Agronomy journal, Vol. 67 No. 5, 2005.
Original scientific paper
Graslands of the ass.Koelerio macranthae-Brachypodietum retusi trinajstić, ass.nov. in Croatian littoral
Ivo Trinajstić
Abstract
The vegetation of the Mediterranean-mountainouns vegetation belt is limited in the eastern Adriatic littoral to the higher parts of coastal slopes and to the peaks of the islands and of the Pelješac peninsula above 400 m in the north to about 600 m in the south. In places where the Quercus ilex or Pinus halepensis forests belong to the Mediterranean littoral belt, the Mediterranean- mountainouns belt grasslands, developed as the last degradation stage, are very rare. It is most likely due to the fact that the coastal slopes being relatively steep the Mediterranean climate influences decrease rapidly, and the central and south Dalmatian islands being relatively low, the Mediterranean- mountainouns grasslands can develop on them in limited areas only. In the floristic composition of these grasslands an important role is played by the grass Brachypodium retusum with many elements significant for the Dinaric region submediterranean grasslands, the central European mountainous grasslands and the Pannonian grasslands of the vegetation class Festuco-Brometea. For this reason, the said Mediterranean- mountainouns grasslands have been assigned to a separate association Koelerio macranthae-Brachypodietum retusi.
The floristic composition of the ass. Koelerio macranthae-Brachypodietum retusi is shown in Table 1, on the basis of 5 phytocoenological records. As characteristic species of the association are the grasses Koeleria macrantha and Brachypodium retusum. The characteristic species of the Mediterranean- mountainouns alliance Saturejon subspicatae are present with 9 species, among which are in the first place Hyacinthella dalmatica and Veronica orbiculata. The submediterranean order Scorzonero-Crysopogonetalia is present with 40 species, among which are several Illyrian-Adriatic endemic plants, such as Anthyllis rubicunda, Pyrethrum cinerariifolium, Genista dalmatica, Festuca illyrica, Edraianthus tenuifolius, Astragalus muelleri, Onosna javorkae and others. The characteristic species of the class Festuco-Brometea are relatively few, because they represent the elements of dry grasslands of the central and south-eastern European region.
According to the biological spectrum structure in the floristic composition of the ass. Koelerio macranthae-Brachypodietum retusi an important role is played by geophytes with 13 species or 14,6% of the total floristic composition. On the other hand, therophytes are represented relatively poorly with 14 species or 15.7%. All other species, 62 of them or 69.7%, belong to hemikryptophytes and chamaephytes, and therefore the ass. Koelerio macranthae-Brachypodietum retusi can be designated as the hemikryptohpytic-chamephytic grassland community.
Keywords
Koelerio macranthae-Brachypodietum retusi; syntaxonomic analysis; mediterranean- mountainouns graslands; vegetation of Croatia
Hrčak ID:
2254
URI
Publication date:
8.11.2005.
Visits: 2.849 *