Snežana Vukojičić

Distribution and diversity of Arctic-Alpine species in the Balkans

The distributions of 77 Arctic-Alpine species in the Balkans are mapped and the centers of their richness and diversity presented. Within the Dinaric Alps these are Mts Vranica, Durmitor, and Prokletije; in the Scardo-Pindhic mountains, Šarplanina–Rudoka–Korab form a continuous chain; in the Rhodope-Rila mountain system there are Mts Vitoša, Rila, and Pirin; while in the Balkan mountain system there are the West and Central part of Stara planina. A comparison of floristic richness and distribution of Arctic-Alpine flora in relation to altitude, geographical location, and geological substrate is made. Correlations between floristic richness and geographical distance of the Balkan mountains from the two main centers of Arctic-Alpine flora in Central Europe are also provided.

Richness and diversity of Pontic flora on serpentine of Serbia

Serpentine substrate in Serbia covers wide areas mainly in Kosovo and in central, western and south-western part of the country. On the serpentines of Serbia, particularly on the skeleton soils of hills and on lower elevation mountain slopes, there are some xerophilous and steppe-like vegetations. These xerophilous grasslands include mostly Pontic, Pontic-Submediterranean and/or Mediterranean-Submediterranean-Pontic plants. The distribution of 161 taxa of Pontic, Pontic-Submediterranean and Mediterranean-Submediterranean-Pontic areal — types on serpentinites of Serbia was analyzed in order to distinguish centers of richness and diversity. The distribution of taxa was analyzed with respect to geographic, ecological and climatic factors. The qualitative composition of Pontic flora on the serpentine areas was also compared. The greatest floristic richness and the center of diversity of Pontic flora on serpentine of Serbia was recorded in central part of the area investigated.

TYPIFICATI ON AND CORRECTION OF SYNTAXA FROM THE CLASS MOLINIO-ARRHENATHERETEA TX. 1937 IN SERBIA

Abstract A list of corrected and typified grassland communities of the class Molinio-Arrhenatheretea Tx. 1937 occurring in Serbia was provided. The nomenclature rules of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature were strictly followed. Syntaxonomic affiliation of communities to higher syntaxa was assessed according to the existing syntaxonomical schemes for Serbia, i.e. according to the position determined by the original source. Higher syntaxa followed the synsystem of the so-called “EuroVegChecklist”. Since syntaxonomic disagreements concerning a certain plant association’s position within the whole classification system have not been discussed, such a list should serve as the starting point for a further revision of the status of grassland communities in Serbia. So far, a total of 87 plant communities of the class Molinio-Arrhenatheretea were described for Serbia. The list provided here will enable more precise and more accurate mapping of vegetation in Serbia, as well as classification of these communities into the Habitat Directive which will enable the establishment of the Red list of Habitats for Serbia. Izvleček V članku so predstavljene nomenklaturno popravljene in tipifizirane traviščne združbe razreda Molinio-Arrhenatheretea Tx. 1937, ki se pojavljajo v Srbiji. Dosledno smo upoštevali pravila Mednarodnega kodeksa fitocenološke nomenklature. Sintaksonomsko pripadnost združb višjim sintaksonom smo ohranili glede na obstoječe sintaksonomske sheme v Srbiji oziroma glede na uvrstitev v originalnem viru. Višji sintaksoni sledijo sintaksonomiji po “EuroVegChecklist”. Glede na to, da nismo obravnavali uvrstitve posameznih rastlinskih združb v sintaksonomski sistem, bo ta seznam omogočil sintaksonomsko revizijo traviščnih združb Srbije. Do sedaj je bilo na ozemlju Srbije opisanih 87 rastlinskih združb razreda Molinio-Arrhenatheretea. Seznam bo omogočil tudi bolj natančno kartiranje vegetacije Srbije in povezavo teh združb s Habitatno direktivo in izdelavo Rdečega seznama habitatnih tipov Srbije.

Stipetum novakii ass. nova – a new association of serpentine rocky grassland vegetation (Halacsyetalia sendtneri) in Serbia

Abstract Phytosociological characteristics of grassland communities above serpentines (order Halacsyetalia sendtneri H. Ritter-Studnčka 1970) in Serbia, are analyzed according to Braun-Blanquet methodology. In order to detect the basic floristic differentiation of analyzed communities ordinary correspondence analysiswas applied. Cluster analysiswas also performed to see the structure and separation of the communities based on the floristic composition. In order to determine diagnostic species, fidelity indices with presence/ absence data and the size of all groups standardized to equal size were calculated. The new association Stipetum novakii is described in open rocky serpentine grasslands in Brdjani Gorge.

