A.L. Belgard and N.M. Matveev’s ecological and coenotical groups (coenomorphs) for the forest-steppe and steppe of the Volga River Region

The paper examines the coenomorphs scheme of vascular plants species by A.L. Belgard which was introduced for the Volga River Region flora by N.M. Matveev. The coenomorphs scheme assessment has been done for 752 vascular plants species of flora by an expert and statistical approach, which included three variants of classification (by N.M. Matveev and by A.L. Belgard with halophyte and psammophyte groups’ identification and without it) with the use of discriminant analysis and phytoindication scales. It has been proved that it is possible to rate N.M. Matveev’s coenomorphs in phytoindication scales for the forest-steppe and steppe of the Volga River Region. The biotope optimums of coenomorphs are identified for 12 edaphic and climatic factors. It is necessary to specify the halophyte coenomorph as a coenotical group of mesophytic biotopes of basic and alkaline soils with irregular and shallow moisture penetration of root zone and poor carbonate and sulphate salinization and specify the psammophyte coenomorph as a coenotical group of mesoxerophytic biotopes of subacid and poor nitrogen soils. The steppe-ruderal, meadow-ruderal and silvan-ruderal coenomorphs introduced by N.M. Matveev are not specific ecological and coenotical groups, they are not identified as ruderal and their identification as individual coenomorphs don’t appear to have sufficient reasons. But these groups can be used as indicators of such biotopes: steppe on poor carbonate soils (steppe-ruderal group), mesophytic meadow (meadow-ruderal group), and not-shade (half-shade and half-light) sylvatic (silvan-ruderal group).