During the reconstruction of vegetation within the archaeological work made by phytolith analysis method certain ratio of the phytolith morphotypes characterizes different plant communities. Short trapezoidal particles are one of the indicators of steppe communities and are specific mostly for the xerophyte graminoids. But these forms are also found in mesophyte grasses. That’s why additional diagnostic information about the role of these particles is needed. Morphometric measurements (length, height, and their ratio) of short trapezoidal morphotypes phytoliths were investigated based on the soil samples taken from the site of real wormwood-fescue strongly degraded steppe, located near the village Poluyamki Mikhailovsky district. The statistical analysis of the data has been carried out. Resizing phytoliths were compared with the data on the occurrence of morphotypes in phytoliths spectra of soil profiles on the investigated area. The study revealed diagnostic (morpho-metric) features that characterize different degrees of the phytocenoses mesophily. The highest diagnostic value in short trapezoidal graminoid particles are correlation between length and width.

The phytolith morphotypes of six species genus Stipa growing in the south of Western Siberia: S. sapillata, S. korshinski, S. pennata, S. dasyphylla, S. lessingiana, S. zalesskii are presented in the article after the microscopic examination of the digested herbarium material. The investigated shapes of phytoliths were divided by frequency of occurrence in different species of the genus into three groups. The morphotypes of phytoliths, which are similar in all studied species, have been identified (truncated conical and rounded particles, trapezoidal short particles, special forms of trichomes). They can serve as the diagnostic forms for different arid grassland ecosystems. The differences in feather-grass trichomes from the similar shapes of mesophilic gramineous plants and their frequency of occurrence in some species genus Stipa have been revealed during the investigation. Shapes that characterize a group of cirrus feather-grass have been identified. Previously not studied morphotype trapezoidal papillary particles has been detected in Stipa capillata. The assignment of trapezoidal corrugated and elongated particles to one morphotype have been proved.

The settlement Novoilinka-3 is situated in the Habarsk region of Altai Krai, 8 km to the west from the village Novoilinka in the southern part of a small hill, formed by the oxbow lake of the river Burla. The territory of archaeological works belongs to the province of the steppes of the West Siberian Plain, subprovinces of the Kulunda steppe. The bones of animals from the settlement Novoilinka-III provided a series of radiocarbon dates that allows the materials to be dated to the middle the 2nd half of the third millennium BC. Calibration of these dates by nearly a thousand years increases the ancientness of the formation of the cultural layer of the significant site. In 2011 soil samples were selected for biomorphic analysis. According to the phytolith analysis, it can be assumed that the settlement during its existence was situated on the edge of a pine forest. In all samples the coals of woody plants can be met, that indicates the anthropogenic character of the fires in the area. In most samples occur sponge spicules and rare diatoms. These are the indicators of the short time flooding in the settlement near the oxbow lake of the river Burla during the spring. The analysis of the distribution of phytoliths allows to reconstruct the landscape that was different from the modern one pine or birch-pine forest. Such settlements were characteristic for the Eneolithic cultures of the Ural-Irtysh interfluve. The materials from the settlement Novoilinka-3 have much in common with the collections of the «kiprin type» from the territory of the Upper-Ob region. The analogies to the ceramic complex settlement Novoilinka-3 can be traced in the materials of the Neolithic-Eneolithic settlements of the southwestern Altai, Baraba and the southern taiga area of Western Siberia. Very close parallels can be found in the eneo-lithic materials of the Ural-Irtysh interfluve. The highest similarity is observed in the materials of Botaya. The significant sites of Novoil-inka-3 and Botaya are synchronous and very close in time and both refer to the same epoch the Eneolithic Age. Most likely the people, who left these monuments, belong to different archaeological cultures, but to the one cultural-historical community of a higher order. V.F. Seibert noted that in the postbotaya time the economis crisis had beginned, and as a result the botaya population migrated to the similar ecological areas in the Urals, near the river Irtysh and Altai keeping the traditional way of living. The disposable materials are not simply a consequence of the relocation of the botaya population on the territory of Altai, but the result of a complex processes, which involved the botaya-tersek population and the Neolithic population of the South of Western Siberia (the keepers of comb-patching ornamental tradition).

The bones of animals from the settlement NovoilinkaIII provided a series of radiocarbon dates that allows the materials to be dated to the middle – the 2nd half of the third millennium BC. Calibration of these dates by nearly a thousand years increases the ancientness of the monument’s cultural layer.According to the phytolith analysis, it can be assumed that the settlement during its existence was situated on the edge of a pine forest. The analysis of the distribution of phytoliths allows to reconstruct the landscape that was differed from the modern one – pine or birch-pine forest. Such settlements were characteristic of the Eneolithic cultures of the Ural-Irtysh interfluve.

The article contains the results of the analysis of phytoliths of wild and cultivated species of the genus Setaria in the south of Western Siberia. The identified diagnostic features allow us to distinguish phytoliths of wild and cultivated species within the same genus. S. glauca and S. italica were the closest in phytoliths composition. It is revealed that in general the larger phytoliths are peculiar to wild-species of S. glauca. The information can be used in the reconstruction of the natural and cultural vegetation.

The inventory and estimation of a vital condition of eight kinds of coniferous plants of city, growing in territory, is made. The kinds steady in urban conditions are revealed. The recommendations for use of coniferous plants in gardening city of Barnaul are offered.