EVALUATION OF NATURAL WINTER PASTURES IN THE MEDIUM-ALTITUDE MOUNTAIN AREA OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALTAI
Natural winter pastures in the medium-altitude mountain area of the Republic of Altai were evaluated. The pastures are characterized by quite rich floristic composition; there are over plant 50 species; however, they are mainly of low value in terms of grazing animal nutrition; they include little-grazed motley grasses: wormwood, adonis, cinquefoil, forget-me-nots, etc. The grasses are represented by bluegrass and esparto grass; they are little-grazed by animal and resistant to grazing. The abundance of legumes is moderate and represented by sickle alfalfa. The productivity of the aboveground phytomass of the pastures is directly dependent on the precipitation amount, and ranges from 3 to 4 tons per hectare.