Kanitzia 18. - NYME Természettudományi Kar - Nyugat ...

Pannonia (Hungary) the species were recorded as isolated stand inside of the steppic meadows
and dry grasslands (Stipetum capillatae, Salvio-Festucetum rupicolae ap. SOÓ 1970),
but later from this site the species were extinct (FARKAS (ed.) 1999). In Transylvania (Romania)
the species initially was indicated as a participant of the disturbed dry grasslands,
like the „Agropyron intermedium-Andropogon ischaemum” grassland type (SOÓ 1945),
after that it was considered as of the Agropyretum intermedii plant community (SOÓ 1970)
and later as a component of the steppe like community of Agropyro cristati-Kochietum
prostratae (BĂDĂRĂU et al. 2002). In the Mediterranean area (Spain, Granada) the species
is indicated for arid areas, as a colonizer of abandoned lands and for the disturbed, semirude-ralized
vegetation of the Salsolo-Peganion and Hammado articulatae-Atriplicion
glaucae alliances (COSTA et al. 2000, DOMINGUEZ et al. 2001.
The new sites recorded recently from Transylvania (Romania) require special
coenological attempt, they permit better understandings not only the species biology, but
contribute to elucidate its role in the structure of regional vegetation, landscape history and
extended coenological relations. The general question remains: is the plant K. ceratoides
a decreasingly ancient relict species, or is a relict with increasing/expanding colonize abilities?
The present coenological survey try to clear these points also.
In the followings we will present the syntaxonomical aspects and a short characterisation
of the plant communities with the participation of the species K. ceratoides on
the basis of the site conditions from the Transylvanian Basin (Romania). Using the results
of cluster analysis, three group of sampling plots have been separated, but only the first
group is dominated by K. ceratoides (Agropyro cristati-Krascheninnikovietum ceratoidis
ass. nova).
Syntaxonomic ordering
FESTUCO-BROMETEA Br.-Bl. et R. Tx. ex Klika et Hadač 1944
FESTUCETALIA VALESIACAE Br.-Bl. et R. Tx. ex Br.-Bl. 1949
Artemisio-Kochion Soó (59) 1964
Agropyro cristati-Krascheninnikovietum ceratoidis ass. nova
Festucion rupicolae Soó 1940 corr. 1964
Bothriochloetum ischaemi (Kristiansen 1937) I. Pop 1977
Potentillo arenariae-Stipetum capillatae (Hueck 1931) Libbert 1933
Characterization of the plant communities
1. Agropyro cristati-Krascheninnikovietum ceratoidis ass. nova (Table 1, Fig.1.,2. )
Coenotic stands dominated by Krascheninnikovia ceratoides and co-dominated
by Agropyrum cristatum have been sampled near the localities Vultureni, Poiana Frăţii and
Groapa Rădăii (Table 1, Fig. 1-2). Ecologically, stands of this type occupy very specific
niches and field conditions: abrupt reliefs, open dry places, steep slopes with southerlyfacing
expositions (S to SW, W) and landslides processes, where the sunny warm accumulation
reaches the maximum daytime, followed by strong changes in the night time. Both
two species are well adapted to the very arid niches, to the extreme and rapid changes of
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