XEROPHILOUS GRASSLAND COMMUNITIES ON ROCKY OUTCROPS ON THE GORJANCI MOUNTAIN RANGE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20903/masa/nmbsci.2023.44.44Abstract
Grasslands are important due to their high biodiversity endemism and because they provide important ecological services. This study focuses on grasslands on rocky outcrops above carbonate bedrock in the Gorjanci mountain range. The aims of the study were to record the vegetation and to clarify some nomenclatural issues. Two plant communities were identified: one dominated by Sesleria juncifolia subsp. kalnikensis and the other by Carex humilis, and they were assigned to Seslerietum kalnikensis Horvat 1974 mut. Čarni nom. mut. novum and Scabioso hladnikianae-Caricetum humilis (Horvat 1931) Tomažič 1941. Both are classified within the alliance Bromion (Mesobromion), order Brachypodietalia pinnati and class Festuco-Brometea. A review of the historical literature and nomenclature led to a proposed mutation of the association name Seslerietum juncifoliae Ht. et al. 1974 and to tracing the development of the concept proposed by Horvat as Xerobrometum erecti Ht. 1931. Today, the latter concept results in three associations: Scabioso hladnikianae-Caricetum humilis (Horvat 1931) Tomažič 1941, Bromo erecti-Plantaginetum mediae (Horvat 1931) Brzac 1960 and Bromo erecti-Danthonietum alpinae Petkovšek 1978 nom. corr. We proposed also alternative names for the last two syntaxa.
This study is dedicated to an appreciation of the contributions of Academician Vlado Matevski to the study of the flora and vegetation of the southern Balkans.
References
V. Matevski, A. Čarni R. Ćušterevska et al., Syntaxonomy and biogeography of dry grasslands on calcareous substrates in the central and southern Balkans, Appl. Veg. Sci., 21 (2018), pp. 488–513. https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12374
I. Biurrun, R. Pielech, I. Dembicz, et al., Benchmarking plant diversity of Palaearctic grasslands and other open habitats, J. Veg. Sci., 32 (2021), e13050. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.13050
I. García-Mijangos, A. Berastegi, I. Biurrun, et al., Grasslands of Navarre (Spain), focusing on the Festuco-Brometea: classification, hierarchical expert system and characterization, Veg. Classif. Surv., 2 (2021), pp. 195–231.
https://doi.org/10.3897/VCS/2021/69614
S. Škornik, N. Pipenbaher, A link between species abundance and plant strategies for semi-natural dry grasslands, Plants, 13 (2024), 2260.
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13162260
U. Šilc, A. Čarni, Conspectus of vegetation syntaxa in Slovenia, Hacquetia, 11 (2012), pp. 113–164. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10028 012 0006 1
L. Mucina, H. Bültmann, K. Dierssen et al., Vegetation of Europe: hierarchical floristic classification system of vascular plant, bryophyte, lichen, and algal communities, Appl. Veg. Sci., 19 (2016), pp. 3–264. https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12257
Ž. Škvorc, N. Jasprica, A. Alegro et al., Vegetation of Croatia: Phytosociological classification of the high-rank syntaxa, Acta Bot. Croat., 76 (2017), pp. 200–224.
https://doi.org/10.1515/botcro-2017-0014
M. Wraber, Pflanzengeographische Stellung und Gliederung Sloweniens, Vegetatio, 17 (1969), pp. 176–199.
Ž. Košir, Ekološke, fitocenološke in gozdnogospo¬darske lastnosti Gorjancev v Sloveniji, Zb. Gozdar. Lesar., 17 (1979), pp. 1–242.
D. Perko, M. Adamič Orožen, (Eds.), Slovenija: pokrajine in ljudje [Slovenia: landscape and inhabitants], Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana, 1998.
L. Marinček, A. Čarni, V. Babij, et al., Vegetation map of forest communities of Slovenia in scale 1:50.000 – section Novo mesto, Založba ZRC, Ljubljana, 2003.
J. Braun-Blanquet, Pflanzensoziologie, Grundzüge der Vegetationskunde, 3rd ed. Springer Verlag, Wien, 1964.
M. Kaligarič, Rastlinstvo Primorskega krasa in Slovenske Istre: travniki in pašniki, Zgodovinsko društvo za južno Primorsko: Znanstveno-raziskovalno središče Republike Slovenije, Koper, 1997.
W. Willner, A. Kuzemko, J. Dengler et al., A higher-level classification of the Pannonian and western Pontic steppe grasslands (Central and Eastern Europe), Appl. Veg. Sci., 20 (2017), pp. 143–158. https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12265
P. J. Theurillat, W. Willner, F. Fernández-González et al., International code of phytosociological nomenclature, 4th edition, Appl. Veg. Sci., 24 (2021), e12491.
https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12491
A. Martinčič, (Ed.) Mala flora Slovenije, 4. izdaja, Tehniška založba, Ljubljana, 2007.
R. Di Pietro, P. R. Wagensommer, A new Sesleria juncifolia association from south-eastern Italy and its position in the amphi-Adriatic biogeographical context, Acta Bot. Croat., 73 (2014), pp. 171–207.
