Meadow Steppe ecosystems

Table 5. Distribution of Co in Calcaric Chernozem and Chestnut soil of Meadow Steppe ecosystem in the south part of East European Plain.

Table 8. Biogeochemical exposure to heavy metals in the main botanical groups of Meadow Steppe ecosystems of East European Plain, accumulation, mg/kg by dry weight (after Dobrovolsky, 1994).

Figure 3. Coefficients of bio geochemical uptake of heavy metals by typical plant species of Meadow Steppe Ecosystems of East European Plain. Aerial parts 1—legumes 2—grasses 3—forage crops roots 4—legumes, 5—grasses, 6—forage crops (Dobrovolsky, 1994).

Grasses, small shrubs and shrubs, whose number of xerophytic and ephemeral forms increases with aridity, are the chief representatives of Arid ecosystems. At the north and south peripheries of the arid zone, herbaceous ecosystems are predominant. In regions with a well balanced atmospheric humidity prior to human activities, of wide occurrence were Meadow Steppe ecosystems intermixed with Broad-leaved Forests. With an increase in climate continental properties, the Meadow Steppe ecosystems of Eurasia grade into Forb-Fescue-Stipa and Fescue-Stipa Steppe ecosystems. In turn, the natural vegetation has been destroyed by humans and replaced by pastures and... 

Meadow Steppe ecosystems of the East European plain... 

High biotic activity is characteristic for soils of Meadow Steppe ecosystems with relatively high precipitation. An enormous number of invertebrates promptly disintegrate and digest the plant residues and mix them with the mineral soil matter. The presence of the predominant part of plant biomass as the underground material facilitates greatly this process. 

North American Forest-Meadow Steppe ecosystems... 

These ecosystems fall entirely within the continent. It is a crescent opening to the south, with the northern fringe at 50-58° N the southern tip of the long western arm of the crescent is at 38° N. The other boundary of the Forest-Meadow Steppe ecosystems coincides with the boundaries of the Boreal Taiga and Sub-Boreal Forest ecosystems. The inner edge of the crescent borders the closed Steppe ecosystems of the continent. 

This is a zone of poorly drained alluvial-lacustrine plains, where features of continental salt accumulation are clearly expressed. Broad-Leafed Aspen Forest and Meadow Steppe ecosystems on Phaeozems and Chernozems with association with meadow-bog soils and Solods are characteristic of this region. 

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