Steppe vegetation (Festuco-Brometea) of Western Altai piedmonts

Classification of steppe communities of the Western Altai piedmonts is presented according to the Braun-Blanquet approach. The most part of steppes refer to the order Helictotricho-Stipetalia. New dry steppe ass. Astragalo stenoceratis—Stipetum lessingianae is des­cribed. Zonal true steppes (associations Artemisio austriacae—Stipetum capillatae, Artemisio austriacae—Stipetum zalesskii) and their petrophyte variants (asso­ciations Gypsophilo patrinii—Festucetum valesiacae, Allio rubentis—Caricetum humilis, Eritrichio altaicae—Stipetum korshinskyi) are characterized. Three asso­ciations of meadow steppes (Carici humilis—Stipetum zalesskii, Carici pediformis—Spiraetum trilobatae, Potentillo chrysanthae—Dactylidetum glomeratae) refer to the order Stipetalia sibiricae. Changes in plants communities along the humidity gradient are analysed.