Landscape Zones

Skeletal Mountains

The skeletal mountains are an extrazonal habitat widely distributed throughout Armenia. They mainly consist of sedimentaries (limestone, marly limestone, sandstone, conglomerates), and occasionally igneous rock. Strong daily temperature fluctuations, low humidity and intensive insolation contribute to strong erosion of rocks resulting in a dramatic relief configuration. Precipitations here are meagre, and many brooks and rivulets run only during the rains. The relief of skeletal mountains is characterized by exceptional dynamism, which is reflected in high mobility and inconsistency of plant associations. Of decisive importance for the change of plant associations is a decrease of base levels. At that, strong partition of relief takes place, accelerating wash-out of soil constitutions and outcropping.

Most clearly defined skeletal mountains are in southern Armenia - on massifs of Urts, Vaik, Zangezur and Meghri Ranges. Their isolated parts are found in almost every landscape zone of the country.

The vegetation of skeletal mountains, mountain xerophytes, develops on slopes of variable steepness and mainly southern facing. Mountain xerophyte extrazonal vegetation of Armenia in general is defined with xerophilous forms, with background species represented by small-leaved shrubs, wild Amigdalus and cushion-type Astragalus species, growing in various rocky places. Of the noteworthy associations are shibliak and garrigue. Shibliaks are Paliurus bush formations with mixture of Rosa, Spiraea, Crataegus and other shrubs. Garrigue constitute wild Pyrus, Rhamnus, wild pistachio, Crataegus, Spiraea, jasmine and wild Amigdalus.

Abundance of various outcrops in skeletal mountains explains the presence here of faunal associations peculiar to crags and screes. Alternation of various types of habitats and relatively short historical antiquity of faunistic and floristic associations of skeletal mountains contribute to diversity of the associations of this extrazonal habitat, which is apparently still in stage of development.

Birds of open areas of skeletal mountains represent a mixed complex of forms peculiar mainly to semideserts and mountain steppes. Scrub here is commonly inhabited by forest species. Areas of skeletal mountains that are wedged into mountain meadows with crags and screes are inhabited by birds of these habitats. Nevertheless, some components are typical only of this habitat, and these prevail in southern, lower parts of skeletal mountains and absent at high altitudes above c. 2000 m a.s.l.