In this article, we investigate the potential for detection and characterization of sinkholes under dense forest cover by using airborne laser scanning data. Laser pulse returns from the ground ...provide important data for the estimation of digital elevation model (DEM), which can be used for further processing. The main objectives of this study were to map and determine the geomorphometric characteristics of a large number of sinkholes and to investigate the correlations between geomorphology and vegetation in areas with such characteristics. The selected study area has very low anthropogenic influences and is particularly suitable for studying undisturbed karst sinkholes. The information extracted from this study regarding the shapes and depths of sinkholes show significant directionality for both orientation of sinkholes and their distribution over the area. Furthermore, significant differences in vegetation diversity and composition occur inside and outside the sinkholes, which indicates their presence has important ecological impacts.
We have expanded our knowledge of the localities, sites and distribution of the Amelanchiero ovalis-Pinetum mugo association in the Slovenian Alps. Based on phytocenological analyses, the shrub ...association belonging to the forest vegetation type Alpine mountain pine scrub was divided into two subassociations: peucedanetosum oreoselini and hylocomiadelphetosum triquetri. We also described four variants within the latter association.
We conducted a phytosociological survey of pioneer shrub and shrub-wood (brushwood) communities on river banks at the contact of gravel bars and rockfall, slope debris or colluvium in the spring area ...of the Nadiža River, in the gorge of the Soča River between Srpenica and Kobarid (Log Čezsoški and Magozd), in the Tolminka valley, and in certain other locations in the hills of western Slovenia. We identified a successional sequence of two grey willow and hop hornbeam communities, which we classify into the associations
(
) and
(
). Both are indicators of natural river banks that have not been artificially stabilized. We expanded the knowledge of hop hornbeam communities in the pre-Alpine–northern-Dinaric part of Slovenia with a description of a new association
. Its sites are characterised by slightly moist soil, and its stands by a higher proportion of species of the alliance
We conducted a phytosociological analysis of submontane beech forests on carbonate-silicate bedrock in the Trebuša Valley and in part also along the middle and lower course of the Idrijca and its ...right tributaries. Based on the analysis of diagnostic species and comparison with similar beech communities on mixed geological bedrock in the Upper and Central Soča Valley they are classified into the association Hacquetio-Fagetum sylvaticae and two new subassociations, blechnetosum spicant and seslerietosum autumnalis. In terms of phytogeography they are treated as a new geographical subvariant Hacquetio-Fagetum var. geogr. Anenone trifolia subvar. geogr. Daphne laureola. Izvleček Fitocenološko smo raziskali submontanske bukove gozdove na karbonatno-silikatni geološki podlagi v dolini Trebuše in deloma tudi ob srednjem in spodnjem teku Idrijce in njenih desnih pritokih. Na podlagi analize diagnostičnih vrst in primerjave s podobnimi bukovimi združbami na mešani geološki podlagi v Zgornjem in Srednjem Posočju jih uvrščamo v asociacijo Hacquetio-Fagetum sylvaticae in v dve novi subasociaciji, blechnetosum spicant in seslerietosum autumnalis. V fitogeograsfkem smislu jih vrednotimo kot novo geografsko subvarianto Hacquetio-Fagetum var. geogr. Anenone trifolia subvar. geogr. Daphne laureola. Ključne besede: gozdna vegetacija, sinsistematika, Aremonio-Fagion, dolina Idrijce, Slovenija.
We conducted a phytosociological study of dwarf pine stands on torrential fans and glacial material (moraine, till) in cirques of several Alpine valleys (Tolminka, Možnica) and on steep, shady ...erosion slopes (Struje above the Zadlaščica valley) in the belt of montane beech forests in the Julian Alps. Based on comparisons with similar communities in northern Italy we classified these stands into the association Amelanchiero-Pinetum mugo and into the new geographical variant with Rhamnus fallax. Floristically slightly similar dwarf pine stands in the altimontane and subalpine belts on sunny slopes of the Tolmin-Bohinj Mts. are classified into the new variant Rhodothamno-Pinetum mugo typicum var. Genista radiata.
In Govci under Mt. Poldanovec above the Trebuša Valley we found a new locality of southeastern-Alpine (Alpic) endemic
subsp.
, which is new to the flora of Slovenia and the Dinaric Alps. Its closest ...known localities are in the western Julian Prealps in Northeastern Italy. A small population of several ten shrublets occurs at elevations of about 570 m in shady, almost vertical dolomite rocks, in a stand of the endemic association
Despite a very small population we assume there are other localities in this area, where numerous gorges are very difficult to acces and have therefore not yet been sufficiently studied.
We conducted a phytosociological study of Quercus petraea stands, whose herb layer is dominated by Erica carnea in the flysch hills of Vipavska brda and on the margins of the Vrhe plateau ...(southwestern Slovenia). We have determined that they are a long-term degradation stage on beech forest sites from the association Seslerio autumnalis-Fagetum. Based on comparisons with similar sessile oak stands from associations Melampyro vulgati-Quercetum petraeae, Seslerio autumnalis-Quercetum petraeae and Erico carneae-Quercetum petraeae, the studied stands are classified into the new association Chamaecytiso hirsuti-Quercetum petraeae. They are best differentiated from the stands of compared communities by the species Erica carnea, Sorbus aria, Lathyrus linifolius, Loranthus europaeus and Erythronium dens-canis. The new association is classified into the alliance Carpinion orientalis and order Quercetalia pubescenti-petraeae.
