engleski

PLANT AND HABITAT DIVERSITY OF MATOKIT MT. (VRGORAC) – NEW FINDINGS OF ENDEMIC TAXA

During the floristic research and habitat mapping (2010-2015) of Matokit Mt. around Vrgorac, a total of 605 plant taxa and more than ten vegetation communities in various stages were found. Matokit Mt belongs to the Submediterranean zone with a high influence of the mountain climate and the vegetation is vertically divided according to altitude. Southern side is difficult to access and is densely covered with maquis of alliance Quercion ilicis Br.-Bl.(1931) 1936, and large stands of Juniperus communis L. rising up to 600 m a.s.l. On the northern side Matokit Mt. is covered with forest vegetation that belongs to the thermophilous coastal forest and scrub Ostryo-Carpinion orientalis Ht.(1954) 1959. Open grasslands in various stages of succession, stretching along the mountain ridge east – west side, are combination of rocky pastures of eastern Mediterranean littoral zone (Chrysopogoni-Saturejon Ht. et H-ić 1934) and grasslands of epimediterranean-montane belt (Saturejon subspicatae H-ić 1975). At the peak mountain areas around 900-1000 m a.s.l. As. Seslerio juncifoliae-Caricetum humilis Ht. 1930 is developed. Because of the great influence of the Mediterranean climate, the alliance of limestone rocks Centaureo-Portenschlagiellion Trinajstić 1980 appears at 1000 m a .s l., specifically as. Campanulo pyramidali-Moltkietum petraeae H-ić 1963. On the Matokit Mt. we recorded 25 endemic species in the wider sense and 5 stenoendemics. Almost all the sites of endemic species represent new sites for Matokit Mt. area. The most numerous family of endemic species belong to Fabaceae, Brassicaceae and Apiaceae family. Especially interesting endemic species in the flora of Matokit Mt. that are not included in the book Endemic species in the Croatian flora are: Cardamine fialae Fritsch newly recorded species for Croatian flora and recently described species Erysimum croaticum Polatschek. Also hybrid populations between two endemic species (Iris illyrica Tomm. x Iris pseudopalida Trinajstić) were found. Some narrowly distributed species of Croatian flora were also found: Thymus bracteosus Vis. ex Benth. and Linaria microsepala A.Kern. Matokit Mt. represents the southernmost site for species Vicia ochroleuca Ten. ssp. dinara (K. Malý) Röhl. in Croatian flora. All herbarium specimens are digitized and available in ZAGR Virtual herbarium (http://herbarium.agr.hr/).

plant diversity; habitats; endems; new findings; Matokit

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