Meadow vegetation of the Desna flood plain, (Ucraine,USSR)

The meadow vegetation of the Desna river flood plain described by the authors is of great scientific significance as far as the protection of diversified syntaxa of inundation meadows is concerned. These syntaxa are different in their floristic composition. The largest inundation meadows of the Ukraine are best preserved in the flood plain of the Desna river where the authors have identified and described 18 associations of meadow vegetation attributed to 6 alliances, 2 orders and 2 classes of vegetation. They represent an ecological series ranging from steppe meadow to boggy meadows. The units thus specified are characterized by phytocenologic tables; the specificity and biological productivity of each association concerned being registered. The peculiar character of inundation meadows requires further more profound ecological and phytocenological studies of meadow communities which the authors propose for the future.