Dry grassland vegetation in the transition zone between two biogeographic regions
Keywords:
Bulgaria, Festuco-Brometea, Helianthemetea guttati, Koelerio-CorynephoreteaAbstract
The geographic position of Bulgaria results in a variety of climatic and biogeographic influences on the country’s vegetation. We aim to describe the plant diversity of dry grasslands distributed in the transitional belt between the south-eastern European and Mediterranean biogeographic regions in SE Bulgaria, and to reveal if there are any obvious differences in soil properties, presence of life forms and chorotypes between syntaxa. The data set consists of 349 relevés of vascular plants and bryophytes sampled in different semi-natural herbaceous vegetation types. By applying TWINSPAN, we classified 176 relevés of dry grasslands to eight associations and one unranked community. One association and two subassociations are described here for the first time. Data on soil depth, soil moisture, soil pH, humus and total N content, numbers of different life forms and chorotypes were analysed statistically. The dry grasslands in SE Bulgaria were classified into different vegetation classes sharing the same territory: their communities present similarities in species composition and they have similar ratios of hemicryptophytes/therophytes and Eurosiatic/Mediterranean species. Dry grassland vegetation occupies mostly shallow and dry soils that vary slightly in pH, humus content and soil moisture between associations.Downloads
References
Apostolova, I. & Meshinev, T. 2006: Classification of semi-natural grassland in North-Eastern Bulgaria. Annali di Botanica, Nuova Serie 6: 29–52.
Apostolova, I., Sopotlieva, D., Pedashenko, H., Velev, N. & Vasilev, K. 2012: Bulgarian vegetation database: historic background, current status and future prospects. Biodiversity & Ecology 4: 141–148.
Asenov, A. 2006: Biogeografia na Balgaria [Biogeography of Bulgaria]. An-Di Publishing, Sofia, 543 pp.
Assyov, B., Dimitrov, D., Vassilev, R. & Petrova, A. 2002: Konspekt na visshata flora na Balgaria. Horologia i florni elementi [Conspectus of the Bulgarian vascular flora. Distribution maps and floristic elements]. BSBCP, Sofia, 424 pp.
Bondev, I. 2002: Geobotanichesko rajonirane [Geobotanic regioning]. In: Kopralev, I. (ed.): Geografia na Balgaria. Fizicheska i socialnoikonomicheska geografia [Geography of Bulgaria. Physical and socio-economic geography]. Publ. House ForCom, Sofia, pp. 336–352. [in Bulgarian].
Borisavljević, L., Jovanović-Dunjić, R. & Mišić, V. 1955: Vegetacija Avale [Vegetation auf der Avala]. Académie Serbe des Sciences, Institut d’écologie et de biogeography, Recueil des Travaux, 6(3): 3–43. [in Serbian, with German summary].
Braun-Blanquet, J. 1965: Plant sociology. The study of plant communities. Hafner Publishing Company, New York, 439 pp.
Bruelheide, H. 1995: Die Grünlandgesellschaften des Harzes und Standortsbedingungen mit einem Beitrag zum Gliederungsprinzip auf der Basis von statistisch ermittelten Artengruppen. Dissertationes Botanicae 244: 1–338.
Chytrý, M. (ed.) 2007: Vegetace České republiky1. Travinná a keříčková vegetace [Vegetation of the Czech Republik 1. Grassland and heathland vegetation.], Academia, Praha, 526 pp. [in Czech, with English summary].
Chytrý, M. & Otýpková, Z. 2003: Plot sizes used for phytosociological sampling of European vegetation. Journal of Vegetation Science 14: 563–570.
Chytrý, M. & Tichý, L. 2003: Diagnostic, constant and dominant species of vegetation classes and alliances of the Czech Republic: a statistical revision. Folia Facultatis Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Masarykianae Brunensis, Biologia, 108: 1–231.
Chytrý, M., Tichý, L., Holt, J. & Botta-Dukát, Z. 2002: Determination of diagnostic species with statistical fidelity measures. Journal of Vegetation Science 13: 79–90.
