Vegetation of the Deserts of Turkmenistan

Abstract

The desert vegetation in Turkmenistan consists predominantly of semishrub sagebrush-halophyte and psammophyte communities, with dominant formations of Haloxyleta, Salsoleta, Calligoneta, and Artemiseta. We have separated plant communtites into 26 formations and 28 groups of associations with a relatively simple phytocoenological structure and homogeneous species composition. The community structure is usually determined by a few dominant species of semishrubs which also provide most of the phytomass. Other sinusia, such as herbaceous cover, are built mainly by annual ephemerous species which do not play a significant role in the community structure.