Session

The valley of the Kuialnyk estuary is the refuge of the steppe vegetation. Steppe communities occure predominantly on the western and eastern slopes with an inclination from 20 to 80о. They develop on southern chernozems and on dark kastanozems. Using the methods of phytosociological classification and cluster analysis based on the interpretation of 214 phytosociological relevés, the syntaxonomic structure of the Festuco-Brometea class. She is represented by 2 orders, 3 alliances, 11 associations and 2 communities. The alliance Festucion valesiacae represented by the associations Salvio nemorosae-Festucetum valesiacae, Salvio nemorosae-Elytrigietum intermediae, Astero oleifolii-Ephedretum distachyae, Bothriochloetum ischaemi, Aegilopsetum cylindricae, Vinco herbaceae-Caraganetum fruticis and the community of Ephedra distachya. The alliance Stipo lessingianae-Salvion nutantis includes associations Stipo lessingianae-Salvietum nutantis, Ephedro distachyae-Stipetum capillatae, Stipo ucrainicae-Agropyretum pectinati, Festuco valesiacae-Galatelletum biflorae and the community of Stipa pulcherrima. Communities of pethrophytic steppes formed on pontic limestones are distributed among the bunchgrass steppe communities and shrubs. They are represented by the alliance Potentillo arenariae-Linion czernjajevii with a association Pimpinello titanophilae-Thymetum dimorphi with two subassociations. The steppe communities of the Kuialnyk estuary are characterized by significant preservation, are distinguished by significant coenotic diversity, are highly representative of the steppe zone of Ukraine and can serve as a reference for their biodiversity. They include rare species (Adonis vernalis, Bellevalia sarmatica, Crambe tataria, Astragalus henningii, A. odessanus, Phlomis hybrida, Stipa capillata, S. lessingiana, S. pulcherrima, S. ucrainica, Glycyrrhiza glabra and other). Currently, the steppe communities of the estuary are protected on the territory of the Kuyalnitsky National Natural Park, created in 2022.