Stipa crassiculmis subsp. picentina (Poaceae) new for the Balkans – a further example of amphi-Adriatic disjunction

Abstract Stipa crassiculmis subsp. picentina Martinovský, Moraldo & Caputo (Poaceae, Pooideae, Stipae) was found for the first time in the Balkan Peninsula. It was recorded in the northern part of the Republic of Macedonia, in the Pčinja River gorge (Badar Gorge), between Veles and Katlanovo on ultramafic substrates. To date, S. crassiculmis subsp. picentina was known only for Italy where it occurs in the Lombardy and Campania administrative regions. This record for the Balkan Peninsula is a new example of Amphi-Adriatic Balkan-Apennine disjunction. In this paper, the morphological and anatomical characters of the specimens collected in the study area were reported together with the phytosociological characteristics of the habitat. The threatened status of the species for Macedonia was also assessed on the basis of the IUCN criteria.

Numerical Evaluation of Grasslands Dominated by Sesleria Juncifolia Agg. in Serbia

Abstract Phytosociological and numerical analyses of grasslands dominated by Sesleria juncifolia s.l. in Serbia were performed in order to resolve their syntaxonomy and nomenclature. Twelve releves were sampled on Mt. Mučanj (western Serbia), which were then compared with similar releves from other parts of the Balkan Peninsula by means of numerical analyses. The releves were classified using cluster analysis, while the ordination was conducted using Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA). The results suggest the occurrence of two floristically well defined Dinaric associations in Serbia: Seslerio juncifoliae-Edraianthetum graminifolii ass. nova from Mt. Mokra Gora (Oxytropidion urumovii, Elyno-Seslerietea) and Diantho petraeae-Seslerietum juncifoliae ass. nova (Chrysopogono-Saturejion, Festuco-Brometea) from Mt. Mučanj. Izvleček Naredili smo fitocenološko in numerično analizo travišč v katerih prevladuje vrsta Sesleria juncifolia s.l. in predstavili sintaksonomske in nomenklaturne rešitve. Dvanajst vegetacijskih popisov smo naredili na gori Mučanj (zahodna Srbija) in jih z numeričnimi metodami primerjali s podobnimi popisi z drugih delov Balkanskega polotoka. Popise smo klasificirali s klastrsko metodo, za ordinacijo smo uporabili korespondenčno analizo z odstranjenim trendom (DCA). Rezultati kažejo na obstoj dveh floristično dobro utemeljenih dinarskih endemičnih asociacij v Srbiji: Seslerio juncifoliae-Edraianthetum graminifolii ass. nova z Mokre Gore (Oxytropidion urumovii, Elyno-Seslerietea) in Diantho petraeae-Seslerietum juncifoliae ass. nova (Chrysopogono-Saturejion, Festuco- -Brometea) z gore Mučanj.

Leaf anatomy of Carex humilis does not correlate with orographic, geological and bioclimatic habitat conditions in C&SE Europe

This paper presents the results of a multivariate morphometric study of leaf anatomical characters in different, geographically very distant populations of taxon Carex humilis from Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania with the aim to reveal the trends of population differentiation. Analyses were performed on the cross-section of 173 leaves collected from 12 populations. In order to establish the overall morphological variation and relationships between individuals from all populations, principal component analyses (PCA) and canonical discriminant analysis (CDA) have been done. The UPGMA clustering analyses based on leaf anatomical characters and habitat climatic characteristics were carried out to explore whether the observed anatomical differences are a result of adaptive responses. Regression analysis (linear regression) was performed to identify the level of correlation between leaf anatomical characters and basic orographic, geological, and bioclimatic habitat characteristics. Quite unexpectedly, most of observed groups are formed of geographically very distant populations which are living in extremely different climatic and geological conditions, indicating that general anatomical differentiation in Carex humilis in C&SE Europe cannot be explained by the environmental impacts, and basically do not represent an adaptive response to different climatic or geological condition.