Field geobotanical studies revealed that desert vegetation (Suaedeta) has the dominance of the genus Suaeda Forsk. ex Scop. Species, conducted in 2024–2025 in the winter pastures of the Shirvan Plain, Azerbaijan. The studies recorded formations where Suaeda species acted as edificators, specifically within the formations of Suaedeta-Halostachysetum, Suaedeta-Salsolosum, and Artemisieta-Suaedetum. The species composition, structure, productivity, forage quality, and grazing capacity received analysis and measurement for their efficient use. In desert vegetation, such geobotanical study was of greater relevance for sustainable use of summer and winter pastures and hayfields and combating desertification in Azerbaijan. These results will improve the understanding of desert vegetation dynamics in semi-arid regions. They will also provide data relevant to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), specifically SDG 2 through quantified grazing capacity and forage biomass and SDG 15 through the conservation of Red Book species and halophytic desert indicators. In previous studies on desert vegetation in Azerbaijan, specific data on phytocoenological structure, forage productivity, and grazing capacity of Suaeda-dominated communities was insufficient in the winter pastures of the Shirvan Plain. Therefore, this study will provide the first detailed phytosociological classification and quantitative assessment of specific formations’ biomass and grazing capacity, establishing a vital baseline for sustainable pasture management and desertification mitigation.

Keywords: Suaedeta desert vegetation, formations, species, pasture, hayfield, edificatory, SDG-2, SDG-13, SDG-15

Key findings: Suaedeta desert vegetation, comprising winter pastures in the Shirvan Plain, Azerbaijan, appeared to be compositionally rich in valuable forage species, primarily cereal grasses, and especially legumes and forbs.