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Steppes are the most species-rich communities of drought-resistant plants - xerophytes. They are common where the climate is warm but there is not enough rainfall to allow a forest to grow. Steppes - "a type of vegetation represented by a community of drought-resistant perennial herbaceous plants with a predominance of turf grasses, less often sedges and onions." If we analyze the geographical distribution of steppe landscapes on the globe, we will find -

Xia that the most typical steppes are formed in the inner regions of the mainland. Steppe zones of the temperate zones of the northern and southern hemispheres, characterized by a dry climate, treeless watersheds, dominance of herbaceous, predominantly cereal vegetation on chernozem, dark chestnut and chestnut soils.

The area is dominated by steppes, which are changed by pasture digression and represent short-grass pasture communities with dominance of fescue and sagebrush. Small fragments of the hay-growing variants of the steppe have been preserved, among which the southern, northern and central variants are distinguished, which represents the transition between the northern and southern ones. In the steppes of the central variant, if they are not disturbed by grazing, feather grass-pinnate, Zelessky, narrow-leaved are common. In addition, there are fescue and forbs are very abundantly represented. The steppe also includes shrubs - caragana, spirea, gorse, broom.

In addition to the mountain steppes, solonetzic steppes have been preserved in small fragments on the plain, which usually include wormwood Lerkha, Gmelin's kermek, and false couch grass. For the steppe on gravelly soils, it is characteristic

the participation of species - petrophytes, i.e. stone-loving ones - protozoa, thyme, mountain grate, Siberian cornflower and others. Such steppes are especially easily destroyed by pasture digression. The yield of steppe hayfields is up to 4-5 q/ha

Hay, the productivity of steppe pastures as a result of overgrazing is low and amounts to no more than 15-20 c/ha of green mass

throughout the pasture period. According to the classification, according to the research of Professor Mirkin B.M. , all the steppes of the Republic of Bashkortostan can be divided into two main types - meadow and typical. Meadows are common in the forest-steppe zone, and in the steppe zone they gravitate towards the slopes of the northern exposure.

Typical steppes occupy areas in the steppe zone of the republic.

Mordovnik ball-headed

A biennial or perennial herb from the Asteraceae family. The height of the plant reaches 1.5 m. The stem is single, straight, branched at the top. It is covered with glandular hairs. The leaves are twice pinnately dissected, large, 10 to 25 cm long and 4 to 10 cm wide. Rosette leaves with a petiole, the rest are sessile, amplexicaul. From above they are green, and from below they are covered with white felt, there are small spines along the edges. The flowers are collected in spherical inflorescences, they are bluish-white in color. Spherical heads have a diameter of 4-5 cm. Seed fruits. It grows in river valleys, among shrubs, on the edges of island forests, in wastelands.

The plant population on the Roman-gora hill is represented by single plants. Occasionally there are "islands" of 5-10 plants. In general, the plants are in good vital condition.

Yarrow

Perennial herbaceous plant from the Asteraceae family. A plant with an upright stem. In the conditions of Belarus, its height ranges from 48 to 72 cm. Several shoots of stems depart from a thin creeping rhizome. The leaves are basal - lanceolate, doubly pinnately dissected into narrow small slices. Stem leaves shorter, pinnately dissected.

Stem leaves are shorter, pinnately dissected, divided into a large number of lobules. The inflorescence is corymbose, consisting of many flower baskets. The flowers are small, white, pink-purple or reddish. Blooms in June-August, a very long time.

It grows on the hill everywhere, where there are patches of meadow steppe. It is especially common on the southern side of the slope in gentle places, where cattle graze more often and closer to the Asly-Udryak river.

Asparagus officinalis

Perennial herbaceous plant from the lily family. The stem of asparagus is erect, reaching a height of up to 150 cm, strongly branched. The branches on the stem depart at an acute angle. The leaves are reduced to scales, modified shoots resembling leaves are formed in the axils of the stem. Underground stem straight, smooth. It is juicy, etiolated, forming shoots extending from the rhizome. These stems are used as a vegetable plant. The flowers are small, greenish-yellow. Perianth of six petals with 6 stamens. The fruit is a red globular berry. Blooms in June - July. Asparagus grows in meadows, among thickets of shrubs, and is also found in the steppe, on the slopes of the mountains.

It is quite rare in the study area. Found in areas adjacent to the forest belt and located between rows of trees inside the forest belt. The population is represented by single plants.

Adonis spring

Perennial herbaceous plant from the buttercup family. Adonis has a two-stroke development - at the beginning

Early flowering is different, and then the stem and leaves are formed. Flower early in spring - from the end of April, in May. A bush in which there are up to 20-30 pieces of flowers blooms from 40 to 50 days. The very first flowers, as a rule, are large, but they are pale yellow, golden, apical, solitary, abundantly visited by bees. Adonis at the beginning of flowering has a bush height of 10 to 15 cm, and in the fruiting phase it reaches 30-70 cm. In each bush, there are from 2 to 15 generative and from 4 to 23 vegetative shoots.

Found throughout the study area. The population consists of more than 150 plants that are in good vital condition.

Budra ivy

Perennial, herbaceous plant from the mint family. Budra has a creeping and branched stem, it takes root, forming new stems. The leaves are petiolate, opposite, crenate-toothed, rounded kidney-shaped. They are covered with hairs. Flowers 3-4 pcs. located in the axils of the middle stem leaves, they are small, two-lipped, violet-blue or bluish-lilac in color. Pedicels 4-5 times shorter than the calyx, equipped with subulate bracts. The calyx is covered with hairs; its teeth are triangular, finely pointed. The height of the rising stems ranges from 10 to 40 cm. It blooms in May-June.

It grows along the ravine and on the south side of the slope. Numerous population, studied at the beginning of flowering.

St. John's wort

A perennial herbaceous plant from the St. John's wort family. The stem is straight, 45 to 80 cm high, glabrous, with two faces. Leaves oblong-ovate, entire, opposite, sessile. Translucent dotted receptacles are scattered on the leaves, which resemble holes - hence the name - perforated.

The flowers are numerous, golden-yellow in color, collected in a broadly paniculate, almost corymbose inflorescence. The sepals are acute with an entire margin. Petals twice as long as the sepals, blooms in June-July. The fruit is a three-celled multi-seeded basket, opens with 3 valves. The rhizome is thin, several stems depart from it.

Found only in one place on the eastern gently sloping side of the hill. Presented by 8-15 plants.

Veronica oak

Perennial herbaceous plant. Keeps green shoots all year round. The leaves are arranged oppositely, in the axils of the brush are not regular flowers. The flower has 2 stamens and 1 pistil. The fruit of Veronica is a flattened box.

Grows in meadow areas of the steppe of the study area. Plants are evenly distributed among other species. Often found on the outskirts of the forest belt.

Awnless bonfire

Belongs to the grass family. It has smooth stems, reaching a height of one meter. The leaves are flat and wide. Spikelets are collected in an inflorescence - a sprawling panicle. Bonfire is a good fodder grass, it blooms from the end of May and in June. From the creeping rhizome, many high erect shoots of peduncles depart.

In plant communities, the hill is a species that forms the environment, because. occurs uniformly often almost everywhere.

sporysh

Annual, herbaceous plant from the buckwheat family. A small plant with a height of 10 to 40 cm. It has straight stems, prostrate, branched. The leaves are elliptical or lanceolate, small, with a short spine. The flowers are in the axils of the leaves, distributed evenly throughout the plant. The corolla of the flower is pale pink. The fruit is a trihedral nut. It blooms from May to October. It grows along the roads, on the streets, in the yards, on pastures. On pastures where there is a large load of livestock, all types of plants suffer, only knotweed remains.

This species is well expressed at the foot of the hill from the side of the river and animal stalls. Almost never found in the main system.

Common colza

Herbaceous plant from the cruciferous family. Bright green rosettes of colza from bizarre lyre-shaped. pinnately dissected leaves are seen in large numbers in the fields plowed last fall. Blooms in May-June. With an abundance of sun and moisture from the melted snow, a flower-bearing shoot with a brush of yellow flowers quickly stretches near the colza. The fruit is multi-seeded, opening with two valves. Good honey plant.

It grows unevenly in the vegetation cover of the hill and is found in a large way from the side of the field, located closer to the eastern slope.

Kozelets purple

Hemicarps at the base with a hollow swollen leg, 12 mm long, ribbed, light gray. Stems erect and ascending, furrowed, simple and branching. Basal leaves on long petioles, pinnate and dissected, with narrow linear lateral segments. Baskets are cylindrical, the involucre is slightly cobweb, then naked, its leaves are lanceolate, sometimes with a horn-shaped appendage. Flowers yellow, marginal reddish on the outside.

It grows on a hill on the lawns between the trees of the forest belt. It occurs moderately often, the population consists of single plants that are located at a relatively small distance from each other - from 40 to 60 cm.

Karagan

Belongs to the legume family. Shrub with gray straight thin branches, with four contiguous obovate leaves with a wedge-shaped base and thorns at the top; flowers are golden yellow with a wide obovate sail, blunt boat, concentrated 2-3 on single peduncles, which are twice as long as the calyx, pods up to 3 cm long, glabrous, cylindrical, 1-4 seeds.

Grows mainly on the western slope of the mountain, in the ravine and adjacent beam on the north side.

Nonea dark

Belongs to the borage family. The whole plant is covered with protruding stiff hairs and sparse glandular ones. The leaves are oblong-lanceolate, the lower ones are narrowed in petioles, the rest are sessile, semi-amplex. Bracts lanceolate, longer than flowers, dark red-brown. The calyx is bell-shaped, incised to one part. The lobes of the calyx are lanceolate. Nuts are reticulate-wrinkled.

It grows everywhere on the hill, it was studied and determined at the beginning of flowering.

Bell

Belongs to the bell family. Flowers numerous, in large branched inflorescence. Corolla funnel-shaped bell-shaped, blue or white. Stem with dense foliage. The leaves are large-serrate, glabrous or pubescent.

Grows in communities of studied plants between cereal plants. It is rare, there are only about 30 plants counted in the population.

Veronica longifolia

Belongs to the family Norichnikovye. The leaves are unequally serrated to the very top, with finely pointed,

Simple or to the base of the b.ch. double notches, oblong or linear-lanceolate, acute at the base cordate or rounded, often whorled. The inflorescence is a terminal dense raceme, lengthening up to 25 cm, sometimes with several lateral racemes; flowers on pedicels, almost equal to calyxes. Corolla blue about 6 mm. Long, with a hairy tube inside. The whole plant is glabrous or with short grayish pubescence.

The distribution of this plant in the studied ecosystem is moderately rare. Grows as individual plants or 2-3 individuals.

Violet amazing

Belongs to the violet family. Stem up to 30 cm tall. The petioles of large broad-heart-shaped stem leaves are grooved, pubescent only on the convex, downward-facing hairs. Stipules of stem leaves are large, entire, stipules are large, rusty-red.

