engleski

Vascular and bryophyte flora of the islet of Mrduja (Eastern Adriatic, Croatia)

The Croatian Adriatic coast with 1246 islands, islets, rocks and ridges was recognized as a botanical hotspot within the Mediterranean basin. Mrduja is the only islet situated within the Split straits (Splitska vrata), a narrow passage between the islands of Šolta and Brač. Although in the last 25 years a significant effort has been made to explore Croatian uninhabited islets and reefs, the flora of Mrduja has never been thoroughly researched. The objective of this study was to investigate both vascular and bryophyte flora of the islet. The field study was performed in 2017 and 63 taxa of vascular plants and six bryophytes were recorded. Habitat types were also assigned to each taxon and the vegetation profile of the islet was created. The predominance of Poaceae (13%) and Fabaceae (8%), terophytes (30%) and Mediterranean floral elements (73%) clearly demonstrate the Mediterranean phyto-geographical position of the islet. Almost one-third of the taxa were found on anthropogenic habitats, even though they are exceptionally rare on the islet, proving that even a slight human presence can have a profound impact on the flora of an island.

anthropogenic influence, Brač, floral elements, islet, Mediterranean, Šolta

nije evidentirano