Volume 10 (2011): Issue 2 (January 2011)

The study presents phytosociological and ecological data from azonal black alder forest sites in the southern part of central Slovakia. A data set of 29 relevés was collected by authors in vegetation season 2010 following the standard Braun-Blanquet approach. Numerical classification was performed to delimit the main vegetation types, while statistical analyses were applied to explain the vegetation-environmental relationships. Three associations within two classes were distinguished using a TWINSPAN algorithm. Carici elongatae-Alnetum glutinosae Schwickerath 1933 is an alder carr forest occurring on waterlogged soils in spring fed areas and alluvial zones along rivers. Carici acutiformis-Alnetum glutinosae Scamoni 1933 represents an alder carr forest on habitats with stagnant or slowly flowing water along water courses and artificial water reservoirs. Mesic to humid stands along small brooks are typical for the riparian alder vegetation of Stellario-Alnetum glutinosae Lohmeyer 1957. A detailed description of the floristic and ecological features of these associations is presented. The major environmental gradients affecting variation in species composition of these communities were interpreted as a response of vegetation to soil moisture and nutrient availability regarding the Ellenberg indicator values (moisture and nutrients) and measured variables (total N and C).

Serpentine vegetation of Kosovo represents a diversity which has not been sufficiently explored, yet. Kosovo's serpentine is spread in different parts of Kosovo at the altitudes of 400-2100 m. Large complexes with serpentine are found in the north of Kosovo, but the southern part of Kosovo is also rich in serpentine rocks and in endemic species.

Using the principles and methods of the Zürich-Montpellier School we have explored the serpentine flora and vegetation of Gurana, an area in the south-east of Kosovo near the border with the Republic of Macedonia. This area has not been sufficiently researched because of the militarized border areas. During the research of these fields, we found species that were not present on the other serpentines of Kosovo.

The species Convolvulus compactus Boiss. (syn. Convolvulus cochlearis) and Stipa mayeri dominate this terrain and create stands that we have classified as the association Stipeto-Convolvuletum compacti ass. nova. This association was researched during 2007-2010. Based on the results obtained and comparing them with the results of other authors, we have arrived at the conclusion that we are dealing with a new association which we called Stipeto-Convolvuletum compacti ass. nova.

The core of the article lies in syntaxonomical evaluation of 25 phytocoenological relevés of the European hazel stands from the Veľká Fatra Mts (Central Slovakia, West Carpathians).

These relevés were classified by hierarchical clustering methods and compared with the original diagnoses of relevant associations. The authors suggest the new name for the invalidly described association Lonicero nigrae-Coryletum (Kulczyński 1928) Jurko 1964 (Prenantho purpurei-Coryletum) and set its nomenclatural type (neotype).

The historical and recent distribution, ecology and phytosociology of perennial grass Beckmannia eruciformis was studied in Slovakia between 2002 and 2010. Altogether 22 natural and two secondary sites with presence of the species were found from published sources, herbaria and field research. Localities of its native occurrence have been concentrated in Eastern Slovakia (Východoslovenská nížina Lowland from the settlement of Streda nad Bodrogom to the villages of Pribeník and Biel). Secondary sites were found in Western Slovakia (Podunajská nížina Lowland; the surroundings of Sládkovičovo town and Jaslovské Bohunice village). The relatively massive reduction of Beckmannia eruciformis localities was recorded in the seventies and eighties of the last century; it was related to massive land reclamation and alterations in the water regime of river alluvia. Recently only seven localities were found. Permanent occurrence was confirmed only in two localities (Malý Horeš, Strážne). In those cases Beckmannia eruciformis has created relatively large populations including some thousands of individuals. All other recent occurrences were temporary (Streda nad Bodrogom, Keresztúr farmstead, Horešské lúky Nature Reserve, Veľký Horeš, Pribeník). Moreover, they were relatively poor in the number in individuals and are acutely threatened by anthropogenic changes of environmental conditions. According to our results and by applying the IUCN criteria, we propose to modify the threat category of the species from critically endangered (CR) to endangered (EN) in Slovakia. Occurrence of the association Beckmannietum eruciformis and the alliance Beckmannion eruciformis, was also not confirmed for Slovakia during our research. We believe that the association was not present in the past either. Recently, Beckmannia eruciformis was found in the stands of Oenanthion aquaticae (Phragmito-Magnocaricetea) and Potentillion anserinae (Molinio-Arrhenatheretea) in two localities (Malý Horeš, Strážne) during our study. The species composition of the mentioned alliances is fundamentally influenced by the ecological conditions of sites, mainly by water regime during the vegetation period. According to our knowledge, the most favourable conditions for Beckmannia eruciformis are the following: short-term and low floods in the spring, decrease of the water table at the beginning of summer and relatively high level of groundwater during next part of vegetation period. On the contrary, the species may not appear on the site in case of unfavourable weather conditions (dry years).

A phytosociological study on the most extensive dry grassland communities of the coastal limestone massif of the Ausoni-Aurunci mountains (southern Latium, central Italy) is here presented. Violo pseudogracilis-Koelerietum splendentis ass. nova is restricted to the montane belt of the Aurunci mountains where it is dynamically related to the mesophilous Ostrya carpinifolia or Fagus sylvatica woodlands. Helichryso italici-Brometum erecti ass. nova is found within the upper hilly and submontane belt of both the Ausoni mountains (typical aspect) and the Aurunci mountains (subassociation saturejetosum montanae), where it is dynamically related with termophilous Ostrya carpinifolia woods and mesophilous Quercus ilex woods. Helichryso-Brometum is differentiated from Violo-Koelerietum in that it has a higher incidence of the steno-Mediterranean therophytic component. As far as the higher rank syntaxa are concerned, in this study the following changes were made in accordance with the rules of ICPN: the name Phleo ambigui-Bromion erecti Biondi et al. 1995 was considered invalid due to the invalidity of its nomenclatural type Asperulo purpureae-Brometum erecti. In contrast, the validity of the old name Cytiso spinescentis-Bromion erecti Bonin 1978 was demonstrated and its nomenclatural type, Lavandulo-Asphodelinetum luteae Bonin 1978, was lectotypified. Thus Cytiso spinescenti-Bromion erecti Bonin 1978 henceforth substitutes Phleo ambigui-Bromion erecti (nom. inval.) as the syntaxonomical reference for the endemic alliance of the hilly and montane limestone dry grasslands of the central and southern Apennines. Cytiso-Bromion is here divided into two suballiances: Sideritidenion italicae Biondi et al. 1995, Phleo ambigui-Bromenion erecti Biondi et al. ex Di Pietro suball. nov. Cytiso-Bromion belong to the new suborder Festuco circummediterraneae-Seslerienalia nitidae (Ubaldi 2003) stat. nov. and to the order Artemisio albae-Brometalia erecti Ubaldi ex Mucina & Dengler 2009. New and updated packages of characteristic and differential species for both Cytiso spinescenti-Bromion erecti and its related suballiances are proposed. Furthermore the validity of the name Astragaletum calabrici Giacomini & Gentile ex Bonin 1978, was proved and the association lectotypified. This association, which was previously included in Cytiso-Bromion erecti, is moved into Koelerio brutiae-Astragalion calabrici. Finally some interesting coenological and syndynamical similarities with Scorzonero-Chrysopogonetalia western Dalmatia submediterranean dry pastures are discussed.