Digital vegetation map of Kazakhstan and Middle Asia

V. N. Khramtsov, E. I. Rachkovskaya

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Annotation

For the first time Digital vegetation map of Kazakhstan and Middle Asia (desert region) was created. It is a vectoral version of the map published in 1995 of the same name.

Mapping area includes: Caspian Lowland, Mangyshlak Peninsula, Ustyurt Plateau, Betpak-Dala, Aral and Balkhash regions; Zaisan, Alakol and Iii basins; Kara Kum, Kyzyl-Kum, Moiyn Kum sandy deserts; Kopet Dagh, Pamir-Alai, Tien Shan, Pamir mountain systems and piedmont plains; Badghys and Kar abil high plateaus.

Original data, obtained during many field botanical-geographic investigations by the authors of the map, are used for compiling the map as well as aero-cosmic information, cartographic and textual sources. The map contains 3859 contours with botanical content generalised in 597 mapped units, presented in 266 numbers of the legend and 71 supplementary symbols.

The following fundamental scientific approaches was used for compiling the map:

1. Zonal (latitudinal) and altitudinal regularities of vegetation cover;

2. Regional differences of plant communities;

3. Relations between vegetation and soils;

4. Complex structure of vegetation cover.

Digital map is prepared for use in GIS-software: GeoDraw 1.14, GeoGraph 1.5 (product of GIS Research Centre Institute of Geography RAS, Moscow, Russia) and ArcView 3.0 (ESRI, USA).

The map contains 6 thematic and 8 supplementary layers in formats of the above software with databases (dbf format) in Russian and in English. The database of the main layer includes various characteristics of plant communities: their zonal and altitudinal position, regional differences, relations with soil conditions, ecological-physiognomic features, floristic composition, structural features of vegetation cover.

Digital map has great potentialities in its analysis and use. It simplifies the receipt of information on every contour of the map exposing all the data on the screen, including the structure of the legend, botanical characteristic of all contours, their area and perimeter. Open formats of databases allow anyone supplement the map with new information associated with topological base. The map can be used in estimation of phytocoenotic diversity, ecological and resource potential of the region and in selection the objects for conservation.

E-mail address to make an order of the CD: vkhramtsov@binran.ru (St. Petersburg)

Section: Reviews and informations

How to cite

Khramtsov V. N., Rachkovskaya E. I. 2000. Digital vegetation map of Kazakhstan and Middle Asia // Geobotanical mapping 1998-2000. St. Petersburg. P. 77–83.