On the hill grows in places with low grasses or among low grass cover, likes stony areas of the surface.

forest anemone

Ranunculaceae family. Perennial. Stem leaves not fused, similar to basal leaves, short-haired. Flowers are yellow-white.

It grows in small "families" between pine trees and separately on open slopes on the eastern and northern sides of the Roman-gora hill.

field bindweed

Belongs to the bindweed family. Naked or scattered drooping plant with recumbent, creeping or climbing shoots. Flowers up to 3.5 cm in diameter, usually collected in 2-3 or solitary. Bracts in the form of a pair of small linear leaflets are located oppositely in the middle of the pedicel, do not reach the calyx. Corolla pink, rarely white.

Grows in areas with other meadow plants from the side of the ravine and the river.

Onosma Preduralskaya

Belongs to the borage family. Pedicels very short, much shorter than the bracts. The whole plant is hard-rough. The stem is straight, simple, rarely branched, covered with stiff, erect bristles and dense down. Basal leaves are numerous, petiolate, linear, stem sessile, linear-lanceolate.

Likes open sunny places with rocky soil. Grows in crowded bushes. Very interesting during the flowering period. There are not many plants on the Roman-mountain hill on the south side. Numerical accounting showed about 20 plants.

Wormwood flat

Belongs to the Compositae family. The root is vertical, woody, developing branched flower-bearing shoots and straight ribbed reddening branched flower-bearing stems. Leaves of sterile shoots and lower stem leaves are twice-, thrice-pinnately dissected, their lobules are narrowly linear 3-10 mm long, slightly pointed, middle and upper stem leaves are sessile, bracts are short, narrowly linear. The outer leaflets of the involucre are oval, almost round, convex, green along the back, the inner ones along the edge are broadly membranous-marginated.

Well expressed as a cover plant on the southern slope of Roman-gora hill. Plants are smaller than usual, indicating oppression by grazing pressure.

World around 4th grade

steppe zone

In the past, there were endless steppes in the steppe zone. Now they are plowed almost everywhere, fields have taken their place. The preserved areas of the steppes with their wonderful flora and fauna must be protected.

Using the map in the textbook, paint over on the contour map (The world around us, grade 4, p.

Features of all kinds of plants in the steppe

36-37) steppe zone. To select a color, you can use the "key" below.

What zone, located between the steppes and forest zones, remained unpainted? Paint it at home.

Answer: Forest steppe

Our inquisitive Parrot knows something about the steppes. Here are some of his statements. Are they true? Circle "Yes" or "No". If not, correct the mistakes (orally).

a) The steppe zone is located south of the forest zones. Answer: Yes
b) The steppe zone has a cold, rainy summer. Answer: No
c) The soils in the steppe zone are very fertile. Answer: Yes
d) Tulips bloom in the steppe at the height of summer. Answer: No
e) In the steppe there is a bustard - one of the smallest birds in our country. Answer: No

Seryozha and Nadya's mother asks if you know steppe plants. Cut out the drawings from the Appendix and place them in the appropriate boxes. Check yourself in the textbook. After self-testing, stick the drawings.

And this task was prepared for you by Seryozha and Nadia's dad. Learn steppe animals by fragments. Write the names of the animals. Ask a student sitting next to you to check on you.

Make a diagram of the food chain characteristic of the steppe zone. Compare it with the scheme proposed by a neighbor on the desk. With the help of these diagrams, tell about the ecological connections in the steppe zone.

Feather grass - Filly - Steppe lark - Steppe eagle
Tipchak - Hamster - Steppe viper

Think about what environmental problems of the steppe zone are expressed by these signs. Formulate and write down.

Suggest conservation measures to help solve these problems for class discussion.

Continue filling out the poster "The Red Book of Russia", which was drawn by Seryozha and Nadia's dad. Find on the poster a plant and animals of the steppe zone and sign their names.

Thin-leaved peony, steppe eagle, bustard, steppe dyke

8. As instructed by the textbook (p. 117), draw the steppe.

9. As instructed by the textbook (p. 117), prepare a report on the plants and animals of the steppe that are of particular interest to you.

Post subject: Bustard

Message plan:

1) Preface
2) Basic information
3) Conclusion

Bustard is recognized as the heaviest of flying birds, this inhabitant of the steppe mainly moves on the ground and runs quickly in case of danger. Individuals are considered omnivores, in their diet are plant foods (seeds, shoots, wild garlic) and animals (insects, rodents, frogs), during the mating season, males perform a spectacular dance.
Dimensions:
Length: males up to 105 cm, females from 75 to 80 cm
Weight: males up to 16 kg, females - up to 8 kg
Lifespan: 20-25 years
The bustard is predominantly a steppe bird. It lives on open plains without copses, meadows and fields. This is due to the caution of the birds, since the free space there is far visible. During nesting, individuals stop at areas with high vegetation. There are also cases when bustards nest among grain crops, sunflowers and other crops.

Source(s) of information: Internet, encyclopedia

Plants of the steppe zone: photos and names

What plants grow in the steppe?

• Mountain steppes with lush alpine vegetation and high mountains, characterized by sparse and inconspicuous vegetation, mainly consisting of grains and breakwort.
• Meadow. Steppes, characterized by the presence of small forests that form glades and edges.
• Real. Steppes with feather grass and fescue growing on them in great predominance. These are the most typical steppe plants.
• Saz - steppes, consisting of plants that adapt to an arid climate, shrubs.
• Desert steppes on which desert grasses grow tumbleweed, wormwood, prutnyak
• It is also necessary to say a few words about the forest-steppes, which are characterized by the alternation of deciduous forests and coniferous forests with areas of steppes, since the plants of the steppe and forest-steppe differ only in subspecies.

The steppe has its embodiment on any continent except Antarctica, and on different continents it has its own name: in North America it is the prairie, in South America it is the pampas (pampas), in South America, Africa and Australia it is savannah. In New Zealand, the steppe is called Tussoki.

Let us consider in more detail which plants grow in the steppe.

Plant species of the steppe

• Krupka. This is an annual plant of the cruciferous family, growing in the highlands and in the tundra. There are about 100 varieties of grains, typical for our steppes. It is characterized by a branched stem with oblong leaves, crowned with tassels of yellow flowers. Flowering period April - July. In folk herbal medicine, krupka is used as a hemostatic, expectorant and diuretic.
• Breaker. It is also an annual plant, about 25 cm long and with oblong leaves, many flower arrows, each of which ends in an inflorescence consisting of tiny white flowers. Prolomnik is used as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, diuretic and hemostatic, as well as an anticonvulsant for epilepsy.
• Poppy. Depending on the species, it is an annual or perennial herb with flower buds on long peduncles. It grows on rocky slopes, near mountain streams and rivers, in fields, along roads. And although poppies are poisonous, they are widely used in herbal medicine as a sedative and hypnotic for insomnia, as well as for some diseases of the intestines and bladder.
• Tulips are perennial herbaceous plants of the steppe of the lily family with large and bright flowers. They mainly grow in semi-desert, desert and mountainous areas.
• Astragalus. This plant has more than 950 species of various colors and shades, growing in desert and dry steppes, in the forest zone and in alpine meadows. It is widely used for edema, dropsy, gastroenteritis, diseases of the spleen, as a tonic, as well as for headaches and hypertension.
• Feather grass. It is also a variety of herbs. There are more than 60 of them, and the most common of them is the feather grass. It is a perennial plant of the grass family. The feather grass grows up to 1 meter tall with smooth stems and spinous leaves. Stipa is used as a decoction in milk for goiter and paralysis.
• Mullein. This is a large (up to 2 m) plant with hairy leaves and large yellow flowers. Studies of the plant have shown the presence of many useful substances in its flowers, such as flavonoids, saponins, coumarin, gum, essential oil, aucubin glycoside, the content of ascorbic acid and carotene. Therefore, the plant is actively used as a food additive in salads and hot dishes, drinks are prepared, and they are also eaten fresh.
• Melissa officinalis. It is a perennial tall herb with a pronounced lemon scent. The stems of the plant are crowned with bluish-lilac flowers, which are collected in false rings. Lemon balm leaves contain essential oil, ascorbic acid, and some organic acids.
• Camel's thorn is a semi-shrub, up to 1 meter in height, with a powerful root system, bare stems with long spines and red (pink) flowers. The camel's thorn is widespread in the riverine space, grows along ditches and canals, on wastelands and irrigated lands. The plant contains many vitamins, some organic acids, rubber, resins, tannins, essential oil, as well as carotene and wax. A decoction of the plant is used for colitis, gastritis and stomach ulcers.
• Sagebrush. It is a herbaceous or semi-shrub plant found almost everywhere. The whole plant has a straight stem with thin pinnately divided leaves and yellowish flowers collected in inflorescences. Wormwood is used as a spicy plant, and the essential oil is used in perfumery and cosmetics. Wormwood is also important as a fodder plant for livestock.
• So, we have considered only some types of steppe plants. And, of course, the differences in the landscape leave their mark on the appearance of the herbs growing on it, but, nevertheless, some common features can be distinguished. So steppe plants are characterized by:

• Branched root system
• bulb roots
• Fleshy stems and thin, narrow leaves

Plants of the steppe zone

The VEGETATION of the steppes consists of various herbs that can tolerate drought. In some plants, the stems and leaves are strongly pubescent or have a developed wax coating; others have stiff stems covered with narrow leaves that curl up in the dry season (cereals); still others have fleshy and juicy stems and leaves with a supply of moisture. Some plants have a deep root system or form tubers, bulbs, rhizomes.

The steppe zone is one of the main land biomes. Under the influence, first of all, of climatic factors, zonal features of biomes were formed. The steppe zone is characterized by a hot and arid climate during most of the year, and in spring there is a sufficient amount of moisture, so the steppes are characterized by the presence of a large number of ephemera and ephemeroids among plant species, and many animals are also confined to a seasonal lifestyle, falling into hibernation in arid and cold season.

Steppe almond. Photo: Sirpa Tahkamo

The steppe zone is represented in Eurasia by the steppes, in North America by the prairies, in South America by the pampas, and in New Zealand by the Tussock communities. These are spaces of the temperate zone, occupied by more or less xerophilous vegetation. From the point of view of the conditions for the existence of the animal population, the steppes are characterized by the following features: a good view, an abundance of plant food, a relatively dry summer period, the existence of a summer period of rest or, as it is now called, semi-rest. In this respect, steppe communities differ sharply from forest communities. Among the predominant life forms of steppe plants, cereals stand out, the stems of which are crowded into turfs - turf grasses. In the Southern Hemisphere, such turfs are called Tussocks. Tussocks are very tall and their leaves are less rigid than those of the tufts of steppe grasses of the Northern Hemisphere, since the climate of communities close to the steppes of the Southern Hemisphere is milder.

