TY - JOUR

T1 - Plant communities of the southern Mongolian Gobi

AU - Von Wehrden, H.

AU - Wesche, Karsten

AU - Miehe, George

PY - 2009/10/21

Y1 - 2009/10/21

N2 - The present study provides an updated inventory and classification of the plant communities of the Gobi region in southern Mongolia based on a set of 1418 sample plots. The vast Gobi landscape is characterised by a dry climate with mean annual precipitation in the semi-deserts of between 50 and 150 mm, while the highest mountain peaks may receive up to 200 mm/a. The wetter montane regions are composed of extrazonal communities including woodlands and comparatively dense mountain steppes. The surrounding lowlands are characterised by sparse and more diffuse vegetation comprising dry grass steppes and, more commonly, shrub formations. Water surplus sites host various salt-adapted vegetation types which contrast sharply with the surrounding semi-deserts in terms of their high vegetation cover and species richness. In total, 28 associations / communities plus 18 sub-associations / sub-communities or variants are listed. Nine of these are newly described, and the syntaxonomical status of several other units known from literature has been clarified. The distribution of the plant communities is exemplified by six vegetation profiles.

AB - The present study provides an updated inventory and classification of the plant communities of the Gobi region in southern Mongolia based on a set of 1418 sample plots. The vast Gobi landscape is characterised by a dry climate with mean annual precipitation in the semi-deserts of between 50 and 150 mm, while the highest mountain peaks may receive up to 200 mm/a. The wetter montane regions are composed of extrazonal communities including woodlands and comparatively dense mountain steppes. The surrounding lowlands are characterised by sparse and more diffuse vegetation comprising dry grass steppes and, more commonly, shrub formations. Water surplus sites host various salt-adapted vegetation types which contrast sharply with the surrounding semi-deserts in terms of their high vegetation cover and species richness. In total, 28 associations / communities plus 18 sub-associations / sub-communities or variants are listed. Nine of these are newly described, and the syntaxonomical status of several other units known from literature has been clarified. The distribution of the plant communities is exemplified by six vegetation profiles.

KW - Biology

KW - Gobi desert

KW - Grazing

KW - Phytosociology

KW - Steppe

KW - Vegetation classification.

KW - grazing

KW - phytosociology

KW - plant community

KW - spatial distribution

KW - species inventory

KW - species richness

KW - species-area relationship

KW - steppe

KW - vegetation classification

KW - vegetation type

KW - Gobi Desert

KW - Mongolia

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=74349093179&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1127/0340-269X/2009/0039-0331

DO - 10.1127/0340-269X/2009/0039-0331

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 39

SP - 331

EP - 376

JO - Phytocoenologia

JF - Phytocoenologia

SN - 0340-269X

IS - 3

ER -