Chytrý, M., Hoffmann, A. & Novák, J. 2007: Suché trávniky [Dry grasslands]. In: Chytrý, M. (ed.): Vegetace České republiky1. Travinná a keříčková vegetace [Vegetation of the Czech Republik 1. Grassland and heathland vegetation], Academia, Praha, pp. 371–470 [in Czech, with English summary].
Ćušterevska, R., Matevski, V., Kostadinovski, M. & Čarni. A. 2012: Dry grassland communities of Erysimo-Trifolietum in the north-eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia. Hacquetia 11: 91–111.
Diklić, N. & Nikolić, V. 1972: O nekim livadskim zajednicama iz Ðerdapske klisure [Über einige Wiesengemeinschaften aus dem Defilee Djerdap]. Glasnik Prirodnajačog Muzeja Beograd, Serija B, 27: 201–212 [in Serbian, with German summary].
Donov, V., Gencheva, S. & Yorova, K. 1974: Rakavodstvo za upraznenia po gorsko pochvoznanie [Manual for classwork of forest pedology]. Zemizdat, Sofia, 219 pp. [in Bulgarian].
Elíaš, P. jr., Sopotlieva, D., Dítě D., Hájková, P., Apostolova, I., Senko, D., Melečková, Z. & Hájek, M. 2013: Vegetation diversity of saltrich grassland in Southeast Europe. Applied Vegetaion Science 16: 521–537.
Ganeva, A. & Düll, R. 1999: A contribution to the Bulgarian bryoflora. Checklist of the Bulgarian bryophytes. In: Düll, R., Ganeva, A., Martinčič, A. & Pavletić, Z. (eds.): Contributions to the bryoflora of former Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. IDH-Verlag, Bad Münstereifel, pp. 111–199.
Gruev, B. & Kuzmanov, B. 1994: Obshta biogeografia [General biogeography]. University Press “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Sofia, 498 pp. [in Bulgarian].
Hennekens, S. M. & Schaminée, J. H. J. 2001: TURBOVEG, a comprehensive data base management system for vegetation data. Journal of Vegetation Science 12: 589–591.
Horvat, I. 1962: Vegetacija planina Zapadne Hrvatske sa 4 karte biljnih zajedca sekcije Sušak. [Aperçu de la vegetation de la Croatie d’Ouest]. Acta Biologica II, Prirodoslovna Istraživanja, Jugoslavenska Akademija Znanosti i Umjestnosti, Zagreb knjiga, 30: 1–179 [in Croatian, with French summary].
Horvat, I., Glavač, V. & Ellenberg, H. 1974: Vegetation Südosteuropas. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena, 767 pp.
Horvatić, S. 1963: Vegetacijska karta otoka paga s općim pregledom vegetacijskih jedinica Hrvatskog primorja. [Carte des groupements végétaux de l’île Nord-Adriatique de Pag avec un aperçu general des unites végétales du littoral Croate]. Acta Biologica IV, Prirodoslovna Istraživanja, Jugoslavenska Akademija Znanosti i Umjestnosti, Zagreb knjiga 33: 1–187 [in Serbian, with French summary]
Horvatić, S. 1975: Neuer Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Syntaxonomie der Trockenrasen- und Steintriften-Gesellschaften des Ostadriatischen Karstgebietes. In: Jordanov, D. (ed.): Problems of Balkan flora and vegetation. Publishing house Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, pp. 300–310.
Ilijanić, L., Gaži, V. & Topić, J. 1972: Grasslands containing Chrysopogon gryllus in continental regions of West Croatia. Acta Botanica Croatica 31: 155–164.
Ilijanić, L. & Topić, J. 1989: On the sociology of Chrysopogon gryllus in Yugoslavia. Acta Botanica Croatica 48: 75–82.
ISO 10390. 1994: Soil quality – Determination of pH.
ISO 11464. 1994: Soil quality – Pretreatment of samples for physico-chemical analyses.