Rhizome grasses that do not form turfs, with single stems on creeping underground rhizomes, are more widely distributed in the northern steppes, in contrast to turf grasses, whose role in the Northern Hemisphere increases towards the south.
Among the dicotyledonous herbaceous plants, two groups stand out - the northern colorful forbs and the southern colorless. Colorful forbs are characterized by a mesophilic appearance and large bright flowers or inflorescences, for southern, colorless forbs - a more xerophilic appearance - pubescent stems into leaves, often leaves are narrow or finely dissected, flowers are inconspicuous, dim.
Typical for the steppes are annual ephemera, which fade in the spring after flowering and die off, and perennial ephemeroids, in which, after the death of the ground parts, tubers, bulbs, and underground rhizomes remain. Colchicum is peculiar, which develops foliage in the spring, when there is still a lot of moisture in the steppe soils, retains only underground organs for the summer, and in autumn, when the whole steppe looks lifeless, yellowed, gives bright lilac flowers (hence its name).

The steppe is characterized by shrubs, often growing in groups, sometimes solitary. These include spireas, caragans, steppe cherries, steppe almonds, and sometimes some types of juniper. The fruits of many shrubs are eaten by animals.
Xerophilous mosses, fruticose and scale lichens, sometimes blue-green algae from the genus Nostok grow on the soil surface. During the summer dry period, they dry up, after rains they come to life and assimilate.

In the steppe there are plants that are rather nondescript, perhaps that is why they are unfamiliar to many: grits and daggers. They appear among the first on dry ridges, sand mounds, hills and hills.

Krupka from the cruciferous family is most often found in the highlands and in the tundra. The total number of its species in our country reaches one hundred. The most common are Siberian grains (found in meadows, dry tundra, alpine and subalpine lawns almost throughout the country, including the Arctic and the mountain systems of Central Asia and Siberia), as well as oak grains (widely distributed, except for the Arctic, in fields, dry meadows and steppes). Outwardly, these grains are very similar to each other.

Krupka oakwood is an annual plant with a branched, leafy stem up to 20 centimeters tall, in the lower part of which there is a basal rosette of oblong leaves, and in the upper part there are loose tassels of yellowish flowers. It blooms in April-July. The chemical composition of grains has been poorly studied, it is only known that alkaloids are contained in the aerial part. The plant was used in folk herbal medicine as a hemostatic agent along with the shepherd's purse. It is believed that the aerial part, together with the seeds, has an expectorant and antitussive effect, as a result of which it is used for whooping cough and various bronchial diseases. An infusion of herbs is popular as an external remedy for various skin diseases (rashes and others), especially those of allergic origin in children (while taking an infusion or a decoction of the herb externally and internally - as a blood purifier) ​​o In Chinese medicine, the seeds of the plant are popular, which are used as an expectorant and diuretic.

Krupka Siberian is a perennial with dark yellow flowers. Deserves, like the oak groats, study for medical purposes.
There are 35 species of primroses from the family of primroses in our country, distributed mainly in the mountains of the Caucasus, Central Asia and Siberia. The most common is the northern breakwort - a small, up to 25 centimeters, annual plant with a basal rosette of medium-sized oblong leaves and, as a rule, numerous, up to 20 pieces, flower arrows up to 25 centimeters high, each of which ends with an umbrella-shaped inflorescence, consisting of 10-30 tiny white flowers. There is a northern breakwater almost throughout the country - in the forest-steppe, steppe, forest and polar-arctic zones: on upland and steppe meadows, rocky slopes, in sparse pine and other forests, and he especially loves it.

Plant world of the steppe

willingly occupies plowed clearings and deposits like a weed.

The plant has long been used for medicinal purposes by the people of our country. Recently, medicine has been studying the possibility of obtaining contraceptive (contraceptive) drugs from it. The studies carried out gave good results - the age-old folk experience of using the prolomnik was fully confirmed. It is believed that the prolomnik has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, its decoction or paste is used for leucorrhoea in women and gonorrhea in men, hernia and goiter, gastralgia, urolithiasis, especially widely - with sore throat (gargle and take it orally). Prolomnik is also known to be used as an anticonvulsant in epilepsy and eclampsia (seizures, including in children), as well as a diuretic and hemostatic agent.

The grits are oak. Photo: Matt Lavin

Tumbleweeds are a peculiar life form of steppe plants. This life form includes plants that break off at the root collar as a result of drying out, less often - rotting, and are carried by the wind across the steppe; at the same time, sometimes rising into the air, sometimes hitting the ground, they scatter the seeds. In general, the wind plays a significant role in the transfer of seeds of steppe plants. There are a lot of flying plants here. The role of the wind is great not only in the pollination of plants, but the number of species in the pollination of which insects take part is less here than in forests.

Features of steppe plants:

a) Small leaves. The leaves of steppe grasses are narrow, not wider than 1.5-2 mm. In dry weather, they are folded lengthwise, and their evaporative surface becomes even smaller (adaptation to reduce evaporation). In some steppe plants, leaf blades are very small (bedstraws, kachima, thyme, gerbils, saltworts), in others they are divided into the thinnest slices and segments (gills, adonis, etc.).
b) pubescence. A whole group of steppe plants creates a special "microclimate" for itself due to abundant pubescence. Many species of astragalus, sage and others protect themselves from the sun's rays with the help of pubescence and thus fight drought.
c) wax coating. Many use a layer of wax or other waterproof substance that is secreted from the skin. This is another adaptation of steppe plants to drought. It is possessed by plants with a smooth, shiny surface of the leaves: spurges, gills, Russian cornflower, etc.
d) The special position of the leaves. Avoiding overheating, some steppe grasses (naeolovaty, serpuhi, chondrils) place their leaves edge to the sun. And such a steppe weed as wild lettuce generally orients its leaves in a north-south vertical plane, representing a kind of living compass.
e) Coloring. Among the summer steppe grasses, there are few bright green plants, the leaves and stems of most of them are painted in dull, faded colors. This is another adaptation of steppe plants that helps them protect themselves from excessive lighting and overheating (wormwood).
e) Powerful root system. The root system is 10-20 times larger than the above-ground organs in mass. There are many so-called soddy cereals in the steppe. These are feather grass, fescue, thin-legged, wheatgrass. They form dense tufts, having a diameter of 10 cm or more. Turf contains a lot of remnants of old stems and leaves and has a remarkable ability to intensively absorb melt and rain water and retain it for a long time.
g) Ephemera and ephemeroids. These plants develop in the spring when the soil is sufficiently moist. Thus, they have time to fade and bear fruit before the onset of the dry period (tulips, irises, saffron, goose onions, adonis, etc.).

home comfort

steppe plants

Steppe plants are extremely diverse, but many of them have common features. Among them are small, narrow leaves. In some species, they have the ability to curl up during drought to protect against excessive evaporation of moisture. The color of the leaves is often grayish or bluish-green: the bright green foliage familiar to the eye can rarely be found here. Steppe plants tolerate heat and lack of rain well.

According to various reference books, you can see about 220 different plant species in the steppe. Many steppe plants have an extensive root system that allows them to extract moisture from the ground. Willows can be found in the floodplains of flowing rivers, and in those places where groundwater comes close to the surface of the earth - other trees and shrubs: hawthorn, Tatar maple, wild grapes, blackthorn, etc. In places with saline soil, grow special steppe plants: saline wormwood, kermek, sveda, soleros.

Inhospitable for most of the year, the steppe transforms in early spring. At this time, before the beginning of the dry season, it is covered with a motley carpet of early flowering plants: tulips, irises, hyacinths, crocuses, poppies. These plants of the steppe differ from cultivated varieties, first of all, in their smaller size. At the same time, their shape can be more bizarre - like, for example, the Schrenk tulip, one of the ancestors of the cultural varieties of this flower. Due to the plowing of the steppe, as well as the ruthless collection of flowers, this species is listed in the Red Book of Russia. The dwarf steppe iris, like the Schrenk tulip, can have flowers of various shades, from yellow to purple. This species is also listed as endangered.

Before the heat comes, bright steppe flowers already have time to give seeds. Their tubers store nutrients that will allow them to bloom next year. The turn of plants accustomed to drought comes: fescue, feather grass, wormwood. Tipchak (Valisian fescue) is an erect grass up to half a meter high. This plant serves as food for horses and small livestock and is one of the main pasture plants in the steppe zone (fescue is unsuitable for harvesting for future use). Feather grass, a typical representative of the steppe flora, is a perennial grass with a short rhizome and narrow, long leaves resembling a wire. In total, there are about 400 species in this genus, some of them are protected. The main enemy of feather grass is uncontrolled grazing, during which this plant is simply trampled down. As for wormwood, along with other plants, almost all of its species are found in the steppe (there are more than 180 of them in total). Solid wormwood thickets usually form low varieties - for example, drooping wormwood, seaside and others.

Individual plants of the steppe (for example, kermek) after drying form the so-called tumbleweed. At the end of summer, the dried stalk of kermek breaks off from the roots with a gust of wind and rolls along the ground, scattering seeds along the way. Other stems and twigs can cling to it: the result is a rather impressive dry lump. Kermek ordinary blooms with pink, purple or yellow small flowers. Based on it, many cultivars are currently bred, which are widely used in landscape design. The small-leaved and creeping species of the genus Sveda, common on saline soils, are, respectively, a small shrub and an annual plant with reddening stems. They are willingly eaten by camels.

What plants are typical for the steppe zone

Like them, soleros also serves as livestock feed during the autumn-winter season. Soda was extracted from its ashes.

All steppe plants have their own characteristics that allow them to survive in conditions of heat and lack of moisture. These include powerful roots, early flowering in certain species, narrow leaves, etc.

The most valuable plants typical of the steppes are white and medicinal sweet clover, Siberian sainfoin, strawberries, Siberian snakeheads, tuberous gooseberry, steppe and creeping thyme, steppe sage, fragrant schizonepeta, catnip, Siberian cornflower, Altai aster, common hatma, slime onion.
Less valuable are Danish astragalus, sickle-shaped alfalfa, Ural licorice, spiked speedwell, yellow scabiosa, and steppe carnation. Weak melliferous plants are Siberian pomegranate, Morison's mustard, Baikal's mustard, backache, starodubka.

Published: 18 Mar 2018

Hogweed Siberian Dissected, Puchka, Pikan -Heracléum sibíricum. Herbaceous plant of the Umbelliferae family. Siberian hogweed, despite the name, is a predominantly European species, common throughout Central Russia. It is also distributed in Central Europe, Ciscaucasia and in Western Siberia (in its southern part it reaches Altai). It is found in the Crimea, in Kazakhstan (Dzungarian Alatau). It grows in damp places - in meadows, between shrubs. Grows in meadows (especially floodplains), along the banks of rivers and streams, edges, roadside meadows, and […]

Published: 01 May 2016

Weed plant. The species infests all types of crops, occurs in fallows, in orchards and orchards, as well as along roads, along ditches, and in fallows. Contains white milky juice. Strong honey and pollen. Allocates nectar only in the morning hours, because. flowers close in the afternoon. Medosbor intensive up to 380 kg per hectare. Honey crystallizes quickly, dark amber color. The pollen is dark yellow.

