On distribution of saline glades in the forest areas of the forest steppe of the Oka-Don plain

The article deals with providing the results of a study of the distribution peculiarities of saline glades in the forest areas of the forest steppe of the Oka-Don plain. About 20 glades were examined in the territory of the Tellerman forested area. Some of them are large saline glades, such as Belaya, Shurygina, Gribanovskaya, Vonyuchkina. 15 of those ones are of various sizes, mostly smaller ones. Some glades form groups along the gully slope: Aproskina and Yurieva between the marks from 130 to 140 m and Utkina and Khryunina at a height of from 140 to 150 m. Based on the results of the study, a location map of the saline glades was drawn up. The article examines the question of genesis of saline glades. Saline open oakwoods are indicated as the indigenous vegetation type for this ecotope. It has been determined that all the studied glades have a certain localization in the relief: they are confined to terraced surfaces and the strip of southern exposition gullies, cutting through river watersheds, on the edge of the plateau. Saline glades mainly lie on slopes at a height of from 140 to 150 m and from 130 to 140 m. Glades have the same gradient to the slopes draining them. The uniqueness of natural complexes of saline glades suggests that their territories should be given the status of specially protected natural areas.