Association of Jurineo charcoviensis-Koelerietum dubjanskyi from Penza region

Abstract

Background. Botanically and geographically, the territory of the Penza region is located in the forest-steppe zone. The purpose of the work is to characterize the steppe communities studied on its territory and to establish their syntaxonomic position in the system of European syntaxa. Materials and methods. Geobotanical research was carried out in July 2021 in Lopatino and Shemysheyka districts of Penza region. The descriptions were carried out within the natural contours of plant communities based on standard methods and were placed in a database created on the basis of the TURBOVEG program and processed in the Juice program. Syntaxonomic analysis was carried out from the perspective of the approach of J. Braun-Blanquet; the names of the new syntaxa are given in accordance with the “International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature”. The system of higher syntaxa is given according to the summary “Vegetation of Europe...”. Results. Steppe vegetation in the Penza region is distributed mainly in the southern part. The zonal type of steppes are meadow steppes. In the Shemysheysky and Lopatinsky regions, psammophytic variants of steppes are found on sandy substrates. Geobotanical descriptions and syntaxonomic analysis made it possible to establish a new association Jurineo charcoviensis-Koelerietum dubjanskyi ass. nov. and new sub associations Jurineo charcoviensis-Koelerietum dubjanskyi typicum subass. nov., Jurineo charcoviensis-Koelerietum dubjanskyi silenetosum borysthenicae subass. nov. and Jurineo charcoviensis-Koelerietum dubjanskyi festucetosum rupicolae subass. nov. Presence in the floristic composition of the studied communities in a significant number of diagnostic species of the Festuco-Brometea class indicate that the cenoses represent steppe vegetation. It should be noted that there is a small number of diagnostic species of the Koelerio-Coriphonerenetea class within the studied communities. This fact allows us to conclude that the psammophytic variant of steppe vegetation was studied. Conclusions. Geobotanical studies of steppe vegetation in the Lopatino and Shemysheyka districts of Penza region and subsequent syntaxonomic analysis from the perspective of J. Braun-Blanquet’s approach allowed us to establish one new association and three new subassociations. They belong to the alliance Festucion valesiacae, order Festucetalia valesiacae, class Festuco-Brometea .

Keywords

• plant community
• steppe vegetation
• penza region
• festuco-brometea
• koelerio-coriphonerenetea