Introduction to Studies on the Vegetation of Mongolia

Mongolia is at the center of the Asian continent and for a long time it has attracted attention from European scientists. Russian scientists and explorers also were keenly interested in this part of Central Asia. Their investigations were both pragmatic and scientific in character and were aimed at understanding this country which occupied the «crown» of Asia. Studies on the vegetation cover of Mongolia carried out by Russian scientists and explorers can be roughly subdivided into three periods: Brief route observations done alongside the main tasks of an expedition; Mainly floristic investigations aimed at collecting a comprehensive inventory of the region’s flora; Geobotanical investigations accompanied by studies on the distribution of plant communities and their mapping, as well as by studies on the physiological features of plants and their ecology.