(A review) S. S. Kholod. Zonation in the plant cover on the Wrangel Island: syntaxonomical approach. Vegetation of Russia. 2013. N 23. P. 89–121.

A critical review of S. Kholod's (2013) syntaxonomical analysis of Wrangel Island's plant cover challenges conventional zonal classification, revealing that apparent zonation is largely influenced by local geomorphological and climatic factors rather than true bioclimatic zonation. The study analyzed 46 syntaxa using the Braun-Blanquet approach, integrating landscape elements, species composition, and structural parameters to assess zonal position. However, the review argues that Wrangel Island's complex terrain—characterized by low mountains and cold sea conditions—disrupts traditional zonation patterns, leading to extrazonal plant communities (e.g., shrub willows in mountain valleys) driven by microclimatic effects like föhn winds or prolonged ice cover. The proposed zonal subdivision is deemed invalid, as it conflates landscape-specific syntaxa with true bioclimatic zones, undermining established biome classifications. Instead, the review advocates for a geobotanical approach that accounts for local anomalies while maintaining broader zonal frameworks.

Matveyeva, N. V. (2014). (A review) S. S. Kholod. Zonation in the plant cover on the Wrangel Island: syntaxonomical approach. Vegetation of Russia. 2013. N 23. P. 89–121. Vegetation of Russia, (25), 116–123. https://doi.org/10.31111/vegrus/2014.25.116