Habitat shaped by ancient salt: vegetation of the classes Therosalicornietea and Festuco-Puccinellietea in the Transylvanian Basin (Romania)
Halophytic vegetation on fossil salt deposits and salt springs is an extreme habitat occurring in isolated continental areas of temperate Europe. It has a relatively rich representation in the Transylvanian Basin of Romania; however, comprehensive research into this highly specialized vegetation is...
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Published in | Folia geobotanica Vol. 56; no. 2-3; pp. 109 - 123 |
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Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Dordrecht
Springer Netherlands
01.11.2021
Springer Nature B.V |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Halophytic vegetation on fossil salt deposits and salt springs is an extreme habitat occurring in isolated continental areas of temperate Europe. It has a relatively rich representation in the Transylvanian Basin of Romania; however, comprehensive research into this highly specialized vegetation is lacking. We provide the first phytosociological survey of recent data of inland salt habitats in Cluj County, where they are widely distributed. Cluster analysis distinguished eight euhalophytic plant communities occupying several zones depending on the micro-topography of the salt-affected area:
Scorzonero parviflorae-Juncetum gerardii
(including
Astero tripolio-Triglochinetum maritime
),
Plantagineto cornuti-Agrostetum stoloniferae
,
Artemisio-Festucetum pseudovinae
,
Artemisio-Petrosimonietum triandrae
,
Limonio gmelinii-Artemisietum monogynae
,
Puccinellietum limosae
(each allocated to the class
Festuco-Puccinellietea
), then
Suaedetum maritimae
and
Salicornietum prostratae
, belonging to the class
Therosalicornietea
. We revised the nomenclature of these associations, characterized their species composition and ecological preferences based on indicator values for salinity, pH, moisture and nutrients in the soil. We broadly discussed our findings in light of the historical data and documented the current habitat conditions of the sites. Most of them were found to be degraded due to increasing tourism exploiting the curative effects of salt springs. Beyond recognizing the high conservation value of the Transylvanian salt habitats, it is also important to highlight their biogeographical significance, as they fill the gap between the inland salt marshes of Central Europe and the continental salt habitats of Eurasia. |
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ISSN: | 1211-9520 1874-9348 |
DOI: | 10.1007/s12224-021-09396-6 |