Continental, temperate very dry zonal steppe, occurring in a transition belt between the true steppe region and the semi-desert region of southern Ukraine, the south-east of European Russia and ranging further into Kazakhstan. Dry steppe is dominated by a combination of xerophytic tall and low grasses, e.g. Agropyron and Stipa, and xerophytic semi-shrubs, e.g. Artemisia and Tanacetum. Vegetation cover is relatively low, with most biomass belowground. Typically found on southern black soil (chernozems) and light chestnut soils (kastanozems).