[Ecological interpretation of higher units of steppe vegetation in southern mountains of Middle Siberia via quantitative ordination method].

Detrended correspondent analysis is used for constructing an ecological ordination model of higher units of steppe vegetation in southern mountains of Middle Siberia. The model is based on 326 complete geobotanical descriptions and correlation analysis between the values of major axes and climatic, soil-ground, and geographical parameters. In the space of two first principal ordination axes, ecological series of steppe vegetation coenofloras are observed which are orientated along climatic factors of annual and seasonal precipitation, temperature, oceanity-continentality, and ground stoniness. A syntaxonomic interpretation of observed ecological-geographical steppe types is given, and the hierarchy of higher classification units is substantiated from the ecological point of view.