History study of steppe vegetation in the Middle-Volga Complex Biosphere Reserve

Middle-Volga complex biosphere reserve is a specially-protected natural area in Samara region. The reserve was established in 2006 on the basis of Zhiguli reserve named after I. Sprygina and National Park «Samarskaya Luka» and became the first integrated biosphere reserve in Russia. The main purpose of the reserve is to ensure the conservation of Zhiguli landscapes and forest-steppe complexes of Middle Volga region, the organization of environmental monitoring and the development of careful environmental management system. The most valuable for research are fragments preserved in the reserve steppe areas, found only in small outlier unplowed areas in the southern and south-western part of Samarskaya Luka, in the Zhiguli and Sengileevskaya mountains. These are the remains of the steppe vegetation that once covered much of the plateau reserve. Although currently they are only small areas they cover all types of steppes in Samara region: meadow (north) steppe, present or feather-fescue (south), as well as special versions of steppe – shrubs, rocky and sandy. The uniqueness of the reserve nature, biodiversity, a large number of rare, endemic and relict species and communities could not but attract the attention of botanists from various periods. We consider the most important works from the point of view of studying the steppe vegetation.