STEPPES OF THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE LOWER VOLGA AREA (VOLGOGRAD REGION)
In 2002-2014, there a steppe vegetation cover was first studied in three model areas of the western edge of the Lower Volga area, in the eastern edge of the Kalach Upland and the south-eastern edge of the Central Russian Upland (the right bank of the Volga within the Volgograd Region). The basic goals of our research were to identify zonal and subzonal affiliation of the steppe and the boundaries of its range, and to make an inventory of typological and coenotic diversity of the steppe vegetation. The study allows both to solve purely scientific problems and to develop sustainable land use systems for each studied area. The analysis of the received data has resulted in the idea of zonal and subzonal affiliation of the studied areas. It is revealed that not only the outermost part of the north-western Volgograd Region but also its right-bank area to the east and to the south-east of this «point» belongs to forest-steppe. We are first to obtain the results that give an idea of present typological and coenotic diversity of the steppe preserved in this area, and its environmental confinement as well as the overall structure of vegetation cover. The coenotypes of the steppe that are most widespread at present and characterize zonal and subzonal structures of the preserved steppe vegetation cover are discovered. As opposed to the data from well-known cartographic and literature sources of the past years, our data proves that today there is a significant presence and a noticeable, to a greater or lesser extent, diversity of natural steppe vegetation (with other typical plant species) in all areas where we have worked, not only in a few nature reserves. Thus, the steppe and its zonal and subzonal diversity have been preserved on the right bank of the Volga until now.