T. Nikolić, Flora Croatica, Vaskularna flora Republike Hrvatske, Vol. 1-4. Alfa, Zagreb, 2020.
S. Pignatti, Flora d'Italia (2nd ed.), Vol. 1, Edagricole, Milano, 2017.
I. Hodálová, L. Mártonfiová, K. Skokanová et al., The utility of genome size in plant identification: a case study on Sesleria (Poaceae) from Croatia and Slovenia, Plant Syst. Evol., 306 (2020), 87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-020-01715-2
N. Jogan, (Ed.) Materials for the atlas of flora of Slovenia, Center za kartografijo favne in flore, Miklavž na Dravskem polju, 2001.
I. Dakskobler, J. Peljhan, Viola pyrenaica Ramond ex DC in the northern part of the Dinaric mountains (the plateaus of Trnovski gozd and Nanos, Slovenia), Hacquetia, 6 (2007), pp. 143–169. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10028-007-0009-5
M. Accetto, The new associations Seslerio kalnikensis-Jovibarbetum hirtae ass. nov. and Seslerio calcariae-Jovibarbetum hirtae ass. nov. in Slovenia, Zb. Gozar. Lesar, 69 (2003), pp. 61–89
I. Horvat, Biljni svijet Hrvatske, Zemljopis Hrvatske, Zagreb, 1942.
I. Horvat, Nauka o biljnim zajednicama, Nakladni zavod Hrvatske, Zagreb, 1949.
I. Horvat, Vegetacija planina zapadne Hrvatske, Acta Biol. 2, Prir. Istraž. Jugosl. Akad. 30, Zagreb, 1962.
I. Šugar, Biljni svijet Samoborskog gorja, Ph.D. Thesis, University in Zagreb, Zagreb, 1972.
M. Vrbek, Flora i nešumska vegetacija Žumberka, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, 2005.
I. Šugar, La végétation sur le traject Samobor – Hajdovščak – Palačnik – Gregurić Breg – Veliki Dol – Oštrc – Preseka – Prekrižje – Samobor dans la région de Samoborsko Gorje, Guide de l’excursion de 5 juillet 1994, Istočnoalpsko-dinarsko društvo za proučavanje vegetacije, Zagreb, 1994.
I. Horvat, V. Glavač, H. Ellenberg, Vegetation Südosteuropas, Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart, 1974.
N. Jogan, Nomenclatural notes to the 3ed edition of Mala flora Slovenije (1999), Hladnikia, 11 (2001), pp. 25–26.
B. Valdés, H. Scholz, Poaceae, Euro+Med Plantbase, https://www.emplantbase.org, accessed 10 October 2024.
I. Horvat, Die Berg-Wiesen und Heiden in Kroatien, Acta Bot. Croat., 6 (1931), pp. 76–90.
J. Braun-Blanquet, Eine pflanzengeographische Exkursion durchs Unterengadin und in den schweizerischen Nationalpark, Beitr. Geobot. Landesaufn. Schweiz, 4 (1918), pp. 1–80.
M. Terzi, R. Di Pietro, P-J. Theurillat, Nomenclature of the class Festuco-Brometea in Italy and remarks on the interpretation of articles 1 and 2b ICPN, Bot. Lett., 163 (2016), pp. 307–319. https://doi.org/10.1080/23818107.2016.1201692
G. Tomažič, Senožeti in pašniki na plitvih, pustih in suhih tleh Slovenije, Zb. Prirodoslov. Druš, 2 (1941), pp. 76–82.
S. Škornik, A contribution to the knowledge of dry grassland vegetation of the Brometalia erecti Koch 1926 order in Slovenia, Acta Biol. Slov., 44 (2001), pp. 29–43.
T. Brzac, Meadows on skeletal calcareous gravelly soils I. Association of Bromus erectus – Plantago media, Vet. Arh., 30 (1960), pp. 37–246.
N. Šegulja, Biljni pokrov Vukomeričkih gorica, Ph.D. Thesis, University in Zagreb, Zagreb, 1974.
S. Škornik, Suha in polsuha travišča reda Brometalia erecti Koch 1926 v Sloveniji, Ph.D. Thesis, Univerza v Ljubljani, Ljubljana, 2000.
V. Petkovšek, Die Wiesengesellschaft Bromo-Danthonietum calycinae Šugar 1972 und ihre Verbreitung in Slowenien, Mitt. Ostalp.-Dinar. Ges. Veg.-Kunde, 14 (1978), pp. 271–277.
I. Trinajstić, Z. Pavletić, I. Šugar, Contribution à la connaissance de la composition floristique et de la distribution de l’ass. Bromo-Danthonietum alpinae Šugar dans les régions montagneuses de Croatie, Acta Bot. Croat., 40 (1981), pp. 155–163
M. Kaligarič, S. Škornik, Variety of dry and semi-dry secondary grasslands (Festuco-Brometea) in Slovenia - contact area of different geoelements, Razpr. IV Raz. SAZU, 43 (2002), pp. 227–246.
J. Bavcon, K. Malovrh, M. Tomšič, B. Ravnjak, In situ conservation of dry meadows, Land (Basel), 13 (2024), 315.
https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030315
I. Trinajstić, Biljne zajednice Republike Hrvatske, Akademija šumarskih znanosti, Zagreb, 2008.
M. Janišová, N. Bauer, J. Csiky et al., Broad-scale plant diversity patterns of Central European Carex humilis steppes, Tuexenia, 40 (2020), pp. 499–526. https://doi.org/10.14471/2020.40.018
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Contributions, Section of Natural, Mathematical and Biotechnical Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