Published: 01 May 2016

Perennial herbaceous plant 30 - 90 cm high of the Compositae family. Grows in various meadows, clearings, meadow clearings, along roads in many regions of Russia. It is well visited by bees, which, under favorable weather conditions, collect a lot of nectar and pollen from it. Honey productivity in terms of solid arrays is over 100 kg/ha. Yellow pollen.

Published: 28 Apr 2016

Perennial melliferous herbaceous plant. Sandy cumin grows mainly on sandy soils, on dry copses, forest clearings, hills, on fallow lands, rocky and sandy slopes everywhere. The hard scales of the inflorescence wrapper do not wither and do not lose color even when the inflorescences are cut - hence the name of the plant immortelle.

Published: 27 Nov 2015

Mediocre honey. Blossoms in June-September, fruits ripen in August-September. Perennial herbaceous plant from the Asteraceae family. It grows on sandy and loamy fresh and moist soils, in meadows, forest clearings, forest edges, in bushes, less often as a weed in crops. Prefers average soil fertility and drainage.

Published: 27 Nov 2015

Perennial herbaceous plant from the Asteraceae family. It grows in the steppe and forest-steppe zones of the European part of Russia, in Western Siberia. It grows in damp places, along the banks of rivers and mountain streams, in tall grass meadows, forest clearings and edges, in thickets of shrubs. Bad honey. There is no marketable honey from elecampane.

Published: 03 May 2015

Perennial herbaceous plant. It grows on hillsides, in dry meadows, forest edges and clearings, on borders, in drier places. Widespread throughout forested areas. Honey plant, but gives the bees an insignificant collection of nectar. According to our personal observations, bees visit this honey plant in dry hot weather. Amber-colored honey, very fragrant, has the aroma of a flowering plant. Crystallizes quickly […]

Published: 15 Jan 2013

Herbaceous perennial plant from the Crassulaceae family. Grows on dry grassy slopes. In dry shrub thickets, in dry meadows, among stony placers. Good honey and pollen. It is actively visited by bees and bumblebees. According to our observations in the vicinity of the agro-bio station of the Uesuedi Pedagogical Institute, the flowers of the stonecrop were visited from morning to evening by bees, who collected nectar and pollen. The nectar production of one flower […]

Published: 09 Dec 2012

A biennial herbaceous plant from the Apiaceae family. It grows near roads, in fields, in vegetable gardens, orchards. Minor honey plant and pollen plant. Flowers are visited by bees reluctantly, but actively by flies. The nectar productivity of 100 flowers is 5.8-11.1 mg of sugar. Blooms in July-August.

Published: 08 Dec 2012

Perennial herbaceous plant. It grows on roadsides, as a weed among field, cultivated plants. Good honey and pollen. The flowers are eagerly visited by bees, who collect pollen in the morning and nectar by noon. According to N. N. Kartoshova (1955), in the Tomsk region, it produces from 1 ha to 200-250 kg of nectar containing 35-40% sugar.

Published: 08 Dec 2012

Perennial herbaceous plant from the Rosaceae family. It grows in mixed grass meadows, on the edges of mixed forests, among shrubs. It is known that the leaves of the meadowsweet contain a large amount of vitamin C (370 mg/%). Therefore, young shoots and leaves are used in writing for salads, flowers are used as tea brewing.

Published: 08 Dec 2012

Pharmacy burnet - Sanguisorba officinalis L. Perennial herbaceous plant. Grows in oak forests, shrubs and dry meadows. In the Far East, small-flowered and glandular burnet also grow - weak honey plants, but good pollen plants. Appearance Up to 60 cm in height, from the Rosaceae family. Stems erect, branched, strongly leafy, pubescent with hairs. Basal leaves are large, pinnate, glabrous above, […]

Steppes are the main value for which the reserve was created. The steppes presented on its territory belong to the northern, or meadow. This means that they are located on the northern limit of the distribution of steppe vegetation.

Among other types of steppes, meadow steppes have suffered the most from human development. The main spaces once occupied by them have turned into arable land. All areas of meadow steppes that have survived in Eastern Europe, lying on watersheds (plakors), can now be counted on the fingers. The Central Black Earth Reserve includes the largest of them - the Streletskaya (730 ha) and Cossack (720 ha) steppes. Other more or less large surviving areas of meadow steppes in Russia are the Yamskaya steppe of the Belogorye reserve (Belgorod region, 410 ha), the Kuncherovskaya forest-steppe and the Poperechenskaya steppe of the Volga forest-steppe reserve (Penza region, together 450 ha).

The Streltsy and Cossack steppes represent the most typical meadow steppes that have never been plowed (virgin) at their best. These steppes avoided plowing due to the fact that from the 17th century they were in the communal use of the archers and Cossacks and were intended only for haymaking and, in part, grazing. They have survived to this day, because. in 1935 they became part of the Central Black Earth Reserve, created thanks to the efforts of Professor V.V. Alekhin, who made a huge contribution to the study of the steppes of the entire Central Chernozem region and especially the Kursk region.

The conservation of steppe areas is not yet a complete solution to the problem of preserving their biodiversity. Meadow steppes retain their basic qualities only when the above-ground phytomass is alienated. The main role in this process in pre-agricultural times (before the beginning of agricultural development of the land by man) was played by large herd ungulates that grazed in the steppes in significant numbers: wild horses - tarpans, saigas, tours. Such large rodents as ground squirrels and marmots were found in abundance, as well as some herbivorous birds: bustards, little bustards, etc. Steppe fires apparently played a significant role, destroying rags. Steppe vegetation in modern absolutely reserved conditions, i.e. with complete non-interference of man in the ongoing processes, gradually gives way to the meadow, the introduction of tree and shrub species is observed. The main reason for this is the intensive accumulation of rags and perennial non-decomposing bedding, the so-called "steppe felt". This is due to the absence of large phytophage animals - consumers of green phytomass, which, dying annually, falls on the soil surface. Under the influence of the litter, the temperature, water and light conditions of the upper soil horizons change. Under these new conditions, long-rhizomatous meadow species become more competitive, and steppe forbs gradually fall out of the herbage; the structure of the vegetation cover changes, the species richness decreases. In order to avoid such undesirable changes, it is necessary to find a suitable replacement for the impact on the herbage of the steppes that wild animals and steppe fires previously had. Such measures can be haymaking or grazing of domestic animals, or a combination of both: mowing, and then grazing after the aftermath. When choosing a protection strategy, one should be guided by the goal of conserving maximum biodiversity. This goal is best achieved by combining different modes, where each of them contributes. Currently, the steppes of the reserve are maintained thanks to human activities: haymaking with different mowing periods and different rotations and grazing of livestock with a moderate load. The haymaking regime has options: annual mowing, haymaking with a five-year rotation, when the site is mowed in a row for four years, and in the fifth year “rests” to replenish the seed bank in the soil, haymaking with a ten-year rotation and grazing after aftermath (nine years of mowing and rest for the tenth year). Immediately after the establishment of the reserve, special experimental areas were also allocated - absolutely reserved areas where there is neither mowing nor grazing. On the main area of ​​the upland steppe in the Central Chernozem Reserve, a hay rotation regime is used.

At the beginning of the 20th century, on the plains of the Streltsy and Cossack steppes, only mowed variants of the meadow steppes were presented. It was they who were proposed for conservation as having outstanding characteristics, which are now listed as the main "reference" for the northern steppes. "Kursk botanical anomaly" was called by Professor V.V. Alekhine these steppes.

The meadow steppes of the reserve are characterized by a rapid change of colors, an outstanding species saturation and richness of the floristic composition, a dense herbage in which several species play a significant role at once, therefore these steppes are called polydominant. Many species of steppe plants grow here, which have become rare outside the reserve due to the destruction of their habitats and are included in the Red Book of the Kursk Region (2001). In the reserve, the populations of these species, as a rule, are quite numerous and reliably preserved. In the steppes of the Streltsy and Cossack sections, such rare steppe plants grow: fine-leaved peony, pinnate feather grass, beautiful, narrow-leaved and pubescent, leafless iris, whitish hyacinth, Sumy cornflower, spring adonis, yellow flax, perennial, veiny, purple goat, etc.

At the beginning of the last century, the steppes had a clearly expressed forb character, i.e. in the herbage, dicotyledonous plants predominated both in terms of their role in aspects and the number of species, and in terms of weight in hay. Grasses also played a very large, but less noticeable role in the composition of the herbage compared to forbs. Among grasses, the predominance of species with more or less wide leaves, as well as the dominance of rhizomatous and loose-shrub types (non-soddy), was noted, which, in combination with an abundance of dicotyledons, allowed V.V. Alekhine (1934, p. 28) to call the northern steppes steppes of “colorful forbs with broad-leaved grasses”.

The northern steppes are characterized by a rapid change of physiognomic pictures (aspects) vegetation, associated with the successive flowering of different plant species, which is one of the distinguishing properties of meadow-steppe phytocenoses. In the meadows to the north of the forest-steppe zone and in true steppes to the south of it, the colorfulness of grass communities decreases. The change of aspects in the Streltsy steppe was first described in 1907 by V.V. Alekhin (1909). Later, this description was included in many popular science, methodological, and reference publications to characterize the "classical" picture of colorful changes occurring in the vegetation cover of meadow steppes. “Such a change of phases is undoubtedly the result of the adaptation of steppe plants in the sense of their distribution in different parts of the growing season: each species has found a certain place for itself, without being strongly constrained by others and less competing with them” (Alekhin, 1934, p. 23).

After the snow melts, which usually occurs in the steppe at the end of March, the brown background of last year's grass dominates. In mid-April, the first flowering species begin to appear, the most noticeable of which is the open lumbago, or sleep-grass with large purple flowers. Almost simultaneously with it blooms spring adonis, or adonis. This species is more abundant and, in combination with Siberian grits, forms a bright golden-yellow aspect of the steppe by early May. Yellow tones continue to dominate in mid-May, but now due to the flowering of other species: spring primrose and Russian broom. By this time, young grass is already growing well, creating a fresh green background. Against this background, by the end of May, yellow flowers are replaced by bright white and purple spots of blooming forest anemone, milky white rank and leafless iris. At the beginning of June, the lilac-blue aspect of meadow sage and thin-leaved peas sets in, early grasses also bloom: pinnate and pubescent feather grass, downy oatmeal. By mid-June, the picture becomes very colorful, because. at this time, the maximum number of species of herbs and most of the cereals bloom. These are such species as mountain and alpine clover, common leucanthemum, purple goat, elecampane hard-haired, blood-red geranium, common meadowsweet, coastal brome, etc. Later, by the end of June, pink will become the predominant color - this is sandy esparcet blooming en masse; a noticeable role is also played by the real bedstraw with yellow inflorescences smelling of honey. The herbage reaches its greatest height and density, the time for haymaking is approaching. Starting from July, the steppe is already noticeably fading, most species fade, the rising cereals obscure the remaining colors. However, some species only now, in the midst of summer, carry their flowering shoots high, which are clearly visible against the background of the steppe becoming straw-colored: Litvinov's larkspur with blue flowers, black hellebore with dark cherry flowers. In the unmowed areas of the steppe, a straw-brown background from dying grass shoots remains until late autumn. In mowed areas, many species have secondary flowering, some plants even manage to give a second crop of seeds in favorable years. All new flowering species can be observed until mid-October. The secondary flowering, however, cannot be compared with the normal one in richness of colors and number of flowering plants.

