Rare communities of fescue-feather grass steppes in the vicinity of Lake Shalkar

Abstract

The article presents the results of research on rare fescue-feather grass steppe communities in the vicinity of Lake Shalkar within the West Kazakhstan Region. In the studied area, we identified 11 rare communities and subdivided them into 3 categories: 1) rare plant communities characteristic only of the Trans-Volga–Kazakhstan province, where the dominants are the rare and relict species Anthemis trotzkiana and Anabasis cretacea; 2) rare pristine zonal communities experiencing the greatest anthropogenic impact; 3) rare local communities confined to specific habitat conditions. The identified rare plant communities are of key importance for maintaining biodiversity and the sustainability of the steppe zone, indicating the ancient genesis of the communities and their refugial nature.