<i>Populetum pamiricae</i> ass. nova – an endemic
forest association to Pamir in Tajikistan
(Middle Asia)

Nowak, Arkadiusz; Nobis, Marcin; Gębala, Małgorzata; Wasik, Piotr

doi:10.1515/biol-2015-0009

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Their studies are dedicated either to chosen plant taxonomical and/or ecological groups (e.g. [ 65 – 67 ]), or to the impact of grazing on meadow and wetland ecosystems (e.g. [ 14 , 18 – 20 ]).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nature's patchwork: How water sources and soil salinity determine the distribution and structure of halophytic plant communities in arid environments of the Eastern Pamir

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The eastern part of the Pamir Mountains, located in Central Asia, is characterized by great climatic continentality and aridity. Wetlands developed in this hostile region are restricted to spring areas, terraces of shallow lakes or floodplains along rivers, and provide diversified ecosystem services e.g. as water reservoirs, refugia for rare species and pastures for domestic cattle. These ecosystems are particularly susceptible to climate changes, that in the Pamir Mountains result in increased temperatures, intense permafrost/glacial melt and alterations of precipitation patterns. Climatic changes affect pasture management in the mountains, causing overutilization of sites located at lower elevations. Thus, both climate and man-induced disturbances may violate the existing ecological equilibrium in high-mountain wetlands of the Eastern Pamir, posing a serious risk to their biodiversity and to food security of the local population. In this context, we sought to assess how environmental drivers (with special focus on soil features and potential water sources) shape the distribution and diversity of halophytic plant communities developed in valleys in the Eastern Pamir. This task was completed by means of a vegetation survey and comprehensive analyses of habitat conditions. The lake terraces and floodplains studied were covered by a repetitive mosaic of plant communities determined by differences in soil moisture and salinity. On lower, wetter sites, this patchwork was formed by Blysmus rufus dominated salt marshes, saline small sedge meadows and saline meadows with Kobresia royleana and Primula pamirica; and on drier, elevated sites, by endemic grasslands with Hordeum brevisubulatum and Puccinellia species and patches of xerohalophytic vegetation. Continuous instability of water sources and summer droughts occurring in the Pamir Mountains may lead to significant structural and functional transformations of described wetland ecosystems. Species more tolerant to decreased soil moisture and/or increased soil salinity will expand, leading to alterations of ecosystem services provided by the Pamirs’ wetlands. The described research will help to assess the current state of the wetlands and to predict directions of their future changes.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nature's patchwork: How water sources and soil salinity determine the distribution and structure of halophytic plant communities in arid environments of the Eastern Pamir

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The juniper woods are one of the most important and widespread type of forest in Tajikistan, being apparently distinct from mesophilous broad-leaved forests (chernolese), river carrs (belolese), termophilous open woods and scrubs (šhiblyak and pistachio groves) and subtropical tugai gallery forests (Nowak & Nobis, 2013;Nowak et al, 2015Nowak et al, 2017a;Świerszcz et al, 2022). According to Zapryagaeva (1976), the dendroflora of Tajikistan counts 268 species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phytosociological survey of juniper wood vegetation in Tajikistan (Middle Asia)

Nowak¹,

Nobis²,

Nowak³

et al. 2022

Dendrobiology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The paper presents the first syntaxonomic classification for juniper wood communities in Tajikistan with some remarks on their environmental gradients. A total of 119 relevés were sampled between 2015 and 2021 using the seven-degree Braun-Blanquet cover-abundance scale. They were classified by a modified TWINSPAN method. Diagnostic species were identified using phi coefficient as a fidelity measure. Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) was used to determine relationships between samples, vegetation units and major gradients in species composition. Plant communities have been divided into two main groups. The first one is a west Irano-Turanian wood of Juniperus polycarpos var. seravschanica of the Pamir-Alai mountane belt. It occurs in two variants depending mainly on the aspect and precipitation. The second juniper wood type in Tajikistan is a stand of Juniperus pseudosabina. It prefers the northern slopes and north-eastern ranges of the Pamir-Alai and slightly lower elevations. Both juniper wood types are highly distinct in terms of species composition, especially in the moss layer, and have therefore been assigned to different classes: Pino-Juniperetea (Juniperetum seravschanicae) and Juniperetea pseudosabinae (Carici turkestanicae-Juniperetum pseudosabinae). The main factors determining the species composition of the studied associations are latitude, growing season precipitation, annual range of air temperature and precipitation of coldest quarter. Our study has shown that there are two very distinct vegetation types of the juniper wood groves in Tajikistan, which reflect the main phytogeographical division between the provinces of Turkestan and Central Asia.

show abstract

Populetum pamiricae ass. nova – an endemic forest association to Pamir in Tajikistan (Middle Asia)

Cited by 2 publications

References 29 publications

Nature's patchwork: How water sources and soil salinity determine the distribution and structure of halophytic plant communities in arid environments of the Eastern Pamir

Nature's patchwork: How water sources and soil salinity determine the distribution and structure of halophytic plant communities in arid environments of the Eastern Pamir

Phytosociological survey of juniper wood vegetation in Tajikistan (Middle Asia)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About