Pasture degradation of the Southern Kulunda steppes (Altai Krai)

The article considers the results of the study of degraded bunchgrass steppes state in the Southern Kulunda area (2013-2018). It points out stages of the grassland degradation and estimates changes in the following: species composition, vertical and horizontal grass stand structure, supply of the aboveground phytomass as a result of pasture load growth. Key words: Steppe pastures; Degradation; Pasture degradation stages; Southern Kulunda References Elesova, N.V., Silantyeva, M.M. (2015). The influence of short-term isolation on the vegetation of degraded pastures in Southern Kulunda. Steppes of Northern Eurasia. Proceedings of the VII international symposium. Orenburg, Dimur. (In Russian). Elesova, N.V., Silantyeva, M.M., Kornyevskaya, T.V. (2018). Ways of degraded pastures restoration in the conditions of the dry steppe zone of Kulunda. Steppes of Northern Eurasia. Proceedings of the VIII international symposium. Orenburg. (In Russian). Elesova, N.V., Silantyeva, M.M., Speranskaya, N.Yu., Grebennikova, A.Yu. (2014). Assessment and possible ways of the degraded pasture restoration in the dry steppe conditions of Kulunda. Bulletin of Altai Science, 1, 223-228. (In Russian). Gorshkova, A.A. (1954). Materials for the study of steppe pastures in the Voroshilovgradskaya oblast in connection with their improvement. Proceedings of the Biological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Geobotany. Leningrad. (In Russian). Gorshkova, A.A. (1957). Pasture degradation of natural phytocenoses in the conditions of the Balagan forest-steppe. Bulletin of Eastern Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 2, 109-114. (In Russian). Gorshkova, A.A., Grineva N.F., et al. (1977). Ecology and pasture degradation of the steppe communities in Zabaikalye. Novosibirsk, Nauka. (In Russian). Ivanov, V.V. (1958) Steppes of Western Kazakhstan in connection with the dynamics of their cover. Moscow – Leningrad. (In Russian). Pachoskiy, I.K. (1917). Description of the Kherson province vegetation. Volume 2. Kherson. (In Russian). Vysotskiy, G.N. (1915). Yergenya. Cultural and phytological essay. Proceedings of the Applied Botany Bureau. Saint Petersburg. (In Russian).