Scientists from the Laboratory of Biodiversity of the National Institute of Deserts, Flora and Fauna conducted an expedition to monitor the vegetation of the Caspian deserts in order to assess their economic importance.
According to the newspaper "Neutral Turkmenistan", geobotanical research has touched the Krasnovodsk plateau, the sands of Oktumgumy, the Turkmenbashi-Prikarabogaz seaside alluvial lowland.
The interest for study is the vegetation of the area adjacent to the southern coast of the Garabogazgol Bay, which geographically belongs to the northern part of the Oktumgums sands.
It is characterized by suzen, circassian, and santolinopolynian plant communities with the participation of astragalus and ephemera.
From the village of Sulmen, the scientists headed to the north-west, describing cone-bearing conifers along the way. Conifer is one of the valuable fodder plants, especially in winter. It is also good for strengthening sands, but its use in this role is difficult, since its seeds, fruits and young shoots are actively eaten by animals and insects.
In the north, the researchers examined a chain of crusty-puffy and wet, and "black" salt marshes that stretch for many kilometers. They are united under the common name Kukurtshor.
According to local shepherds, there is a source of hydrogen sulfide in these places, hence their name. On the outskirts of Kukurtshor, plant groups, characteristic of highly saline soils, grow, composed of cone-shaped sarsazan. Behind them are pure communities of Amudarya reamuria, in some places with the participation of tetyr.
Heading to the northeast, a group of scientists described tetrarches, wormwoods, black saxauls.
Tetyrniks of these places are valuable food for camels on autumn-winter pastures.
On the shore of the Garabogazgol Bay, a black saxaul community was found, in the structure of which kandym, shrub reamuria, boyalych (tree-like saltwort), and Turkmen double-leaved took part.
European soleros, or yata, is an annual plant, a strong halophyte.It grows where other plants do not survive, on wet and puffy salt marshes, sea coasts.The seeds of this fodder and industrial plant contain up to 30% of valuable saline oil used in medicine, perfumery, food industry, in the production of some types of paper, and building materials.
The plant is eagerly eaten by camels, the tolai hare likes to feast on shoots.
Upon completion of the expedition, valuable scientific material was brought to Ashgabat, which, after laboratory processing, will be used for comparative analysis and will be included in scientific reports, notes the source.
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