Database Report

Eastern Pamirs

Kim André Vanselow

GIVD Database ID: AS-TJ-001	Last update: 2016-03-23
Eastern Pamirs	Web address:
Database manager(s): Kim André Vanselow (kim.vanselow@fau.de)
Owner: Dr. Kim André Vanselow; Institute of Geography; University of Erlangen-Nuremberg; Wetterkreuz 15, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
Scope: 282 plots with phyto-sociological data (including topographical variables and 181 analyses soil samples) on high mountain vegetation (mostly dwarf shrub steppes and deserts; floodplain meadows) in a grazed rangeland (Eastern Pamirs of Tajikistan).
Abstract: The Eastern Pamirs of Tajikistan are an arid high mountain plateau with wide valleys around 4000 m.a.s.l. separated by ranges with peaks around 5000 m.a.s.l. The breakup of the Soviet Union and the associated independence of Tajikistan in 1991 resulted in significant political and socio-economic changes in this area, also with impacts on the vegetation. Shortages of financial resources led to a reduced pasture rotation causing overgrazing in some areas. The lack of energy supply led to an increased extraction of dwarf shrubs for fuel wood. Here, a vegetation-plot database for the high mountain pasture of the Pamir Plateau is presented (GIVD ID: SA-00-002, http://www.givd.info/ID/SA-00-002) that may serve as a basis for studies on alpine vegetation ecology, pasture ecology, livestock grazing impact, environmental change, and pasture management. It consists of 282 georeferenced vegetation plots including dwarf shrub steppes and deserts, floodplain meadows, alpine herb-grass mats, and scree vegetation.
Availability: free upon request	Online upload: yes	Online search: yes
Database format(s): Excel	Export format(s): Excel, CSV file, plain text file
Plot type(s): normal plots	Plot-size range (m²): 3600 to 3600
Non-overlapping plots: 282	Estimate of existing plots: 0	Completeness: [NA]	Status: finished
Total no. of plot observations: 282	Number of sources (biblioreferences, data collectors): 1	Valid taxa: 118
Countries (%): TJ: 100
Formations: Non Forest: 100% = Terrestrial: 100% (Arctic-alpin: 100%)
Guilds: all vascular plants: 100%
Plot size categories (%): 1000-10000 m2: 100%;
Environmental data (%): altitude: 100; slope aspect: 100; slope inclination: 100; other soil attributes: 64; soil pH: 64
Performance measure(s): cover: 100%
Geographic localisation: GPS coordinates (precision 25 m or less): 100%
Sampling periods: 2000-2009: 75%; 2010-2019: 25%
Information as of 2026-04-30; further details and future updates available from http://www.givd.info/ID/AS-TJ-001

Kim André Vanselow* (kim.vanselow@fau.de)
Geography, University of Erlangen, Wetterkreuz 15, 91058 Erlangen, GERMANY
* corresponding author