Naslov
Ecological differentiation of the forest communities on Mt. Medvednica, Central Croatia

Autori
Sedlar, Zorana ; Mareković, Sara ; Šegota, Vedran ; Alegro, Antun ; Hršak, Vladimir

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
34th International Symposium Eastern Alpine and Dinaric Society for Vegetation Ecology : programme, abstracts, excursin guide / Biondi, Edoardo ; Čarni, Andraž ; Heiselmayer, Paul ; Hršak, Vladimir - Camerino : University of Camerino, 2011, 48-48

Skup
International Symposium Eastern Alpine and Dinaric Society for Vegetation Ecology (34 ; 2011)

Mjesto i datum
Camerino, Italija, 24.05.2011. - 28.05.2011

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
forest communities; ecology; Medvednica; Croatia

Sažetak
Although situated in the contact zone of Alps, Dinarides and Panonian Lowland, Central Croatia contains barely a few mountains higher than 1000 m. Among them, Mt. Medvednica, located in the very vicinity of the city of Zagreb, is one of the most visited Croatian protected areas, and therefore intensely affected by human activities. Nevertheless it is a still floristically highly rich area which numbers almost one fifth of the total Croatian flora, including numerous endemic, relict, endangered and protected taxa. However, the key phenomena of this mountain are well preserved and diverse forests which cover about 70 % of the area. Up to present, twelve forest communities on different elevations, expositions and above different bedrock were recognized. The aim of this study was to determine the main ecological factors that determinate the diversity and distribution of the most common forest communities on Mt. Medvednica. Therefore, the research included beech and fir dominated forests within Luzulo-Fagion Lohm. et R. Tx. in R. Tx. 1954 and Aremonio-Fagion (Ht. 1938) Borhidi in Tarok et al. 1989 on higher, and sessile oak, hornbeam and chestnut dominated forests within Carpinion betuli Isll. 1932 and Quercion roboris- petraeae Br.-Bl. 1932 alliances on lower altitudes, respectively. The vegetation was surveyed according to the standard Central European method (Braun Blanquet 1964). Each of 170 relevés was described by the altitude, exposition, inclination and cover of tree, shrub and herb layers. The soil samples were analysed in order to obtain pH (H2O), total nitrogen and phosphorus content, total organic matter and calcium carbonate content. Using descriptive and multivariate statistics all syntaxa were determined according to different ecological preferences. Among beech dominated forests, mixed beech and fir forests on higher altitudes (ass. Festuco drymeae-Abietetum Vukelić et Baričević 2007) are defined by higher amount of soil nitrogen and higher soil acidity. Ass. Lamio orvalae-Fagetum (Ht. 1938) Borhidi 1963 is characterised by lower acidity and higher CaCO3 content vs. ass. Luzulo-Fagetum Meusel 1937. The forests dominated by sessile oak, hornbeam and chestnut can be differentiate on the gradient of soil acidity and cover of tree and shrub layer. The most acidophilus community is ass. Querco- Castanetum Ht. 1938, followed by ass. Luzulo- Quercetum (Hillitzer 1932) Passarge 1953 and associations belonging to all. Carpinion betuli. Since this forest belt was and still is under very human pressure, the differences in cover of tree and shrub layer among these syntaxa cannot be explained exclusively by natural environmental processes. Apparently, the increased cover of shrub layer noticed in ass. Querco-Castanetum, is likely due to stronger influence of wood cutting and opening of canopy.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija

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