Jovanović-Dunjić, R. 1955: Tipovi pašnjaka i livada Suve planine [Wieden- und Wiesentypen der Suva Planina]. Académie Serbe des Sciences, Institut d’écologie et de biogeography, Recueil des travaux 6(2): 104 pp., Beograd [in Serbian, with German summary].
Klika, J. 1931: Studien über die xerotherme Vegetation Mitteleuropas I. Die Pollauer Berge im südlichen Mähren. Beihefte zum Botanischen Centralblatt, Abt. II, 47: 343–398.
Klika, J. 1933: Studien über die xerotherme Vegetation Mitteleuropas II. Xerotherme Gesellschaften in Böhmen. Beihefte zum Botanischen Centralblatt, Abt. II, 50: 707–773.
Klika, J. 1934: Studien über die xerotherme Vegetation Mitteleuropas III. Die Pflanzengesellschaften auf Sandböden des Marchfeldes in der Slowakei. Beihefte zum Botanischen Centralblatt, Abt. B, 52(1): 1–16.
Klika, J. 1936: Studien über die xerotherme Vegetation Mitteleuropas IV. Erläuterung zur vegetationkundlichen Karte des Lovoš (Lobosch). Beihefte zum Botanischen Centralblatt, Abt. B, 54(3): 489–515.
Klika, J. 1939: Die Gesellschaften des Festucion vallesiacae-Verbandes in Mitteleuropa. Studia Botanica Čechica 2(3): 117–157.
Kojić, M., Popović, R. & Karadžić, B. 1997: Vaskularne biljke Srbije kao indikatori staništa. Institut za istraživanja u poljoprivredi “Srbila” [Vascular plants of Serbia as indicator species for plant communities]. Institut za biološka iztraživanja “Siniša Stanković”, Beograd, 160 pp. [in Serbian, with English summary].
Kojić, M., Popović, R. & Karadžić, B. 1998: Sintaksonomski pregled vegetacije Srbije. [A syntaxonomic review of vegetation in Serbia]. Institut za biološka istraživanja “Siniša Stanković”, Beograd, 218 pp. [in Serbian, with English summary].
Kononova, M. M. 1966: Soil organic matter. Its nature, its role in soil formation. 2nd ed. Pergamon, New York, 544 pp.
Korneck, D. 1993: Klasse: Sedo-Scleranthetea Br.-Bl. 55 em. Th. Müller 61. In: Oberdorfer, E. (ed.): Süddeutsche Pflanzengesellschaften. Teil II. Sand- und Trockenrasen, Heide- und Borstgrasgesellschaften, alpine Magerrasen, Saum-Gesellschaften, Schlag- und Hochstauden-Fluren. 3rd ed. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena, pp. 13–85.
Kozhuharov, S. 1992 (ed.): Opredelitel na visshite rastenia v Balgaria [Field guide to the vascular plants in Bulgaria]. Naouka & Izkoustvo, Sofia, 788 pp. [in Bulgarian].
Meshinev, T., Apostolova, I., Georgiev, V., Dimitrov, V., Petrova, A. & Veen, P. 2005: Grasslands of Bulgaria. Final report on the National Grasslands Inventory Project. Bulgaria, 2001–2004. Dragon 2003 Ltd. Publishers, Sofia, 104 pp.
Micevski, K. 1970: Astragalo-Potentilletalia, nov vegetaciski red na brdskite pasishta vo Makedonija [Astragalo-Potentilletalia, eine neue Vegetationsordnung der Bergweiden Mazedoniens]. Contributions, 2-Section for Natural sciences and Mathematics, Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Skopje, 2: 15–23 [in Macedonian, with German summary].
Micevski, K. 1977: Erysimo-Trifolietum Micev. ass. nov. vo vegetacijata na Makedonija [Erysimo-Trifolietum Micev. ass. nov. in der Vegetation Makedoniens]. Contributions, 1-Section for Natural sciences and Mathematics, Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts 9: 76–82 [in Macedonian, with German summary].
Micevski, K. 1978: Tipološki ispituvanja na vegetatcijata na livadite i pasištata vo Maleš i Pijanec [Typologishe Untersuhungen der Wiesen- und Weiden-Vegetation der gebiete Maleš und Pijanec]. Maleš and Pijanec I, pp. 9–41. [in Macedonian, with German summary].
