides , A. follicularis , Eritrichium pectinatum , Goniolimon speciosum , Gypsophila patrinii , Hedysarum gmelinii , Orostachys spinosa , Patrinia intermedia , Potentilla acaulis , Veronica pinnata. The alliance unites petrophytic steppes of piedmont, foothill and low-mountain landscapes of the north-western periphery of Altai-Sayan mountain region. Communities are confined to stony habitats with close bedding of bedrocks. The alliance includes 2 sualliances and 7 associations (Table 2). Suballiance Allio rubentis-Caricenion humilis suball. nov. Holotypus - ass. Allio rubentis-Caricetum humilis Korolyuk 2007. D. s.: Allium rubens , Bupleurum bicaule , Carex humilis , Centaurea sibirica , Coluria geoides , Eritrichium altaicum , Iris ruthenica , Lupinaster pentaphyllus , Polygala comosa , Pulsatilla patens , Thalictrum petaloideum , Thymus sect. serpyllum , Youngia tenuifolia , Ziziphora clinopodioides. The suballiance represents petrophytic steppes of lowland and foothill areas of the Northern and Western Altai. The coenoses occupy convex stony slopes and ridges. Suballiance Artemisio frigidae-Scorzonerenion austriacae suball. nov. Holotypus - ass. Potentillo acaulis-Festucetum valesiacae Lashchinsky ex Korolyuk et Kipriyanova 1998. D. s.: Allium vodopjanovae , Artemisia frigida , Spiraea hypericifolia , Scorzonera austriaca , Veronica incana . The suballiance unites steppes on stony slopes and sides of river valleys of the right bank of Ob river, Salair Ridge and Kuznetsk depression. A new association is described within the suballiance. Ass. Alysso lenensis-Potentilletum acaulis ass. nov. (Table 3, rel. 1-23), holotypus - Table 3, rel. 1 (field no. 19-570): Novosibirsk region, Suzun district, 4 km west of the Sharchino village, steep south-eastern slope of the Karakan River valley, 54.26847° N, 82.44793° E, 13.08.2022, author - A.Yu. Korolyuk. D. s.: Allium vodopjanovae , Alyssum lenense , Astragalus testiculatus , Cleistogenes squarrosa , Ephedra distachya , Hedysarum gmelinii , Potentilla acaulis (dom.), Taraxacum erythrospermum . The association represents rare petrophytic communities of forest-steppe landscapes east of the Ob River in Novosibirsk Region (Fig. 2). The communities occupy convex steep (up to 30-35°), usually southern slopes of river sides, often with bedrock outcrops. The position of the ass. Gypsophilo patrinii-Festucetum valesiacae Korolyuk 2007 is still unclear and new data from the eastern regions of Kazakhstan should be analyzed.
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