AUTOGENIC SUCCESSION OF STEPPE VEGETATION IN POSTANTIQUE LANDSCAPES

The stocks of plant matter in the aboveground layers of 1600- to 3500- year-old steppe ecosystems and on fallows of different ages were deter mined in the course of long-term.study in the zone of ancient Greek co lonization at the northern Black Sea coast. Long-term succession did n ot eliminate differences in productivity caused by the ontogenetic mat urity of the soils or their agricultural transformation, which remain even after several millenniums.