Based on our research of forest vegetation in the Reka River gorge between the villages of Škoflje and Škocjan in the Škocjan Caves Regional Park we made phytosociological tables to describe the ...stands of the following forest and shrub communities: Seslerio autumnalis-Quercetum cerridis, Corydalido ochroleucae-Ostryetum carpinifoliae (a valid description of the previously only provisionally described association), Ornithogalo pyrenaici-Carpinetum betuli, Galantho nivalis-Coryletum avellanae, Salicetum eleagno-purpureae and Lamio orvalae-Alnetum glutinosae. We described marginal sites of the latter association at the contact with other forest communities as three new subassociations: scirpetosum sylvaticae (Brkini, Mlake near Hrušica and the spring area of the Klivnik at Podgrad), fraxinetosum orni (by the creek of Bela between Sanabor and Vrhpolje in the Vipava Valley) and fagetosum sylvaticae (Kazarska Grapa gorge below Bukovo in the Cerkno Hills).
Key words: vegetation, syntaxonomy, riverine forest, southwestern Slovenija, Natura 2000
Izvleček
Na podlagi raziskav gozdne vegetacije v soteske reke Reke med Škofljami in Škocjanom v Regijskem parku Škocjanske jame smo s fitocenološkimi tabelami opisali sestoje naslednjih gozdnih in grmiščnih združb: Seslerio autumnalis-Quercetum cerridis, Corydalido ochroleucae-Ostryetum carpinifoliae (veljaven opis do zdaj le provizorno opisane asociacije), Ornithogalo pyrenaici-Carpinetum betuli, Galantho nivalis-Coryletum avellanae, Salicetum eleagno-purpureae in Lamio orvalae-Alnetum glutinosae. Robna rastišča slednje asociacije na stiku z drugimi gozdnimi združbami smo opisali kot tri nove subasociacije: scirpetosum sylvaticae (Brkini, Mlake pri Hrušici in povirje Klivnika pri Podgradu), fraxinetosum orni (ob potoku Bela med Sanaborom in Vrhpoljem v Vipavski dolini) in fagetosum sylvaticae (Kazarska grapa pod Bukovim v Cerkljanskem hribovju).
Ključne besede: vegetacija, sintaksonomija, obrečni gozd, jugozahodna Slovenija, Natura 2000
We surveyed shrub communities with dominant Rhododendron hirsutum and Juniperus alpina in the subalpine and lower alpine belt of the Julian Alps. Based on comparison with similar communities in the ...Southeastern Alps and northwestern Dinaric Alps we classified them into the association Rhodothamno chamaecisti-Juniperetum alpinae and a new subassociation laserpitietosum peucedanoidis. Similar stands in the altimontane-subalpine belt of the Trnovski Gozd Plateau (Kozja Stena under Mt. Javorški Vrh) and the Snežnik Mountains (Ždroclje) are classified into the association Rhododendro hirsuti-Juniperetum alpinae. On some sites, stands of the association Rhodothamno chamaecisti-Juniperetum alpinae are a successional stage on former or still active alpine pastures, but they also have a strong protective function and play an important role as biotopes.
IZVLEČEK
V podvisokogorskem in spodnjem visokogorskem pasu Julijskih Alp smo popisali grmišča s prevladujočima vrstama Rhododendron hirsutum in Juniperus alpina in jih na podlagi primerjave s podobnimi združbami v Jugovzhodnih Alpah in v severozahodnem delu Dinarskega gorstva uvrstili v asociacijo Rhodothamno chamaecisti-Juniperetum alpinae in v novo subasociacijo laserpitietosum peucedanoidis. Podobne sestoje v zgornjegorsko-podvisokogorskem pasu Trnovskega gozda (Kozja stena južno pod Javorškim vrhom) in Snežniškega pogorja (Ždroclje) uvrščamo v asociacijo Rhododendro hirsuti-Juniperetum alpinae. Sestoji asociacije Rhodothamno chamaecisti-Juniperetum alpinae so ponekod sukcesijski stadij na nekdanjih ali še dejavnih podvisokogorskih pašnikih, a imajo tudi pomembno varovalno in biotopsko vlogo.
A phytosociological analysis of 46 relevés of mesophilous colline and submontane Fagus sylvatica as well as (or) Carpinus betulus forests was conducted in Slovenian Istria. It was established that ...they are frequently syndynamically interrelated: in places, common hornbeam stands are merely a degradation stage on beech sites, and can be classified into the subassociation Ornithogalo pyrenaici-Fagetum fraxinetosum orni (its locus classicus is in the Goriška Brda Hills) and into the new subassociation Ornithogalo pyrenaici-Carpinetum betuli seslerietosum autumnalis. Compared with similar submontane stands from other parts of the western and southwestern Slovenia they are slightly poorer in species, with fewer diagnostic species of alliances Erythronio-Carpinion, Aremonio-Fagion and Tilio-Acerion, order Fagetalia sylvaticae and class Vaccinio-Piceetea, and with more diagnostic species of the order Quercetalia pubescenti-petraeae. Geographically, they are characterised by the taxon Helleborus odorus subsp. istriacus. Although they cover small areas these forests generate high yields and are therefore important both economically and as biotopes of protected species.