M11
Pre- and Transcaucasian Stipa-steppes (Stipa tirsa, Stipa pulcherrima, Stipa daghestanica, Stipa transcaucasica, Stipa araxensis, Stipa pontica, Stipa holosericea, Stipa hohenackeriana) with Elytrigia gracillima, Astragalus haesitabundus, Astragalus gjunaicus, Medicago daghestanica, Onobrychis transcaucasica, Linaria megrica and Bothriochloa ischaemum-steppes with Onobrychis ruprechtii, Onobrychis kachetica, Salvia daghestanica, Hyssopus officinalis subsp. angustifolius, Medicago caerulea, Polygala transcaucasica, alternating with tomillares (Thymus daghestanicus, Thymus karamarjanicus, Thymus tiflisiensis, Thymus kotschyanus, Scutellaria orientalis) and thorn-cushion communities (Astragalus aureus, Astragalus denudatus, Astragalus microcephalus, Astragalus uraniolimneus
Description
The most important components of these mountain range steppes are Stipa tirsa, and sometimes the xeropetrophytic species Stipa pontica, more rarely Stipa pennata, Stipa lessingiana and Stipa pulcherrima, and at very stony and rocky sites Stipa capillata, Stipa holosericea, Stipa hohenackeriana, Stipa daghestanica, Stipa araxensis, Stipa transcaucasica and Festuca valesiaca. Often Carex humilis is present. Typical species for the Pontic steppes (e.g. Koeleria macrantha, Phleum phleoides, Bromus riparius) are characteristic in combination with mountain and meadow steppe species. Herbs are very numerously represented (130 species), steppe and meadow steppe species are particularly widely distributed, and many mountain steppe species are also present.
M11a (meadow-steppe):
Biome:
Grass mix: grass, kentucky_bluegrass, meadow_fescue, small_fescue, dead_grass, common_meadow_grassScattered fern, sweet_woodruff, orpine, greater_wood_rush
M11b (shrubland):
Biome:
Sparse Ash Bush and Flowering Gorse Bush
Small clumps of sweet_woodruff, sea_lavender, and wormwood
Can include some patches of common_meadow_grass and maybe others (dead-looking)
M11c (thorn-brush):
Biome:
Isolated bilberry_bush and wild_shrub, occasionally forming small clumps
Tree Layer
No detail
Shrub Layer
M11b shrubland: Paliurus spina-christi (Ash Bush), Jasminum fruticans (Flowering Gorse)
Lianas
No detail
Herb Layer
M11a meadow steppe: Stipa tirsa (kentucky_bluegrass), Stipa pulcherrima (meadow_fescue), Stipa pontica (kentucky_bluegrass), Stipa pennata (kentucky_bluegrass), Stipa holosericea (kentucky_bluegrass), Stipa hohenackeriana (kentucky_bluegrass), Carex humilis (kentucky_bluegrass), Festuca valesiaca (meadow_fescue), Dactylis glomerata (meadow_fescue), Brachypodium pinnatum (meadow_fescue), Filipendula vulgaris (fern), Trifolium alpestre, Stipa capillata, Elytrigia gracillima, Cleistogenes bulgarica, Melica transsilvanica, Salvia daghestanica (sweet_woodruff), Centaurea daghestanica (sweet_woodruff), Scabiosa gumbetica (orpine), Onobrychis cyri (dead_grass), Gagea commutata, Bellevalia wilhelmsii (greater_wood_rush);
M11b schrubland: Thymus spp. (sweet_woodruff), Nepeta racemosa (sea_lavender), Artemisia daghestanica (wormwood);
M11c thorn-brush: Astragalus aureus (bilberry_bush), A. microcephalus (bilberry_bush), A. denudatus (wild_shrub), A. uraniolimneus (bilberry_bush), Onobrychis cornuta (bilberry_bush), Acantholimon glumaceum (bilberry_bush), Acantholimon hohenackeri (bilberry_bush)
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Bothriochloa ischaemum-steppes with Tortula ruralis, Tortula subulata, Pleurochaete squarrosa
Hilly country southwest of the Sea of Rhûn
