The ecobiological structure of a mediterranean petrophyte steppe on the southern coast of Crimea

✍ Scribed by Golubev, V.

• Book ID: 104623352
• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1987
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 814 KB
• Volume: 71
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1573-5052
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00048508

✦ Synopsis

The ecobiological structure of vegetation syntaxa is determined by summarizing the phenology, chorology, growth forms, and life history attributes of the component species. This approach to vegetation analysis is illustrated by a study of the mediterranean petrophyte steppe (Thymo callieri-Stipetum lithophilae) of the southern coast of Crimea. On the basis of long-term studies, average yearly patterns were determined for such dynamic ecobiological attributes as maximum number of species initiating flowering, maximum flowering, and maximum fruiting. The intensity of biological processes was highest from mid-spring to early summer, but declined sharply in July and August as a consequence of hot, dry climate conditions. Considerable reduction of these processes was noted during winter. Static ecobiological properties of the syntaxon are also summarized. The perspectives of a wider application of the ecobiological approach to the study of world vegetation are discussed. * Botanical nomenclature follows Czerepanov (1981). Vascular plants of the USSR. Syntaxonomy is in accordance with the Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (Barkman et al., 1986).