Questions: Which major syntaxa of dry grasslands supported by carbonate bedrock occur in the central and southern Balkans? What is their position along major ecological gradients and in the context ...of phytogeographic patterns of the region? Location: Central and southern Balkans, including western Bulgaria, northern Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia (FYROM) and Serbia. Methods: We compiled a matrix of 660 relevés of dry grasslands over lime-rich bedrock, previously classified in the Festuco-Brometea. We applied clustering techniques to classify separately synoptic and relevé data, and applied NMDS with passive projection of indicator values, climatic data and biogeographic geo-elements onto ordination diagrams to assist interpretation of the syntaxonomic patterns. We constructed elevation distribution profiles for alliances and classes of grasslands of several grassland classes from a broader study area to elucidate the relationship of the elevational sorting of the syntaxa in relation to latitude. Results: The analysis revealed six major vegetation types, classified into four orders: (1) Stipo pulcherrimae-Festucetalia pallentis, incl. (sub)montane rocky steppic grasslands of the Saturejion montanae of central Balkans, and the Koelerio-Festucion dalmaticae – submontane rocky grasslands of southern Serbia and Kosovo; (2) Astragalo onobrychidis-Potentilletalia represented by the Saturejo-Thymion (low-elevation steppic grasslands of southern Balkans); (3) Festucetalia valesiacae represented by grasslands on deep soil and low elevation of northern Greece, and finally (4) high-elevation rocky grasslands of southern Balkans, classified as a new alliance – Diantho haematocalycis-Festucion hirtovaginatae, that might belong to a new, yet undescribed, syntaxonomic order. Ordination suggests that the major differentiation of the high-rank syntaxa follows north–south geographic and low-high elevation gradients. Conclusions: Because of the transitional biogeographic position of the studied region, as well as considerable large elevation span across latitudes, the diversity of vegetation types is high. The indication a putative new dry grassland order, the mid-high altitudes of the southern Balkans points to a need to re-assess the Balkan vegetation occupying the community niche between the low-elevation dry grasslands (Festuco-Brometea) and those typical of high elevations (Elyno-Seslerietea and Daphno-Festucetea), seeking parallels to patterns described from the western Alps, Pyrenees, and Apennines. This syntaxonomic unit is poised to expand the concept of the Festuco hystricis-Ononidetea striatae to the Balkans.
With the aim of improving the floristic knowledge of Kosovo, here we present an inventory of the plant taxa recorded and collected between the March 2015 and September 2019, in the mountain massif of ...Luboten, Sharri Mts., SE Kosovo. Field surveys were conducted repeatedly for four years, on each vegetation season. With this work we aimed to provide detailed data concerning the vascular flora richness and distributional patterns. Floristic samples were studied in all representative habitats and sites, concerning climate, exposition, altitude and bedrock composition. This research led to the identification of a total 853 plant taxa of vascular plants, belonging to 354 genera and 93 families. Among these taxa, 82 are Balkan endemics and 53 are included into the Red Book of Vascular Flora of Kosovo. Out of them, 4 are critically endangered, 16 endangered, 3 vulnerable, 8 near threatened and 22 least concern. On the basis of the available floristic literature, 2 plant taxa are found to be new for Kosovo: Bromopsis cappadocica subsp. cappadocica and Pilosella macrotricha. At a national scale, we have found new distribution records for 17 taxa and additionally for 2 plant taxa: Ranunculus fontanus and Sesleria wettsteinii, conservation suggestions are provided. All natural habitats were classified according to EUNIS and their floristic richness is herein provided. Furthermore, the corresponding EUNIS habitat(s) for each taxon of where it was recorded to be growing are also indicated.
The study deals with the distribution and classification of the association Erysimo-Trifolietum Micevski 1977 (alliance Trifolion cherleri Micevski 1971, order Astragalo-Potentilletalia Micevski ...1971, class Festuco-Brometea Br. Bl. et Tx. 1943). The association develops on siliceous bedrock of the northern and northeastern parts of the Republic of Macedonia. After the research of dry grasslands in the region of Kratovo, enough information was available to prepare a synthetic overview of the association Erysimo-Trifolietum. Within the frame of this association, two new subassoaciations are described - subass. scleranthetosum subass. nova and subass. brachypodietosum subass. nova. Analysis of geoelements showed that sub-Mediterranean species are the most numerous and analysis of life forms provided evidence of their therophyto-hemicryptophytic physiognomy. The paper also presents the localities of occurrence, their floristic composition, synecological characteristics, life forms incidence and areal types.
Raziskava se ukvarja z razširjenostjo in klasifikacijo asociacije Erysimo-Trifolietum Micevski 1977 (zveza Trifolion cherleri Micevski 1971, red Astragalo-Potentilletalia Micevski 1971, razred Festuco-Brometea Br. Bl. et Tx. 1943). Asociacija se pojavlja na silikatni podlagi v severnem in severovzhodnem delu Republike Makedonije. Po zaključenih raziskavah v okolici Kratova, smo razpolagali z zadostno količino podatkov, da smo lahko pripravili sintetični pregled asociacije Erysimo-Trifolietum. V okviru asociacije smo opisali dve novi subasociaciji - subasociacijo sclerathetosum subass. nova in brachypodietosum subass. nova. Analiza horološkega spektra je pokazala, da so v združbah najbolj pogoste submediteranske vrste, analiza življenjskih oblik pa kaže na terofitsko-hemikriptofitski značaj te asociacije. Delo prikazuje lokalitete, kjer se združbe pojavljajo, floristično zgradbo, sinekološke značilnosti, spekter življenjskih oblik in horološki spekter.
In the central part of Macedonia, in the triangle between Veles, Štip and Negotino, there is a vast area that is different from the rest of the country. The entire area slightly resembles an ...undulating sea, as its surface is interrupted by numerous ditches, which makes the region almost impassable.
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