SPECIES RICHNESS OF PLANT COMMUNITIES IN CONTINENTAL ASIA ALONG THE ARIDITY GRADIENT

Abstract

The relationship between the species richness of plant communities and the aridity was analyzed using a formalized analysis of 12 300 georeferenced geobotanical descriptions. A correlation was identified between these indicators. At Thornthwaite index values of 45–50, the highest species richness of phytocenoses is observed, which manifests in the southern part of the forest zone and the lower part of the mountain forest belt, where rich communities with complex vertical structures form.