Plant communities with naturalized Elaeagnus angustifolia L. as a new vegetation element in Altai Krai (Southwestern Siberia, Russia)

Abstract

Elaeagnus angustifolia L. (Russian olive) is a deciduous small tree or large multi-stemmed shrub that becomes invader in different countries all other the world. It is potentially invasive in some regions of Russia. In the beginning of 20th century, it was introduced to the steppe region of Altai Krai (Russia, southwestern Siberia) to prevent wind erosion. During last 20 years, Russian olive starts to create its own natural stands and to influence on native vegetation. This article presents the results of eco-coenotic survey of natural plant communities dominated by Elaeagnus angustifolia L. first described for Siberia and the analysis of their possible syntaxonomic position. The investigation conducted during summer season 2012 in the steppe region of Altai Krai allows revealing one new for Siberia association Elytrigio repentis–Elaeagnetum angustifoliae and no-ranged community Bromopsis inermis–Elaeagnus angustifolia which were included to the Class Nerio–Tamaricetea, to the Order Tamaricetalia ramosissimae. During the study, the following special features of communities have been described: polydominance of herbal layer, anthropogenic and grazing load, variation of the species richness, plant cover and vertical stratification into layers. These peculiarities mostly prove unestablished character of communities, all of them are relatively young (25–30 years). Russian olive shrubberies varies in moisture and saline regime, which connected with their existence in different landforms (lake alluvial plains, gentle slopes of lakes, low lake terraces).

Classification of forest and shrubland vegetation in central and eastern Euxine Turkey and SW Georgia

“…However, we think that this classification is not justified, since Molinio ‐ Arrhenatheretea is a class of anthropogenic pastures, meadows and tall‐herb meadow fringes on fertile deep soils at low and mid‐altitudes (rarely also high elevations) of Europe (Mucina et al., 2016). Although there is not a clear syntaxonomical classification of Elaeagnus angustifolia ‐dominated vegetation in Europe (Mucina et al., 2016), we followed the classification of Shibanova and Ovcharova (2021), who classified this type of vegetation under the alliance Galio humifusi ‐ Tamaricion ramosissimae , representing xeromesophytic communities dominated by Elaeagnus angustifolia . However, this alliance is a synonym for Artemisio scopariae ‐ Tamaricion ramosissimae (Vegetation type 4) (Mucina et al., 2016).…”