Features of distribution of soil and vegetation cover of Ulytau region of Central Kazakhstan

UDC 581.55:631.4

Abstract

The paper presents the results of a study of the soil and vegetation cover within the dry and desertified steppes, northern deserts of Central Kazakhstan. The features of soil and vegetation distribution are presented for the purposes of creating a cadastre plant world in the Ulytau region. In the subzone of dry steppes with low mountains and small hills, fescue-feather grass communities on mountain chestnut soils predominate in the vegetation cover, while forb-fescue-feather grass communities are formed on the plains. Within the small hills of the desert steppe subzone, wormwood-feather grass vegetation develops on light chestnut soils, while complexes of sod-grass-wormwood and black wormwood communities predominate on the inter-hill plains. Forb-wormwood meadow steppes on meadow-chestnut soils are noted in the depressions of the plains. Ecological series of hydrophytic communities are formed around lake basins. The rolling plains of the desert zone are occupied by grass-wormwood communities on brown desert soils, and there are complexes of grass-sagebrush communities with black sagebrush and sagebrush communities on desert solonetz. Grass-sagebrush-perennial saltwort communities develop on the slopes of the ridges, feather-grass-perennial saltwort, Nanophyton erinaceum communities are typical for the eroded slopes of the small hills. Relief depressions and river terraces are occupied by Atriplex cana, found in a complex with salsa communities. In the river valleys there are willow and tamarisk thickets, hairy and Aeluropus littoralis meadows on floodplain meadow soils.