FLORA AND ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF THE PASTORAL ARID LANDS OF THE CASPIAN SEA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52578/2305-9397-2025-3-4-45-60Ключевые слова:
Caspian Sea, arid flora, xerophytes, halophytes, phytocenosis, salinization, endemism, ecological indicatorsАннотация
The pastoral arid zones of the Caspian Sea littoral represent degraded agrobiocenoses shaped by extreme abiotic factors, high levels of endemism, and steadily increasing anthropogenic pressure. This study provides a comprehensive floristic and ecological assessment of the northern and eastern pastoral shores of the Caspian Sea, focusing on species diversity, plant community structure, and the adaptive mechanisms of xerophytic and halophytic taxa. Field surveys conducted between 2024 and 2025 recorded 112 vascular plant species belonging to 35 families and 64 genera, with Chenopodiaceae, Asteraceae, Poaceae, and Fabaceae being dominant. Endemic species constituted 9.5% of the flora, while approximately 7% were regionally rare or threatened. Vegetation was classified into halophytic, psammophytic, shrub- steppe, and anthropogenically transformed communities, each reflecting distinct ecological niches and adaptive traits. However, overgrazing, industrial development, groundwater depletion, and climate-induced aridification are accelerating vegetation degradation, reducing biodiversity, triggering soil erosion, and compromising ecosystem functions such as forage provision and carbon sequestration. Correlation analysis revealed strong linkages between soil salinity, precipitation, and species distribution. The study highlights the urgent need for integrated conservation strategies, including the expansion of protected areas, phytomelioration with native species, rotational grazing, and long-term ecological monitoring. The findings provide essential baseline data for conservation biology, ecological restoration, and sustainable land use in the pastoral arid landscapes of Kazakhstan’s Caspian littoral, while also offering insights relevant to the drylands of Central Asia more broadly.
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