Classification of tall-forb vegetation in the Pamir-Alai and western Tian Shan Mountains (Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, Middle Asia)

A comprehensive classification of tall-forb vegetation in the Pamir-Alai and western Tian Shan Mountains, spanning Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, reveals 19 distinct clusters, including eight new associations and five communities. This study advances understanding of alpine forb vegetation by identifying key environmental predictors—elevation, mean annual temperature, precipitation, and slope inclination—that shape species composition. The findings contribute to the syntaxonomic scheme for this region, assigning it to the class Prangetea ulopterae Klein, while also shedding light on the interplay between boreo-temperate and Mediterranean-like (Irano-Turanian) vegetation in western and central Asia. The research utilized 244 relevés sampled from 2013–2019, classified via a modified TWINSPAN algorithm and analyzed with NMDS to explore relationships among clusters.

Nowak, A., Świerszcz, S., Nowak, S., & Nobis, M. (2020). Classification of tall-forb vegetation in the Pamir-Alai and western Tian Shan Mountains (Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, Middle Asia). Vegetation Classification and Survey, 1, 191–217. https://doi.org/10.3897/vcs/2020/60848