Changes of colorful pictures can vary by year: there are “feather grass” years, when from mid-May to mid-June the steppe resembles a swaying silvery sea, and there are years when the feather grass aspect is not expressed at all. Most other species also form well-marked aspects not annually. The change in aspects over the years is associated, on the one hand, with fluctuations in meteorological conditions, and on the other hand, with the frequency of flowering inherent in many herbaceous plants. By highlighting certain phases or aspects, we greatly simplify the observed phenomena. In fact, each phase contains dozens of flowering, fading and blooming plants, which in general creates an extremely complex picture. The steppe changes its appearance not only from day to day, but it does not remain unchanged during the day, because. some species open their inflorescences in the morning, and with the onset of the hottest time, they close until the next day. These are, for example, plants such as purple goat, oriental goat. Other species open their flowers for only a few hours, and then their petals fall off (flaxes are perennial and veiny).

In absolutely protected areas, the development of plants in spring is noticeably delayed due to the large amount of dead plant residues, which contribute to the accumulation of a larger supply of snow, which later melts. The vegetation is significantly inferior in variety of colors and saturation of colors to the mown areas of the steppe. A number of species with bright colors and large inflorescences avoid unmowed areas; here you can rarely find meadow sage, sandy sainfoin, purple goat, blush and many other species common and abundant in the mowed and grazing steppe.

Higher plants can be divided into biomorphs according to the characteristics of the general structure, multiplicity of fruiting and life expectancy: trees, shrubs, semishrubs and semishrubs, perennial grasses, annuals. According to the composition of the main biomorphs, the meadow steppes are characterized by the dominance of perennial grasses capable of multiple fruiting throughout their life - these are polycarpics. So, among the main components of the herbage in the Streletskaya steppe, about 80% fall to their share. There are very few ephemeroids among them; plants that have time to bloom and bear fruit in a short spring period, after which their above-ground organs die, and bulbs or tubers remain in the soil: whitish hyacinth, Russian hazel grouse, blushing goose onion. Such a rapid development of ephemeroids is an adaptation to having time to take advantage of the spring moisture reserves in the soil before it begins to dry out; this life form is represented in the more southern variants of the steppes much more widely than in the meadow ones, where drought and heat are not so frequent. In second place are perennial and biennial herbs that bear fruit once in a lifetime and die off after that - these are monocarpics; they make up about 10% of the species composition of upland steppes. The role of ephemeral annuals is small both in terms of the number of species and abundance; are found in a small number of shaggy grains, northern breakwater, ferruginous gerbil and etc . Also, semi-shrubs and semi-shrubs play a small role, in which the lower parts of the stems do not die off in winter, these are plants such as Marshall's thyme, some types of wormwood. In the upland steppe, the spread of tree and shrub vegetation is retarded by mowing. In the absence of mowing (pasture and absolutely reserved regimes), trees and shrubs are represented by a fairly large number of species, and some of them are very numerous (thorns, pears, apple trees, hawthorns, wild roses, etc.).

Steppes are open spaces where strong winds often blow. Under such conditions, the distribution of fruits and seeds with the help of the wind is the most successful way to conquer new territories. In the forest-steppe zone, open areas of grassy vegetation are combined with massive forests, with thickets of shrubs that prevent the distant settlement of steppe plants, and among them there are not so many species whose fruits are equipped with effective flying devices. Such plants are called anemochores, they primarily include feathery feather grasses, the fruits of which (caryopses) are equipped with awns up to 40-50 cm long. By the time of ripening, these awns become distinctly feathery, due to which the fruits can be carried by the wind over distances of up to 100 m or more. Such a form of plants as tumbleweed is very interesting; it is represented by a small number of species. In plants of this form, by the time the seeds ripen, the aerial part takes the form of a ball, which breaks off at the root neck and rolls over with the wind, spreading the seeds along the way. The most prominent representative of this form in the Central Black Earth Reserve is the Tatar katran. The steppe slopes in the Bukreeva Barma area, where it grows in significant abundance, during its mass flowering are covered with large white balls and look as if a herd of sheep is grazing on them (Photo). Other representatives of this form are trinia multistem, common cutter. In very many species, the flight properties of seeds or fruits are weakly expressed; the role of the wind is reduced to the fact that it only shakes the stems of these plants and thus promotes seeding. In this case, the seeds scatter from the mother plant by only tens of centimeters (Levina, 1956). The fruits of some species, when ripe and dry, crack, the seeds are scattered around with force (thin-leaved peas, milky-white rank, etc.); such plants are called autohoras. The radius of expansion is also measured only in tens of centimeters or a few meters. The distribution of seeds and fruits with the help of animals (zoochory) in the steppe apparently plays a subordinate role (Levina, 1965), which, however, increases when woody plants with fruits edible for animals are introduced into the steppe; richer than others are myrmecochores - plants whose fruits are taken away by ants (scented and rocky violets, crested source, nun).

Due to the high floristic richness, the uniform distribution of many species and their large abundance, the meadow steppes are characterized by an extremely high species and specimen saturation. Species or floristic saturation is the number of species in a certain area. V.V. Alekhin (1935) registered up to 77 species of vascular plants per 1 m 2 and up to 120 species per 100 m 2 in the Streltsy steppe. “Such saturation of the Streltsy steppe is absolutely exceptional and represents a kind of “vegetative Kursk anomaly” (Alekhin, 1934, p. 65). Later, censuses on meter-sized platforms made by V.N. Golubev (1962a), gave even more striking results. On six surveyed meters, 87, 80, 61, 77, 80 and 84 species were recorded. Apparently, such a high species saturation of vascular plants is not found anywhere else in the temperate zone.

Trying to find an explanation for the "plant Kursk anomaly", V.V. Alekhin wrote that “there may be a connection between the exceptional richness and antiquity of a given territory, since the Kursk steppes lie on the Central Russian Upland, which was not under the glacier” (1934, p. 65).

ON THE. Prozorovsky (1948), objecting to V.V. Alekhin, emphasized that the high species richness of the Kursk steppes is explained by a particularly favorable combination of climatic conditions in this zone, and not by the antiquity of the territory that did not experience glaciation, as evidenced by the gradual change in species richness in an easterly direction, which manifests itself both in the territory, the former and not under the glacier.

G.I. Dokhman (1968, p. 97) believed that the optimal hydrothermal and edaphic conditions of existence in the forest-steppe lead to maximum saturation with individuals, i.e. to high specimen saturation, and the high number of species per unit area “should be partly explained by the heterogeneous quality of the microenvironment, which makes it possible for ecologically heterogeneous plant species to settle on a unit area.”

A.M. Semenova-Tyan-Shanskaya (1966), who also noted that the species saturation of meadow steppes and steppe meadows of the forest-steppe differs from all herbaceous watershed communities of the Russian Plain, saw the causes of this phenomenon in the variable nature of moisture, which explains the existence of species of different ecology in small areas : drought-resistant steppe, real meadow and forest-meadow mesophytes, as well as meadow-steppe plants most characteristic of the forest-steppe in a broad sense.

A.M. Krasnitsky (1983) explained the reasons for the signs of the botanical anomaly in the Streltsy steppe by the mode of anthropogenic protection - mowing. However, mowing alone would not lead to such indicators in any natural conditions. The species richness of the Kursk meadow steppes, which is unique for the Holarctic, can apparently be explained only by a combination of the above-mentioned reasons: natural-historical, physical-geographical, and anthropogenic.

Mowing weakens the competitive power of the dominant species, as a significant part of the assimilating organs is alienated; this deprives them of their leading positions in the interception of light. After mowing, new ecological niches are formed, as a result of which such a large number of species of vascular plants can grow together in a small area, while the role of each dominant species separately is not very high, i.e. the degree of dominance in mowed meadow steppes is low, and most grass stands are characterized by polydominance; the projective coverage of dominants, as a rule, does not exceed 10-15, and more often it is at the level of 5-8%.

The richness of the floristic composition and the high species saturation of the upland meadow steppe entail a complex vertical structure. The herbaceous layer is characterized by high density; soil uncovered by plants can be seen only by ejections of mole rats or other smaller rodents. The projective cover of plants can reach 90-100%, on average not less than 70-80%. The herbage in the period of its maximum development (June - early August) is usually divided into several sublayers (from 4 to 6 herbage sublayers have been identified by different researchers). Layering changes during the growing season: it becomes more complex (the number of sublayers increases) from early spring to summer and becomes simpler by autumn. The highest sub-layer, composed of coastal brome, high ryegrass, rough cornflower, cutweed gill, mealy mullein and other plants, exceeds 100 cm in a wet year. A typical terrestrial layer, consisting mainly of one type of green moss - thuidium spruce, which can cover more than half of the surface soil.

The layering of herbage is accompanied by underground layering. According to the depth of root penetration, all plants can be divided into three groups: small-rooted (up to 100 cm), medium-rooted (up to 200 cm) and deep-rooted (over 200 cm). It must be said that not all researchers share this point of view. There is also a directly opposite view: in the meadow-steppe communities, there is no true layered structure in the underground parts of the communities.

The uppermost layer of soil, most densely intertwined with roots, forms a dense sod, which well protects the soil from erosion. The total depth of the root layer reaches a record depth of 6 m, and possibly more (Golubev, 1962b). The exceptionally high depth of penetration of the roots of meadow steppe plants is determined by the properties of the soil: good aeration and porosity, sufficient moisture in the lower horizons, starting from 1.8 m, deep groundwater, lack of salinity, etc.

The total underground phytomass in the meadow steppes exceeds the above-ground phytomass by 2-3 times, the main mass of roots and rhizomes is located in the soil layer at a depth of 0-50 cm. In the total above-ground phytomass, green and dead (rags and bedding) parts are distinguished. According to the results of many years of research in the Streletskaya steppe, the green part of the above-ground phytomass ranged from 16 to 62 c/ha in the hay rotation regime, averaging 32 c/ha, and the total above-ground phytomass - from 21 to 94 c/ha, on average - 49 c/ha ha. Under an absolutely reserved regime, the green part of the aboveground phytomass ranged from 23 to 55 centners/ha, averaging 37 centners/ha, and the total aboveground phytomass - from 50 to 135 centners/ha, averaging 91 centners/ha (Sobakinskikh, 2000) . Thus, under an absolutely protected regime, the total aboveground phytomass almost doubles, but this increase is mainly due to the dead part.

