The Ecological–Phytocenotic Characteristics of Halocnemum strobilaceum (Pall.) Bieb. Grasslands on the Ustyurt Plateau in Karakalpakstan

Abstract

The ecological–phytocenotic characteristic of the Halocnemum strobilaceum (Pall.) Bieb. grasslands is given on the basis of observation data obtained by the authors in 2020–2021 on the Ustyurt Plateau in Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan). The biotopes, the total projective cover, the species composition, the yield of pasture varieties, and the change in the eaten phytomass during the growing season are characterized, and the seasonality of pasture use is recommended. The Halocnemum strobilaceum type of grassland is located in the Barsakel’mes, Sarykamysh, and Churuk regions of the Karakalpakstan Ustyurt and occupies 76 492 ha. This type of pasture consists of three varieties: Halocnеmum strobilaceum, Halocnеmum strobilaceum–Kalidium capsicum, and Halocnеmum strobilaceum–Haloxylon ammodendron as wet and puff solonchaks with highly mineralized groundwater very close to the surface, as well as to loamy and sandy loamy solonchakous soils. The plant cover is thin and predominated by shrubs and semi-shrubs, its species composition is poor, and the communities are monodominant and are assigned to the Halocnemum pasture variety. This is explained by the high salt content in the soil, which can be tolerated by a limited number of species. The seasonal yield of the forage mass ranges from 90 to 430 kg/ha. The eaten mass becomes reaches its maximum on all pasture varieties at the end of the growing season, thus, it is recommended to use pastures in the autumn–winter period.