engleski

Vegetation of tufa barriers in Plitvička Jezera Lakes

The Plitvice Lakes represents a system of 16 larger and several smaller cascading lakes interconnected by numerous waterfalls. All these tufa barriers are overgrown with dense vegetation, which was studied using phytosociological methods. In total 44 species of bryophytes and 52 vascular plants were recorded, out of which 26 bryophytes and 40 vascular plants are constantly present in 90 vegetation relevés. The vegetation is mainly characterized by dominance of bryophytes over vascular plants, and constant species composition. Four main bryophyte species are Palustriella commutata, Eucladium verticillatum, Hymenostylium recurvirostrum and Pellia endiviifolia. The most abundant and constant species of vascular plants is Petasites kablikianus, present in almost all vegetation plots. This species occur only in the Plivice Lakes within Croatia, which make this vegetation unique and peculiar. Nevertheless, three main types of vegetation are differentiated: 1) species poor vegetation of non-shaded waterfalls mostly with high water velocity, 2) vegetation of shaded waterfalls with weaker water flow, and 3) species rich vegetation of moist rocks outside direct or constant influence of running water. All these vegetation types belong to the moss rich vegetation of carbonate springs of montane and subalpine belts of Europe, belonging to the alliance Cratoneurion commutati. However, due to the complex system of lakes and waterfalls, very large surfaces covered by this vegetation, species richness and their high abundances, Plitvice Lakes represent one of the most important diversity and distribution centres in Europe regarding the tufa vegetation, and are of the highest conservation value.

Bryophytes ; Cratoneurion ; karst ; plant diversity ; Southeastern Europe

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