Over the past century, some changes have occurred in the vegetation of the Streletskaya steppe. A decrease in the participation of a group of dicotyledonous plants in the structure of grass stands of the meadow steppe, which determined the high colorfulness of the meadow steppes at the beginning of the century, was noted. The abundance of broad-leaved grasses has increased significantly, among them the coastal rump still plays the largest role, but relatively recently high ryegrass has invaded the upland steppes from meadows and edges and has gained a strong position; its generative shoots can reach a height of 1.3-1.5 m in wet summer. Angustifolia bluegrass, downy oatmeal, Syreyshchikov's bent grass, cocksfoot, steppe and meadow timothy grass are quite abundant.

Of the coarsely sod grasses, feather grass is the most characteristic and abundant, narrow-leaved and pubescent feather grass are less common; from small sod - fescue, thin-legged comb.

In the first half of the last century, a high proportion of low sedge, the tufts of which were found on almost every square meter, gave a special characteristic feature to the meadow steppes. V.V. Alekhin considered it an indispensable member of the northern steppes, he even wrote about meadow steppes with low sedge undergrowth. In the second half of the 20th century, its abundance and occurrence decreased markedly in the upland steppes.

The abundance of whitish hyacinth is also reduced. If earlier it was mentioned that this species took part in the formation of aspects together with adonis and primrose, now it is difficult to count several dozen flowering specimens per hectare.

All observers, until the late 1980s, noted Popov's forget-me-not aspect. S.S. Levitsky (1968) wrote that the mass flowering of forget-me-not sometimes gives some parts of the steppe such a bright blue color that from a distance these places can be mistaken for water spaces reflecting the azure sky. To date, this species has lost its role in the creation of the aspect and is now recorded in the steppe only in small numbers.

While some species are reducing their abundance, others are increasing it. Above, we have already mentioned the mass introduction of high ryegrass, which in the first half of the 20th century was completely uncharacteristic of upland steppe grass stands. The second half of the 20th century in the Streletskaya steppe is characterized by the appearance in some places of the Siberian grain aspect, before that it was known that it was rare in the steppe, only a few curtains were noted. Rough cornflower has also become more widespread.

The horizontal structure of the vegetation cover is complex; it is difficult to single out individual communities (phytocenoses) in it, since the herbaceous vegetation is characterized by a continuum, i.e. smooth transitions of some communities to others, which is explained by rather homogeneous environmental conditions on the upland, the richness of the species composition and the predominance of species with a wide ecological amplitude. However, on the other hand, the meadow steppes are characterized by complexity, due to the well-developed microrelief and the complexity of the soil cover. On microelevations with various outlines, in a circle up to 1 m or more, up to 20-40 cm high, as a rule, groups develop with a large participation of dry-loving (xerophilous) plants. In small gently sloping rounded depressions, called saucers, more moisture-loving (mesophilic) species are more abundantly represented. The heterogeneity of the vegetation cover is more pronounced under an absolutely protected regime. The mowing steppe is characterized by a uniformly diffuse distribution of most plant species, which leads to a monotonous pattern in the vegetation cover, because mowing is a powerful leveling factor.

The classification of plant communities of meadow steppes is also associated with problems due to the rich species composition, polydominance, and the difficulty of distinguishing between meadow steppes and steppe meadows. Until recently, the ecological-phytocenotic approach to classification, mainly based on the consideration of dominants, prevailed. This led to the identification of a large number of small and inexpressive plant associations, often differing only in the ratio of the abundances of the same predominant species, which can vary greatly not only from place to place, but also within the same community from year to year and even within one year. growing season.

Recently, the floristic approach has been increasingly used. Its application to classify the vegetation of the Streletskaya steppe made it possible to classify all communities of the upland mowing part into one association (Averinova, 2005).

It can be said that now the vegetation of the upland meadow steppes of the reserve is mainly represented by forb-broad-leaved grass communities with a significant participation of densely tufted grasses and legumes. Among the herbs, the following species are especially abundant: spring adonis, spring primrose, multi-flowered ranunculus, green strawberry, common meadowsweet, meadow sage, Kaufman's mytnik, rough cornflower, real bedstraw, common cutter, mountain hornwort, etc. Of the legumes, the most prominent role is played by: clover mountain and alpine, thin-leaved peas, sandy sainfoin, etc.

Meadow-steppe vegetation is represented not only on the plains of the Streletskaya and Cossack steppes, but also on the slopes of ravines (beams) with a predominantly southern exposure, where it often has a more steppe character than the upland steppe itself due to the greater aridity of such habitats. On the southern slopes, plant groups can be found, which include species that are not found in the upland conditions of these areas and are of a more xerophilic nature. Vegetation no longer forms a continuous cover, in some places the subsoil is exposed. Mainly confined to the southern slopes are drooping sage and hairy feather grass, as well as sickle-shaped volodushka, Russian muzzle, white broomrape, Siberian istod, chamomile aster, kachim tall and some other plants. It is for the southern slopes that the presence of thickets of steppe shrubs, the so-called dereznyaks, is typical, consisting mainly of steppe cherries, low almonds, called beaver, blackthorn, less often meadowsweet (spirea) Litvinov, and some types of wild roses. At the beginning of May, when the blackthorn and almonds bloom at the same time, some of the slopes become very picturesque due to the combination of white, pink and green. Dereza itself (shrubby caragana), from which the name of these thickets comes, is currently found on the territory of the reserve only in the Barkalovka area. On the northern slopes, phytocenoses have many mesophilic species in their composition and the vegetation approaches meadow. Outside the Central Black Earth Reserve, the remains of steppe vegetation are still preserved precisely along the slopes of the ravines and along the steep banks of the rivers, i.e. in places inconvenient for plowing.

Meadow-steppe vegetation can be restored on the site of arable land, if there are favorable conditions for this: the proximity of virgin steppes, which act as sources of seeds, suitable topography and soil, and the use of haymaking. There are positive examples of such restoration in several areas of the reserve, but this is not a quick process. If it is possible to destroy the steppe ecosystem in a matter of hours by plowing, then it will take decades for nature to restore. So, on the Cossack site there is an old 70-year-old deposit "Far Field" with an area of ​​290 hectares. In its mowed areas, the vegetation is currently represented by meadow-steppe communities, which, in their properties and appearance, are close to virgin steppes. However, even after such a long period of time, experts note some differences between these restored communities and those that were not subjected to destructive anthropogenic impact. In that part of the Far Field deposit where the regime of absolute conservation was practiced, areas of steppe vegetation with well-developed feather grass communities have also recovered, but a significant introduction of shrubs and trees, meadow and even forest species is already noted. At the Bukreeva Barma site, a 40-year-old fallow with an area of ​​20 hectares is an example of a relatively fast and successful restoration of feather grass steppes on the slopes of the southern exposure with a close-to-surface occurrence of Cretaceous deposits. Under such drier conditions, the total phytomass decreases, a less significant layer of litter is formed, and pinnate feather grass gains an advantage in comparison with more mesophilic broad-leaved grasses that predominate on upland areas (shore and awnless rump, high ryegrass, meadow timothy grass, etc.).

Where there are no suitable conditions for the natural restoration of the steppe, steppe vegetation can be recreated using specially developed methods. The Zorinsky site became part of the CCHZ in 1998; more than 200 hectares were occupied by former arable land, which, by the time the reserve was established, was gradually overgrown with weed-meadow vegetation, and part of the land was still used for arable land. The possibilities of restoring the steppe vegetation here in a natural way were very limited, because. very few sites were preserved where steppe species grew, and the set of these species was rather poor.

In order to create more favorable conditions for the restoration of steppe vegetation on fallow lands and arable land, in 1999 the staff of the reserve conducted an experiment on 6 hectares to restore the steppes using a grass-seed mixture from the virgin Streletskaya steppe. This mixture was harvested by mowing different areas at several times, so that seeds of species that ripen at different times could get into it, and then applied to the experimental area. This recovery method was developed by D.S. Dzybov and was called the agrosteppe method.

Over the years since the experiment, specimens of more than 80 plant species have been found, which have reason to say that they appeared from the introduced material, including 46 species that were not previously part of the local flora, of which 23 species were noted on the experimental area. - These are rare steppe plants from the list of the Red Book of the Kursk region (2001). Such species as brome shore, slender-legged comb, perennial flax, sand sainfoin have become quite widespread in the experimental area, bloom and bear fruit well. The first specimens of feather grass began to enter the generative phase in 2002; by now, there are hundreds of fruit-bearing tufts of feather grass and narrow-leaved feather grass.

In general, we assess the results of this experiment as modest, since it was not possible to achieve a close resemblance of the reconstructed communities with those represented in the Streletskaya steppe. If in the future the steppe species become fixed in the composition of the plant communities of the Zorinsky site, become their significant components and spread far beyond the experimental area, then the experiment will justify itself.

In 2010, on the area of ​​7 hectares of the former potato field on the Streletsky site, a new experiment was started to recreate the meadow-steppe vegetation: on half of the field, a wide-row sowing of several types of pinnate feather grass was carried out; in the future, the aisles are planned to be sown with seeds of steppe forbs. This method was developed by V.I. Danilov and is used to restore the historical appearance of the Kulikovo field landscape in the Tula region. In the second half, the agro-steppe method will be applied again.

The text was prepared by Ph.D. T.D. Filatova

Steppes are the most species-rich communities of drought-resistant plants - xerophytes. They are common where the climate is warm but there is not enough rainfall to allow a forest to grow. Steppes - "a type of vegetation represented by a community of drought-resistant perennial herbaceous plants with a predominance of turf grasses, less often sedges and onions." If we analyze the geographical distribution of steppe landscapes on the globe, we will find -

Xia that the most typical steppes are formed in the inner regions of the mainland. Steppe zones of the temperate zones of the northern and southern hemispheres, characterized by a dry climate, treeless watersheds, dominance of herbaceous, predominantly cereal vegetation on chernozem, dark chestnut and chestnut soils.

The area is dominated by steppes, which are changed by pasture digression and represent short-grass pasture communities with dominance of fescue and sagebrush. Small fragments of the hay-growing variants of the steppe have been preserved, among which the southern, northern and central variants are distinguished, which represents the transition between the northern and southern ones. In the steppes of the central variant, if they are not disturbed by grazing, feather grass-pinnate, Zelessky, narrow-leaved are common. In addition, there are fescue and forbs are very abundantly represented. The steppe also includes shrubs - caragana, spirea, gorse, broom.

