engleski

The phytosociology, ecology and diversity of plant communities in the lower Neretva River Delta (NE Mediterranean)

The Neretva Delta is internationally recognized as an important wetland and was included on the Ramsar List (1993). It is considered one of the Croatian Important Plant Areas (IPAs). However, biodiversity is currently largely threatened by degradation and loss of habitats, unsustainable exploitation of natural resources and pollution. In the lower Neretva, the most vulnerable ecosystems are dunes, saline and brackish ecosystems. Although some results of phytosociological research of these ecosystems from the Lower Neretva Delta have been published (e.g., Pandža et al. 2007), their diversity and ecology have not yet been investigated. In this study, we focus on the vegetation types as follows: (i) sea-grass meadows (Zosteretea Pignatti 1953), (ii) coastal sand dunes (Ammophiletea Br.-Bl. et Tx. ex Westhoff et al. 1946), (iii) pioneer vegetation of annual succulent halophytes (Therosalicornietea Tx. in Tx. et Oberd. 1958), (iv) coastal salt-marshes (Juncetea maritimi Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl. et al. 1952, and Salicornietea fruticosae Br.-Bl. et Tx. ex A. Bolòs y Vayreda et O. de Bolòs in A. Bolòs y Vayreda 1950), (v) thermo-mesomediterranean tamarisk scrub (Tamaricion dalmaticae Jasprica in Jasprica et al. 2016 of the class Nerio- Tamaricetea Br.-Bl. et O. de Bolòs 1958). Phytosociological data were collected in the period 2009–2021. The relevés were carried out according to the Braun-Blanquet approach (Westhoff and vander Maarel 1980). The main physical features of the habitats (e.g., slope, exposition, etc.) were also recorded. Output of the phytosociological study is a syntaxonomic diversity. Setting the syntaxonomic scheme of the vegetation and the determination of the ecological conditions of the communities were the secondary objective. In general, the results of this study enable the identification of key information gaps for the effective preservation of the coastal ecosystems.

Adriatic ; coastal vegetation ; Mediterranean Basin ; syntaxonomy, wetland

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