Mucina, L. 1997: Conspectus of classes of European vegetation. Folia Geobotanica et Phytotaxonomica 32: 117–172.
Natcheva, R. & Ganeva, A. 2005: Check-list of the bryophytes of Bulgaria with data on their distribution. II. Musci. Cryptogram Bryology 26: 209–232.
Ninov, N. 2002: Taksonomia i klasifikacionna sistema na pochvite [Taxonomy and classification system of the soils]. In: Kopralev, I. (ed.): Geografia na Balgaria. Fizicheska i socialnoikonomicheska geografia [Geography of Bulgaria. Physical and socio-economic geography]. Publ. House ForKom, Sofia, pp. 284–298 [in Bulgarian].
Oberdorfer, E. 1993 (ed.): Süddeutsche Pflanzengesellschaften. Teil II. Sand- und Trockenrasen, Heide- und Borstgrasgesellschaften, alpine Magerrasen, Saum-Gesellschaften, Schlagund Hochstauden-Fluren. 3rd ed. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena, 355 pp.
Pedashenko, H. Apostolova, I., Boch, S., Ganeva, A., Janišová, M., Sopotlieva, D., Todorova, S., Ünal, A., Vassilev, K., Velev, N. & Dengler, J. 2013: Dry grasslands on NW Bulgarian mountains: first insights into diversity, ecology and syntaxonomy. Tuexenia 33: 309–346.
Pop, I. 1968: Flora şi vegetaţia Cîmpiei Crişurilor [Flora and vegetation of Campia Crisurilor]. Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, 280 pp. [in Romanian].
Pop, I. 1977: Studiu comparative asupra pajuştilor de Bothriochloa ischaemum din Romania [A comparitive study on the lawns of Botriochloa ischaemum from Romania]. Contribuţii Botanice, Cluj-Napoca, pp. 111–120. [in Romanian, with English summary].
Pop, I., Cristea, V. & Hodişan, I. 2002: Vegetaţia judeţului Cluj (Studiu fitocenologic, ecologic, bioeconomic şi eco-protectiv) [The vegetation of Cluj District (a phytocoenological, ecological, bioconomic and ecoprotective study]. – Contribuţii Botanice, Cluj-Napoca 35(2): 5–254 [in Romanian, with English summary].
Quinn, G. P. & Keough, M. J. 2002: Experimental design and data analysis for biologists. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, XVII + 537 pp.
Rivas-Martínez, S., Fernández-Gonzáles, F., Loidi, J., Lousã, M. & Penas, A. 2001: Syntaxonomical checklist of vascular plant communities of Spain and Portugal to association level. Itinera Geobotanica, 14: 5–341.
Rivaz-Martínez, S., Penas, A. & Díaz, T. E. 2004: Biogeographic map of Europe. Cartographic Service. University of León, León.
Rodwell, J. S., Schaminée, J. H. J., Mucina, L., Pignatti, S., Dring, J. & Moss, D. 2002: The Diversity of European Vegetation. An overview of phytosociological alliances and their relationships to EUNIS habitats. EC-LNV, 2002(054), National Reference Centre for Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries, Wageningen, 168 pp.
Roman, N. 1974: Flora şi vegetaţia din sudul podişului Mehedinţi [The flora and vegetation of the south of the Mehedinti tableland]. Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, Bucureşti, 22 pp. [in Romanian
with English summary].
Royer, J.-M. 1991: Synthese eurosibérienne, phytosociologique et phytogéographique de la classe des Festuco-Brometea. Dissertationes Botanicae, 178: 1–296.
Sádlo, J., Chytrý, M. & Černý, T. 2007: Pionýrská vegetace písčin a mělkých půd (Koelerio-Corynephoretea) [Pioneer vegetation of sandy and shallow soils]. In: Chytrý, M. (ed.): Vegetace České republiky1. Travinná a keříčková vegetace [Vegetation of the Czech Republic 1.
