Home – Home – Jornals – Flora and Vegetation of Asian Russia 2026 number 2

This article introduces and tests the “metric profiles” method, a novel approach to the classic syntaxonomic problem of objectively delineating plant communities within a continuum. The method quantitatively diagnoses syntaxa by calculating a set of specially selected metrics for each geobotanical relevé, thereby formalizing the classification process revision and minimizing expert subjectivity. It was tested on a challenging classification subject: the foothill xeric meadows and meadow steppes of Western Siberia, characterized by polydominance and smooth gradients. Applying this method to a dataset of 1033 relevés (preliminarily classified as xeric meadows or meadow steppes) enabled a syntaxonomic revision. The revision revealed that 10 previously described associations could be statistically justifiedly reduced to 5 syntaxa, significantly simplifying the classification system. Two new associations are described here for the first time: Vicio amoenae-Phleetum pratensis(fallow meadows) and Peucedano morissonii-Brachypodietum pinnati (primary forest xeric meadows). Multivariate analysis (NMDS, indicator species analysis IndVal, Kruskal-Wallis test) confirmed the statistical significance of differences between the revised associations. The analysis further confirmed that these associations differ significantly in key metrics, such as the proportion of cover of eco-coenotic species groups and the number of diagnostic species. Beyond providing objective syntaxon delineation, the method allowed clear determination of their successional status and degree of anthropogenic disturbance. These results demonstrate the efficacy of the “metric profiles” method for syntaxonomic research and for monitoring the state and dynamics of vulnerable meadow and steppe ecosystems. As a quantitative and practical tool, it establishes a base for a new, objective approach to analyzing plant communities under continuum conditions.