CONTRIBUTION OF DOMINANT SPECIES TO PRODUCTION OF A STEPPE COMMUNITY

In needle-grass-fescue-wormwood and needle-grass-fescue-wheatgrass ste ppes found in Central Kopetdag at an elevation of 2400 and 2000 m abov e sea level, the authors investigated the production process and the p ercent participation of species in formation of aboveground and underg round production. For dominant species, the most active production is noted at different times of the vegetation season. Groups are distingu ished for which the maximum production coincides with phases: vegetati on + budding, budding + flowering, flowering + beginning of fruiting. Some of the species remain dominant producers in both wet and dry year s, others are dominant only in wet, or only in dry seasons.