Grassland and heathland vegetation]. Academia, Praha, pp. 320–365. [in Czech, with English summary].
Sanda, V., Popescu, A. & Arcuş, M. 1999: Revizia critică a comunităţilor de plante din România [Critical revision of plant communities of Romania]. Editura “Tilia Press international”, Constanţa, pp. 97. (in Romanian)
Sanda, V., Popescu, A. & Barabaş, N. 1997: Cenotaxonomia şi caracterizarea grupǎrilor vegetale din România [Syntaxonomy and characteristics of vegetation types of Romania]. Studii şi comunicări, Biologie vegetală, Bacău, România, 366 pp. [in Romanian].
Solomakha, V. A. 1996 (ed.): Sintaksonomia roslinosti Ukraini [Syntaxonomy of vegetation of Ukraine]. Украïнський фiтоценологiчний збiрник, Серiя A, 4(5): 1–121 [in Ukrainian].
Sopotlieva, D. 2008: Sintaksonomichna harakteristika na trevnata rastitelnost v Straldzhansko-Ajtoski geobotanichen okrag Syntaxonomical characteristic of grassland vegetation in Straldzha–Aytos phytogeographic region]. PhD thesis, Institute of Botany, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, 148 pp. [in Bulgarian].
Sopotlieva, D. 2009: Poo bulbosae-Achileetum pseudopectinatae: a new plant association. Phytologia Balkanica 15: 235–244.
Sopotlieva, D. & Apostolova, I. 2007: The association Erysimo- Trifolietum Micev. 1977 in Bulgaria and some remarks on its Mediterranean character. Hacquetia 6: 131–141.
StatSoft Inc. 2009: STATISTICA 9. Data analysis software. StatSoft, Tulsa.
Takhtajan, A. L. 1986: Floristic regions of the world. University of California Press, Berkeley, 544 pp.
Tichý, L. 2005: New similarity indices for the assignment of relevés to the vegetation units of an existing phytosociological classification. Plant Ecology 179: 67–72.
Tichý, L. & Chytrý, M. 2006: Statistical determination of diagnostic species for site groups of unequal size. Journal of Vegetation Sciences 17: 809–818.
Tzonev, R. 2002: Flora i rastitelnost na sredna Dunavska ravnina mezdu rekite Vit i Stidena [Flora and vegetation of middle Danube plain between valleys of rivers Vit and Studena]. PhD thesis in Botany, University of Sofia “St. Kliment Ohridski, Sofia, 166 pp. [in Bulgarian].
Tzonev, R., Lysenko, T., Gussev, C. & Zhelev, P. 2008: The halophytic vegetation in south-east Bulgaria and along the Black sea coast. Hacquetia 7: 95–121.
Valachovič, M. & Maglocký, Š. 1995: Sedo-Scleranthetea. In: Valachovič, M. (ed.): Rastlinné spoločenstvá Slovenska. 1. Pionierska vegetácia [Plant communities of Slovak Republic. 1. Pioneer vegetation]. Veda, Bratislava, pp. 85–106. [in Slovak].
Vassilev, K. 2012: Trevna rastitelnost po varoviti tereni zapadno ot Sofiya [Grassland vegetation on calcareous terrains west of Sofia]. PhD thesis, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Sofia, 185 pp. [in Bulgarian].
Velev, S. 2002: Klimatichno rajonirane [Climatic zoning]. In: Kopralev, I. (ed.): Geografia na Balgaria. Fizicheska i socialno-ikonomicheska geografia [Geography of Bulgaria. Physical and socio-economic geography]. Publ. House ForKom, Sofia, pp. 155–156 [in Bulgarian].
Westhoff, V. & van der Maarel, E. 1980: The Braun-Blanquet Approach. In: Whittaker, R.H. (ed.): Classification of plant communties. Junk, The Hague, pp. 289–399.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors guarantee that the work is their own original creation and does not infringe any statutory or common-law copyright or any proprietary right of any third party. In case of claims by third parties, authors commit their self to defend the interests of the publisher, and shall cover any potential costs.
More in: Submission chapter
