Vegetation of the natural monument «Gurev Ravine» (Shigonsky District of the Samara Region)

The nature monument of regional value «Gurev ravine» is located 1 km North-West village Klimovka of Shigonsky District in the Samara Region. The southern and South-Western part is occupied by the ravine, the mouth opening in the Kuibyshev reservoir. The right slope is less steep and is overgrown with deciduous forest, and the left slope is very steep and heavily nude, known as Gusikha mountain. At the mouth of the ravine as well as along the indigenous coast landslide terraces have been formed. We have described calciphyte flora and vegetation of the left slope, «Guriev ravine» (Gusikha mountain). We have made 5 descriptions, one (description № 14) is located at the bottom of this mountain and the other ones are at the top (descriptions № 15–18). All descriptions are made on very steep slopes (angle of 40–50°) of South-Eastern exposure. The described area is dominated by subshrub vegetation with dominance of different species: Artemisia salsoloides (from 1,0 to 30,0%), Ephedra distachya (from 0 to 30,0%), Bassia prostrata (from 0 to 15,0%), Thymus dubjanskyi (from 0 to 15,0%), Onosma volgensis (from 0 to 15,0%), Anthemis trotzkiana (from 0 to 5,0%); less common Linum uralense (from 0 to 1,0%). Artemisia salsoloides (descriptions № 14, 16) occupy the lower and middle parts of the steep slopes of Gusikha mountain. They belong to two different associations. At the bottom of the slopes there are Artemisia salsoloides + Bassia prostrata + Gypsophila juzepczukii, in the middle – Artemisia salsoloides + Onosma volgensis. At the top of steep slopes there are Bassia prostrata, Ephedra distachya and Thymus dubjanskyi (descriptions № 15, 17, 18): Bassia prostrata + Artemisia salsoloides + Stipa capillata, Ephedra distachya + Artemisia salsoloides + Bassia prostrate and Thymus dubjanskyi + Anthemis trotzkiana + Gypsophila juzepczukii Association. Different types of Stipa capillata gradually implemented into the community as well as Gypsophila juzepczukii or Artemisia salsoloides, Anthemis trotzkiana, which contributes to the resumption of these particularly rare for the Samara Region species.