Floristic composition and plant biomass of the grasslands in the vicinity of Pavlodar, Kazakhstan

This article deals with the species composition and above-ground plant biomass of grasslands in the vicinity of Pavlodar, Kazakhstan. The abandoned croplands, an initial stand of secondary succession were recolonized by Agropyron cristatum. In the second stage of the succession, Artemisia absinthium, Agropyron cristatum and Erigeron canadensis appeared. The developed stand, which had been abandoned for 11 years since 1993, was dominated by Stipa capillata including Artemisia austriaca and Medicago falcata, Kochia prostrata and Leymus ramosus. The vegetation of the stand used for grazing was sparse due to overgrazing and the soil was compacted due to trampling by livestock. The lichen, Parmeria vegans, grew in the bare areas of the stand. The average plant height and vegetation coverage of the stand were 44.1 cm and 25–50%, respectively. The dry weights were 73.4 g m−2 in plant biomass including 14.4 g m−2 of Parmeria vegans and 15.2 g m−2 in litter.