Twenty-five years have passed since the first edition of Vegetation of Central Asia was published. During this period, research institutions and economic organizations accumulated an enormous body of data on the study and use of vegetation resources across this vast region, far exceeding all the material previously available to us. This achievement is due primarily to the work of local groups of botanists that were first established within the branches of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR and later within the Academies of Sciences of the Central Asian republics and Kazakhstan. Botanists of the republican academies carried out extensive research on the vegetation of their respective republics. They completely eliminated the “blank spots” on the phytogeographical map of Central Asia, compiled the first vegetation maps of the republics, and clarified many issues in the phytogeography of the region. The new facts and broad generalizations obtained during this period have made it necessary to reexamine critically the various views found in the literature from a unified scientific perspective. Among the general works that have made progress in this regard are The Geobotanical Map of the USSR (1957) together with its detailed explanatory text, the collective volume Central Asia (1958), and The Geobotanical Regionalization of the USSR (1947). These works expanded the scope of phytogeographical studies. These publications are of great importance for a proper understanding of many characteristics of Central Asian vegetation. Nevertheless, even after their appearance, a number of questions remained unresolved or controversial, particularly those concerning the flora and the history of vegetation formation and development. Issues of vegetation classification and dynamics require special attention, and further research on the geobotanical regionalization of Central Asia remains highly necessary. The new edition of Vegetation of Central Asia addresses three major topics, which constitute the three parts of the work. The first part examines the historical prerequisites of modern vegetation; the second provides an overview of the vegetation cover; and the third is devoted to the patterns of vegetation distribution and geobotanical regionalization. The general methodological section of the book, entitled Ecological Foundations in the first edition, has been omitted from this revised edition because it requires an independent treatment. The vegetation map has also been removed, since a map of this type at a scale of 1:1,000,000, compiled from materials provided by the Academies of Sciences of the Central Asian republics and Kazakhstan, was recently published (1958). The materials presently available in the republics are insufficient for more detailed cartographic work. The objectives for cultural and economic development set forth in the Seven-Year Plan are also reflected in botany, specifically in the problem of the rational utilization of natural vegetation resources. In addition to maintaining reserves of plant raw materials, this task of organized utilization includes enriching natural resources through the improvement and large-scale propagation of useful plants. 段落 7 The experience accumulated in this field will be briefly outlined in the overview of the vegetation cover presented in this book. For readers seeking a more detailed understanding of the practical results achieved in vegetation utilization, the relevant literature references are provided in the text. In revising this book, the author sought to incorporate as comprehensively as possible all known published materials. Unfortunately, these materials do not exhaust the wealth of information contained in the manuscripts of research and production institutions across the republics, materials that are more readily accessible to local specialists. The materials constituting this work are presented in two volumes. The first volume contains a brief overview of the history of vegetation development in Central Asia, together with several surveys devoted specifically to desert vegetation and its utilization. The second volume includes an overview of mountain vegetation, an extensive section dealing with the patterns of vegetation distribution within Central Asia, and issues of phytogeographical regionalization. The second volume also contains a description of oases. The author will be gratified if this book contributes to a clearer understanding of the vegetation of Central Asia and helps accelerate its development and utilization. Finally, the author wishes to express sincere gratitude to his wife, K. F. Korovina, for her constant assistance throughout the preparation of this book.