Steppe-like grass land vegetation in the hills around the lakes of Vegoritida and Petron, North-Central Greece
Keywords:
Astragalo-Potentilletalia, dry calcareous grasslands, Festuco-Brometea, steppe plants, syntaxonomy, vegetation classification.Abstract
The present paper describes the floristic composition and synecology of steppe-like dry grasslands occurring in a Natura 2000 site in North-Central Greece around the two karstic lakes of Vegoritida and Petron. In total, 245 relevés of vascular plant species composition and abundance were sampled and subjected to cluster analysis and ordination analysis. Passive explanatory variables, including environmental parameters as well as indicator values, were used to support the ecological interpretation. Four plant communities were distinguished in the area, namely Artemisia campestris-Dasypyrum villosum, Chrysopogon gryllus-Bothriochloa ischaemum, Satureja montana-Artemisia alba and Stipa capillata-Koeleria macrantha. All communities were classified within the Festuco-Brometea class and the Astragalo-Potentilletalia order. Soil properties (soil reaction, moisture and nutrient content) and meso-climate factors (temperature variation along topographic gradients) were identified as the main factors determining the floristic differentiation among the four communities. The dry grasslands harbor a number of species associated with steppic habitats. We discuss the relict character of the steppe-like vegetation.
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