Classification of alpine grasslands in the western Tian Shan Mountains (Kyrgyzstan, Middle Asia)

A groundbreaking syntaxonomic classification of alpine grasslands in the western Tian Shan Mountains (Kyrgyzstan) identifies 13 ecologically distinct clusters, including 12 associations and one rankless unit. This study, the first of its kind in this region, reveals three new alliances that bridge vegetation influenced by Irano-Turanian climate with alpine grassland ecosystems. Key climatic factors such as temperature seasonality, diurnal temperature range, and annual precipitation, along with soil properties like pH and nitrogen availability, were found to shape species composition. The research employed hierarchical Ward’s clustering and NMDS analysis on 251 relevés sampled between 2015-2022, advancing understanding of alpine grassland biodiversity in Middle Asia while highlighting the need for further comparative studies with regions like Altai and Karakorum-Himalayan ranges.

Swacha, G., Świerszcz, S., Nowak, S., Nobis, M., & Nowak, A. (2023). Classification of alpine grasslands in the western Tian Shan Mountains (Kyrgyzstan, Middle Asia). Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae, 92(1). https://doi.org/10.5586/asbp/169036