In addition to the mountain steppes, solonetzic steppes have been preserved in small fragments on the plain, which usually include wormwood Lerkha, Gmelin's kermek, and false couch grass. For the steppe on gravelly soils, it is characteristic

the participation of species - petrophytes, i.e. stone-loving ones - protozoa, thyme, mountain grate, Siberian cornflower and others. Such steppes are especially easily destroyed by pasture digression. The yield of steppe hayfields is up to 4-5 q/ha

Hay, the productivity of steppe pastures as a result of overgrazing is low and amounts to no more than 15-20 c/ha of green mass

throughout the pasture period. According to the classification, according to the research of Professor Mirkin B.M. , all the steppes of the Republic of Bashkortostan can be divided into two main types - meadow and typical. Meadows are common in the forest-steppe zone, and in the steppe zone they gravitate towards the slopes of the northern exposure.

Typical steppes occupy areas in the steppe zone of the republic.

Mordovnik ball-headed

A biennial or perennial herb from the Asteraceae family. The height of the plant reaches 1.5 m. The stem is single, straight, branched at the top. It is covered with glandular hairs. The leaves are twice pinnately dissected, large, 10 to 25 cm long and 4 to 10 cm wide. Rosette leaves with a petiole, the rest are sessile, amplexicaul. From above they are green, and from below they are covered with white felt, there are small spines along the edges. The flowers are collected in spherical inflorescences, they are bluish-white in color. Spherical heads have a diameter of 4-5 cm. Seed fruits. It grows in river valleys, among shrubs, on the edges of island forests, in wastelands.

The plant population on the Roman-gora hill is represented by single plants. Occasionally there are "islands" of 5-10 plants. In general, the plants are in good vital condition.

Yarrow

Perennial herbaceous plant from the Asteraceae family. A plant with an upright stem. In the conditions of Belarus, its height ranges from 48 to 72 cm. Several shoots of stems depart from a thin creeping rhizome. The leaves are basal - lanceolate, doubly pinnately dissected into narrow small slices. Stem leaves shorter, pinnately dissected.

Stem leaves are shorter, pinnately dissected, divided into a large number of lobules. The inflorescence is corymbose, consisting of many flower baskets. The flowers are small, white, pink-purple or reddish. Blooms in June-August, a very long time.

It grows on the hill everywhere, where there are patches of meadow steppe. It is especially common on the southern side of the slope in gentle places, where cattle graze more often and closer to the Asly-Udryak river.

Asparagus officinalis

Perennial herbaceous plant from the lily family. The stem of asparagus is erect, reaching a height of up to 150 cm, strongly branched. The branches on the stem depart at an acute angle. The leaves are reduced to scales, modified shoots resembling leaves are formed in the axils of the stem. Underground stem straight, smooth. It is juicy, etiolated, forming shoots extending from the rhizome. These stems are used as a vegetable plant. The flowers are small, greenish-yellow. Perianth of six petals with 6 stamens. The fruit is a red globular berry. Blooms in June - July. Asparagus grows in meadows, among thickets of shrubs, and is also found in the steppe, on the slopes of the mountains.

It is quite rare in the study area. Found in areas adjacent to the forest belt and located between rows of trees inside the forest belt. The population is represented by single plants.

Adonis spring

Perennial herbaceous plant from the buttercup family. Adonis has a two-stroke development - at the beginning

Early flowering is different, and then the stem and leaves are formed. Flower early in spring - from the end of April, in May. A bush in which there are up to 20-30 pieces of flowers blooms from 40 to 50 days. The very first flowers, as a rule, are large, but they are pale yellow, golden, apical, solitary, abundantly visited by bees. Adonis at the beginning of flowering has a bush height of 10 to 15 cm, and in the fruiting phase it reaches 30-70 cm. In each bush, there are from 2 to 15 generative and from 4 to 23 vegetative shoots.

Found throughout the study area. The population consists of more than 150 plants that are in good vital condition.

Budra ivy

Perennial, herbaceous plant from the mint family. Budra has a creeping and branched stem, it takes root, forming new stems. The leaves are petiolate, opposite, crenate-toothed, rounded kidney-shaped. They are covered with hairs. Flowers 3-4 pcs. located in the axils of the middle stem leaves, they are small, two-lipped, violet-blue or bluish-lilac in color. Pedicels 4-5 times shorter than the calyx, equipped with subulate bracts. The calyx is covered with hairs; its teeth are triangular, finely pointed. The height of the rising stems ranges from 10 to 40 cm. It blooms in May-June.

It grows along the ravine and on the south side of the slope. Numerous population, studied at the beginning of flowering.

St. John's wort

A perennial herbaceous plant from the St. John's wort family. The stem is straight, 45 to 80 cm high, glabrous, with two faces. Leaves oblong-ovate, entire, opposite, sessile. Translucent dotted receptacles are scattered on the leaves, which resemble holes - hence the name - perforated.

The flowers are numerous, golden-yellow in color, collected in a broadly paniculate, almost corymbose inflorescence. The sepals are acute with an entire margin. Petals twice as long as the sepals, blooms in June-July. The fruit is a three-celled multi-seeded basket, opens with 3 valves. The rhizome is thin, several stems depart from it.

Found only in one place on the eastern gently sloping side of the hill. Presented by 8-15 plants.

Veronica oak

Perennial herbaceous plant. Keeps green shoots all year round. The leaves are arranged oppositely, in the axils of the brush are not regular flowers. The flower has 2 stamens and 1 pistil. The fruit of Veronica is a flattened box.

Grows in meadow areas of the steppe of the study area. Plants are evenly distributed among other species. Often found on the outskirts of the forest belt.

Awnless bonfire

Belongs to the grass family. It has smooth stems, reaching a height of one meter. The leaves are flat and wide. Spikelets are collected in an inflorescence - a sprawling panicle. Bonfire is a good fodder grass, it blooms from the end of May and in June. From the creeping rhizome, many high erect shoots of peduncles depart.

In plant communities, the hill is a species that forms the environment, because. occurs uniformly often almost everywhere.

sporysh

Annual, herbaceous plant from the buckwheat family. A small plant with a height of 10 to 40 cm. It has straight stems, prostrate, branched. The leaves are elliptical or lanceolate, small, with a short spine. The flowers are in the axils of the leaves, distributed evenly throughout the plant. The corolla of the flower is pale pink. The fruit is a trihedral nut. It blooms from May to October. It grows along the roads, on the streets, in the yards, on pastures. On pastures where there is a large load of livestock, all types of plants suffer, only knotweed remains.

This species is well expressed at the foot of the hill from the side of the river and animal stalls. Almost never found in the main system.

Common colza

Herbaceous plant from the cruciferous family. Bright green rosettes of colza from bizarre lyre-shaped. pinnately dissected leaves are seen in large numbers in the fields plowed last fall. Blooms in May-June. With an abundance of sun and moisture from the melted snow, a flower-bearing shoot with a brush of yellow flowers quickly stretches near the colza. The fruit is multi-seeded, opening with two wings. Good honey plant.

It grows unevenly in the vegetation cover of the hill and is found in a large way from the side of the field, located closer to the eastern slope.

Kozelets purple

Hemicarps at the base with a hollow swollen leg, 12 mm long, ribbed, light gray. Stems erect and ascending, furrowed, simple and branching. Basal leaves on long petioles, pinnate and dissected, with narrow linear lateral segments. Baskets are cylindrical, the involucre is slightly cobweb, then naked, its leaves are lanceolate, sometimes with a horn-shaped appendage. Flowers yellow, marginal reddish on the outside.

It grows on a hill on the lawns between the trees of the forest belt. It occurs moderately often, the population consists of single plants that are located at a relatively small distance from each other - from 40 to 60 cm.

Karagan

Belongs to the legume family. Shrub with gray straight thin branches, with four contiguous obovate leaves with a wedge-shaped base and thorns at the top; flowers are golden yellow with a wide obovate sail, blunt boat, concentrated 2-3 on single peduncles, which are twice as long as the calyx, pods up to 3 cm long, glabrous, cylindrical, 1-4 seeds.

Grows mainly on the western slope of the mountain, in the ravine and adjacent beam on the north side.

Nonea dark

Belongs to the borage family. The whole plant is covered with protruding stiff hairs and sparse glandular ones. The leaves are oblong-lanceolate, the lower ones are narrowed in petioles, the rest are sessile, semi-amplex. Bracts lanceolate, longer than flowers, dark red-brown. The calyx is bell-shaped, incised to one part. The lobes of the calyx are lanceolate. Nuts are reticulate-wrinkled.

It grows everywhere on the hill, it was studied and determined at the beginning of flowering.

Bell

Belongs to the bell family. Flowers numerous, in large branched inflorescence. Corolla funnel-shaped bell-shaped, blue or white. Stem with dense foliage. The leaves are large-serrate, glabrous or pubescent.

Grows in communities of studied plants between cereal plants. It is rare, there are only about 30 plants counted in the population.

Veronica longifolia

Belongs to the family Norichnikovye. The leaves are unequally serrated to the very top, with finely pointed,

Simple or to the base of the b.ch. double notches, oblong or linear-lanceolate, acute at the base cordate or rounded, often whorled. The inflorescence is a terminal dense raceme, lengthening up to 25 cm, sometimes with several lateral racemes; flowers on pedicels, almost equal to calyxes. Corolla blue about 6 mm. Long, with a hairy tube inside. The whole plant is glabrous or with short grayish pubescence.

The distribution of this plant in the studied ecosystem is moderately rare. Grows as individual plants or 2-3 individuals.

Violet amazing

Belongs to the violet family. Stem up to 30 cm tall. The petioles of large broad-heart-shaped stem leaves are grooved, pubescent only on the convex, downward-facing hairs. Stipules of stem leaves are large, entire, stipules are large, rusty-red.

On the hill grows in places with low grasses or among low grass cover, likes stony areas of the surface.

forest anemone

Ranunculaceae family. Perennial. Stem leaves not fused, similar to basal leaves, short-haired. Flowers are yellow-white.

It grows in small "families" between pine trees and separately on open slopes on the eastern and northern sides of the Roman-gora hill.

field bindweed

Belongs to the bindweed family. Naked or scattered drooping plant with recumbent, creeping or climbing shoots. Flowers up to 3.5 cm in diameter, usually collected in 2-3 or solitary. Bracts in the form of a pair of small linear leaflets are located oppositely in the middle of the pedicel, do not reach the calyx. Corolla pink, rarely white.

Grows in areas with other meadow plants from the side of the ravine and the river.

Onosma Preduralskaya

Belongs to the borage family. Pedicels very short, much shorter than the bracts. The whole plant is hard-rough. The stem is straight, simple, rarely branched, covered with stiff, erect bristles and dense down. Basal leaves are numerous, petiolate, linear, stem sessile, linear-lanceolate.

Likes open sunny places with rocky soil. Grows in crowded bushes. Very interesting during the flowering period. There are not many plants on the Roman-mountain hill on the south side. Numerical accounting showed about 20 plants.

