Ann. Bot. Fennici 42: 411–426 ISSN 0003-3847 Helsinki 19 December 2005 © Finnish Zoological and Botanical Publishing Board 2005 Vegetation at the taiga forest–steppe borderline in the western Khentey Mountains, northern Mongolia Choimaa Dulamsuren1, Markus Hauck2 & Michael Mühlenberg1 1) Center of Nature Conservation, University of Göttingen, Von-Siebold-Straße 2, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany (e-mail:
[email protected]) 2) Albrecht von Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, D-37073 Göttingen, Germany (e-mail:
[email protected]) Received 31 Aug. 2004, revised version received 11 Nov. 2004, accepted 7 Jan. 2005 Dulamsuren, C., Hauck, M. & Mühlenberg, M. 2005: Vegetation at the taiga forest–steppe border- line in the western Khentey Mountains, northern Mongolia. — Ann. Bot. Fennici 42: 411–426. Vegetation of an area of 500 km2 in the western Khentey Mountains, northern Mon- golia is phytosociologically classified with the help of 254 relevés. Twenty-one main vegetation units are described. The study area is situated at the interface between the western Siberian dark taiga, the eastern Siberian light taiga and the Mongolian-Daurian forest steppe. A small-scale pattern of these three major vegetation types was found depending on site characteristics. Dark taiga forests of Pinus sibirica, Abies sibirica, Picea obovata, and Larix sibirica grow at the most humid sites. Light taiga forests dominated by Larix sibirica and Betula platyphylla occur on relatively dry northern slopes of the lower montane belt. Sun-exposed, southern slopes of the lower montane belt are covered by montane meadow and mountain steppe. DCA ordination suggests that the distribution of vegetation types depends on water supply and altitude.