History of research of phytomass of steppe vegetable groupments in reserve steppe «Askania-Nova»
Authors: Gofman O. P. 
Published: February 2018

Complex research of productive processes of ecosystems of different level was begun by the International union of biological sciences (International Union of Biological Sciences – IUBS), that in 1964 initiated development of the International biological program (International Biological Program, IBP) for research of the biological productivity of biogeocenosis of dry land and reservoirs. Scientists from many countries, that participated in execution put IBP of tasks, investigated the biological productivity of natural and created by the man of vegetable and animal community in the scale of all planet. Research of the biological productivity and phytomass on territory of dry steppe in Askania-Nova began to carry out yet 150 over back. Unfortunately, there were protracted gaps in researches, however, beginning from 1949 they can be considered continuous. And without regard to the slump of interest in the study of the productivity in 1990–2000, in Biosphere reserve «Askania-Nova», due to the active collective of scientists, research not interrupted. Therefore the far of fact sheets accumulated as a result of the advanced study of many researchers. In summarizing works for histories of botanical researches of askanian steppe authors anymore paid attention to description of history of reserve, in works the given description of researchers of the protected steppe with pointing of direction of their works, analysis of succession changes of vegetation, research of change of floristic composition, but the results of study of phytomass are not almost lighted up. Thus there was an urgent necessity of estimation and generalization up-to-date development of science of previous works of scientists in relation to above-ground and underground phytomass of vegetable community of askanian steppe. Aim of this work : to systematize and conduct the retrospective review of the advanced studies there are the lighted up results of research of above-ground and underground phytomass of vegetable community of askanian steppe in that. Materials scientific publications served as for work, scientific current documentation of Biosphere reserve «Askania-Nova» the names of F. E. Falz-Fein and Askania Nova institute of animal breeding in the steppe regions named after M. F. Ivanov. The worked out sources were brought to the bibliographic database, spreadsheet of Microsoft Excel executed in a format. To the table basic descriptions of literary source were brought in: the name of work, year of publication, name of edition, direction of researches, short annotation. For this temporal segment 3 stages of researches are distinguished: І (1842–1948) – for it typical works of descriptive direction; ІІ (1948–1990) – the subjects of the advanced studies of ecological direction are distinguished; ІІІ (1990 till this time) is appearance of the advanced studies sanctified to the study of phytomass by means of the new controlled from distance methods of research. First period protracted, but it only through considerable interruption in researches after works of F. Teetzmann in 1845, up to 1924, when in the Askania-Nova begins to work M. S. Shalyt. And this period differs in the least amount of the written works (4). The considerable are accumulated the archived materials on phytomass give an opportunity more detailed to describe her changes and dynamics.