The Caspian region is an endless expanse of sandy areas, saline to varying degrees, the eolian (“Eol” from ancient Greek is the god of sands) material of which was brought by the wind from the side of the Chilmammetkum sands, plateaus, or kyrs with gypsum outcrops, table-like uplands, depressions with saline lands and rocky geological formations. On top of the continental strata, there is a layer of soil of various thickness, the mechanical structure of which determines the composition and condition of the vegetation. The territories directly adjacent to the Caspian Sea and the Garabogazgol Bay differ in their original, unique landscapes. Their look cannot be confused with other parts of the Karakum Desert – the endlessly stretching plains are unique and unusual for the eye, it is difficult to capture so much space and the high sky! When you visit those places with scientific assignments, doing your usual geobotanical work, you never get tired of admiring the landscapes, in which you can always find something new for yourself, some key element of the area. This little-explored region can be attractive to the tourism sector, its harsh beauty will be appreciated by those who are not afraid to get away from the noise of paved roads. And although there are not so many historical sites, there are plenty of monuments that nature has created, the incredible beauty of which is breath-taking.
The vegetation cover is formed in the same way with the admixture of various plant species. When characterising the area, the dominant species is indicated in the name – wormwood, Salsola gemmascens, or black saxaul thickets. For example, Salsolas such as Xylosalsola, Salsola orientalis, S. Richteri (cherkez), Reaumuria and Haloxylon ammodendron can be found in wormwood thickets. This is gypsophilic vegetation. Sand-loving psammophytes, Artemisia santonica (bozagan), Stipagrostis plumosa, Argusia, Heliotropium, Calligonum and bindweeds such as Convolvulus korolkowii and С. erinaceus grow on sandy massifs respectively. Vast uninhabited expanses stretched from the north-western village of Tuver to the southwest through the mountains of Ersary-Baba towards the Krasnovodsk plateau. This is clear from the overgrowth of the local soil with desert moss, Tortula desertorum, which settles where cattle do not graze for a long time. It absorbs rainfall, which rarely falls there anyway, and this causes the shrubs to dry out, their blackened frames can be seen here and there. To the south, there are territories occupied by Salsola gemmascens and wormwood.
