Central Asian Plains

The semi-arid areas receiving somewhat higher rainfall are covered by a steppe-like fairly continuous vegetative cover of Xerophilous shrubs and grasses. In the Central Asian Plains, east of the Caspian Sea, wind erosion and transport are the dominant features. Sand dunes dominate the landscape for hundreds of kilometers. 

The chul zone occupies most of the Central Asian plain (Turan) and displays four soil types salty chul, sandy chul, gypsum (stony) chul, and clay chul (National Biodiversity Strategy Project Steering Committee 1998). Portions of the salty chul ecosystem that have extremely high salt concentrations support no plant life. Areas of salty chul with lower salt content are dominated by Artemisia halophila and species in the Chenopodiaceae family such as Halocnemum strobilaceum, Halostachys caspica, Haloxylon aphyllum, Salicornia herbacea, Salsola dendroides, Suaeda dendroides... 

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