Soil and Vegetation Habitat Conditions of Saiga Antelope Population (Saiga Tatarica) in the «Chernye Zemli» Reserve

Abstract

The article provides characteristics of soil and vegetation conditions of the state nature reserve «Chernye Zemli» as a modern habitat of the saiga population in Kalmykia. The author reveals the main reasons for the fall in saiga antelope populations over the last decade which are connected with a complex of factors: reduced protection, a high level of the wolf population, increased fire risk. One of the fundamental conditions is the change in the composition of grassland vegetation as the core platform for the existence of the saiga population in the «Chernye Zemli» reserve.

Keywords

• brown semidesert soils
• grass-white wormwood type of desert steppes
• saiga population
• feeding habits of saiga antelope