studia universitatis babeş-bolyai biologia 2

V. POPA
These stations are:
1. The Băişoara Tourist Complex (TC), where the main sampling locations are:
a) Meadow with south-western aspect. In this area we have collected both
quantitative and qualitative samples from the herbaceous and shrubbery layers and
from the trees.
b) Spruce forest, located near the tourist complex. In this ecosystem, the
samplings were done only from the herbaceous layer, since the shrubbery one is
less represented.
2. The Scăriţa-Belioara Nature Reserve (SB), which covers an area of 450
ha and is located at an altitude of 1350 m. The reserve includes the meadow on the
Şesul Craiului (limestone plateau), the Scăriţa forest and the slopes limiting the
starting point of the Belioara valley, which is a tributary to the Poşaga river.
From botanical point of view, in this reserve there is a great diversity of
phytogeographical elements. Among the glacial relicts, here we could find Gentiana
acaulis, Gentiana clusii, Dryas octopetala, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, and among the
Mediterranean species, Saponaria bellidifolia. It is also important to notice the
presence of steppe relicts, such as Fritillaria orientalis, Serratula radiata, and on
the rocks Leontopodium alpinum. The forest on the Scăriţa plateau contains a mixture
of species, such as Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, Larix decidua, Juniperus communis
and Juniperus sabina. On the rocks there grow Taxus baccata and the endemic species
Hieracium praebiharicum. We have taken samples from the following ecosystems
and habitats:
a) Meadow on the plateau named "Platoul Craiului".
b) A pine (Pinus sylvestris) forest near the "Platoul Craiului". In this ecosystem
we have also sampled biological material from the herbaceous vegetation of the rocks.
3. Româneasa (R), located in front of the Scăriţa-Belioara Nature Reserve.
a) Meadow with many species of spontaneous Gramineae, located near the
Nature Reserve Scăriţa-Belioara.
b) Pasture along the way leading to the Nature Reserve.The herbaceous
vegetation is dominated by monocotyledonous species.
4. Muntele Mare (MM)
a) Subalpine meadow located near the Muntele Mare peak, where the
dominant vegetation is an association of Juniperus communis.
b) Oligotrophic swampland with Sphagnum sp. located along the way
leading to Muntele Mare. The oligotrophic swampland is located at a high altitude,
under climatic conditions specific to the coniferous forests. These oligotrophic swamps
are found predominantly on plane areas that are submitted to an increased humidity,
where the ventilation lacks and where there are conditions for the accumulation of
plant residues. The predominant plant species are Sphagnum sp. and Polytrichum sp.,
and glacial relicts, such as Carex magellanica, Carex limosa, Carex pauciflora, Drosera
rotundifolia, Eriophorum vaginatum and Vaccinium oxycoccos.
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