Wormwood flat

Belongs to the Compositae family. The root is vertical, woody, developing branched flower-bearing shoots and straight ribbed reddening branched flower-bearing stems. Leaves of sterile shoots and lower stem leaves are twice-, thrice-pinnately dissected, their lobules are narrowly linear 3-10 mm long, slightly pointed, middle and upper stem leaves are sessile, bracts are short, narrowly linear. The outer leaflets of the involucre are oval, almost round, convex, green along the back, the inner ones along the edge are broadly membranous-marginated.

Well expressed as a cover plant on the southern slope of Roman-gora hill. Plants are smaller than usual, indicating oppression by grazing pressure.

The term "steppe" has a very broad meaning. From the point of view of geobotany, the steppe is a collective concept, uniting the herbaceous vegetation of watershed spaces of a more or less dry nature.

Steppes can cover flat watersheds (here they are almost completely destroyed), slopes, hills. There are flat, hilly, mountainous steppes. But the most typical for each region are upland steppes, which occupy relatively flat watershed spaces. Usually, the main characteristic of the vegetation of a zone is given precisely for such steppes.

When moving from north to south, the appearance of the steppes in upland conditions reveals regular changes, the analysis of which makes it possible to distinguish several subzones of steppe vegetation.

Within the forest-steppe zone, on treeless watersheds, in the past, forb-meadow Steppes were ubiquitous. We can now judge their composition by small islands of reserved steppes in the Central Black Earth region. Soils rich in humus and sufficient moisture contributed to the development of a high and dense grass cover here, creating continuous retention. In the herbage of these steppes, meadow-steppe forbs are especially abundant; in spring and early summer, it forms a bright, colorful carpet that changes color every now and then.

Among the grasses of this subzone, loose shrub and rhizomatous plants with relatively wide leaf blades predominate: coastal brome, meadow bluegrass, ground reed grass, steppe timothy grass. Of the feather grasses, only the most moisture-loving ones are found here, most often John's feather grass and narrow-leaved.

The forbs are dominated by meadow sage, tuberous gooseberry, meadowsweet, mountain clover, sandy sainfoin, forest anemone, mountain cutweed, sleep-grass, etc.

E. M. Lavrenko (1940) singled out two variants of forb-meadow steppes - northern and southern. A remarkable monument of the southern version of these steppes is the Streletskaya steppe under

Kursk, where V. V. Alekhin (1925) met up to 120 species in upland conditions on an area of ​​100 m 2, and 77 species per 1 m 2. summer, caused by alternating mass flowering of various types of herbs.

South of the forb-meadow steppes, a subzone of typical (or real) steppes extends. The vast majority of their herbage is made up of narrow-leaved turf grasses, mainly feather grass and fescue, which is why these steppes are called cereal, or feather grass. Among the feather grass, Lessing's feather grass and hairy feather grass predominate. In the south of Ukraine, in addition, Ukrainian feather grass is common, and in Northern Kazakhstan and Western Siberia - reddish feather grass.

Forbs in typical steppes play a subordinate role, as a result of which they are less bright and not as multicolored as more northern ones.

Soddy perennial grasses, which form the basis of the herbage of typical steppes, never create a continuous sodding of the soil. Between the tufts of cereals there are always patches of bare soil, the area of ​​which increases towards the south. The reason for the increasing thinning of the grass stand towards the south is the lack of moisture in the soils of the steppe zone. The root system of turf grasses itself has an extensive network of very thin roots near the surface, capable of trapping the moisture of the most insignificant summer precipitation.

The proportion of grasses in the herbage of typical steppes is very high. According to B. A. Keller (1938), in the feather grass steppes of the Central Chernozem region, cereals provide more than 90% of the total mass of hay. In the fescue-feather grass association of the Askania-Nova reserve, their share ranges from 79 to. 98% of the total plant mass. Numerous ephemera and ephemeroids find shelter between tufts of cereals. These include common stonefly, various types of goose onions, brightly blooming Schrenk and Bieberstein tulips.

In the life of typical steppes, the underground, root part of plants is of great importance. In the upper soil horizons, complexly branched underground parts of the plant community are located. At the same time, the plant mass of the underground part is much higher than that of the aboveground. So, in the grassy steppes of Askania-Nova, 1 g of living aerial parts accounts for 8 to 30 g of root mass. According to the studies of M.S. Shalyt (1950), from 37 to 70% of the entire root mass is concentrated here at a depth of 0 to 12 cm. However, the depth of root penetration is not limited to the humus horizon. The roots of tap-rooted perennials in the Askania-Nova steppes (for example, such as pyrethrum yarrow, some sedges) penetrate to a depth of 1.5-2.5 m.

Typical steppes, in turn, are divided into two main variants. In the northern part of the subzone, on ordinary and southern chernozems, forb-fescue-feather grass steppes (“colorful feather grass”) are common. In these steppes, gradually decreasing northern forbs (meadowsweet, sleep-grass, mountain clover) mix with drought-resistant forbs (steppe and drooping sage, narrow-leaved peony, crescent-shaped alfalfa, prickly thorn grass, many-flowered headweed, real and Russian bedstraws, noble yarrow). There are still relatively few ephemeroids here.

The Starobelskaya steppe in the basin of the Seversky Donets, studied back in 1894 by G.I. Tanfilyev, is considered to be the reference plots of forb-fescue-feather grass steppes.

Fescue-feather grass steppes (“colorless feather grass”) are developed on dark chestnut soils and partly on southern chernozems. On the Russian Plain, they do not have a continuous distribution and consist of several arrays. But to the east of the Volga, and especially beyond the Urals, they stretch in a wide strip. Fescue and southern species of feather grass dominate in these steppes. The forbs here are poor, very drought-resistant: hairy breast, Caspian ferula, fine-leaved yarrow, pyrethrum species. In spring, ephemeroids - tulips and goose onions - play an important role. Quite a lot in the band of fescue-feather grass steppes are solonetzes and solonetsous soils with fescue-wormwood and wormwood groups. The standard of the fescue-feather grass steppes of the Russian Plain is Askania-Nova. In other places to the west of the Volga, they practically did not survive anywhere. They have been preserved to the best extent in the Trans-Volga region, in the Southern Urals and in Kazakhstan.

To the east of the Volga, especially in Western Kazakhstan and the Trans-Urals, fescue (dry) steppes have developed. V. V. Ivanov (1958) considered them to be analogous to real turf-grass poor forb steppes.

The characteristic features of fescue steppes, which make it easy to distinguish them, are:

• the undivided dominance of the fescue, which is joined by the feather grasses of tyrsa, Lessing, Sarepta, occupying a clearly subordinate position;
• a sharp reduction in the role of forbs;
• the disappearance from the herbage of the flat steppe of the usual steppe shrubs of the bean, spirea and chiliga and their isolation in depressions;
• the appearance of xerophytic subshrubs (white wormwood, prostrate prostrate, millennial pyrethrum);
• weak alkalinity of soils or even its complete absence (Ivanov, 1958, p. 29).

Fescue, like other more northern types of steppes, are now almost completely plowed up. It can be said that their typical plain variants have now completely disappeared. Their structure can now be judged either by the geobotanical descriptions of old authors, or by the miserable patches of these steppes that have been preserved near the slopes.

To the south of the steppe zone (practically already in the semi-desert on chestnut, less often on dark chestnut soils), a subzone of desert wormwood-fescue-feather grass steppes is distinguished. In the herbage of the subzone, in addition to narrow-leaved turf grasses (fescue, wheatgrass, feather grass), there are many drought-resistant subshrubs: wormwood, saltwort, prutnyak. The herbage here is usually open. Complexity, spotting of vegetation cover is characteristic.

Studying these steppes, back in 1907, N. A. Dimo ​​and B. A. Keller (1907) introduced the concept of “semi-desert” into literature. Specifying it, Academician B. A. Keller (1923) wrote that semi-deserts should include “associations in which, with sparseness, short stature, and the like, along with steppe grasses - fescue, feather grass, thin-legged, such dry-loving semishrubs, like sea wormwood and cochia” (p. 147).

There was a lot of controversy regarding the allocation of a subzone of desert steppes or "steppe deserts". We mention them here only because the transition from steppes to deserts does not occur immediately, but gradually and sometimes surrounded by already real desert landscapes one can find islands of steppes.

In general, when moving from north to south, the following regular changes in vegetation are observed, noted by VV Alekhin (1934) and his followers.

1. The herbage is thinning out more and more.
2. The brilliance of the steppes is greatly reduced, as the number of dicotyledonous plants is reduced.
3. In the north, perennials reign supreme, to the south, the role of annuals increases.
4. The number of broad-leaved grasses decreases, they are replaced by narrow-leaved ones.
5. There is a change in the types of feather grass - from large-turf to small-turf.
6. Species saturation decreases from 80 species per 1 m 2 in meadow steppes to 3-5 in desert steppes.
7. The seasonal dynamics of the vegetation cover of the steppe is becoming more and more arrhythmic. To the south, the spring burst of flowering is shortened.
8. The relative mass of the underground parts of plants in comparison with the above-ground parts increases towards the south.

It remains to add that the appearance of the steppes changes not only from north to south, but also to no lesser extent from west to east. The reason for this is the already mentioned increase in continentality towards the center of Eurasia. Suffice it to say that different types of feather grass grow in different sectors of the steppe belt (Ukrainian in the Black Sea region, red in Kazakhstan, Krylova in Khakassia, etc.).

Towards the center of the mainland, the species abundance of steppes is sharply reduced. So, in the meadow steppes of the Russian Plain, there are more than 200 species of grasses, in Western Siberia - 55-80, Khakassia - 40-50. The vegetation of the dry steppes of Askania-Nova in the Black Sea region is formed by 150 representatives of the grass cover, and in Khakassia - only 30-35 species.

However, on the basis of these comparisons, the inland steppes should not be considered depleted. It would be more correct to say that the European steppes are enriched with meadow herbs. We must judge the authenticity of the steppe by the participation in the grass cover of true steppe plants - xerophytes. Their share in the meadow steppes of the Southern Urals is about 60%, and near Kursk - only 5-12%.

The greater typicality and, consequently, the increased stability of steppe ecosystems inside the mainland compared with the outskirts can also be judged by the degree of development of root phytomass, one of the main indicators of the adaptability of vegetation to steppe conditions. The root reserves of steppe plants are steadily increasing towards the east. According to Siberian ecologists and landscape experts, in relation to the local steppes, the notorious question does not arise: “whether the forest is advancing on the steppe, or vice versa” (Titlyanova et al., 1983). The positions of the steppe vegetation, represented to the east of the Urals by typical xerophytes with thick turfs, exclude the advance of the forest on the steppes. The steppes of the Russian Plain, with moisture-loving European forbs, are not so resistant to the forest.

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