Syntaxonomy and ecology of plant communities of the Carici rupestris-Kobresietea bellardii in the western carpathians

• Published in: Biológia Vol. 61; no. 4; pp. 393 - 412
• Main Authors: Petrik, Anton, Dubravcova, Zuzana, Jarolimek, Ivan, Kliment, Jan, Sibik, Jozef, Valachovic, Milan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Versita 01.08.2006
• Subjects: altitude; Carici rupestris-Kobresietea; cliffs; cold; habitats; plant communities; Pleistocene; relic stands; syntaxonomy; terraces; Trata Mts; vegetation
• ISSN: 1336-9563; 0006-3088; 1336-9563
• DOI: 10.2478/s11756-006-0070-4

We present a syntaxonomic account of the communities of the alliances of Oxytropido-Elynion Br.-Bl. 1949 and Festucion versicoloris Krajina 1933 from Western Carpathians. Both alliances comprise naked-rush, cushion form and dwarf-shrub heath communities typical of wind-exposed habitats occurring at the highest altitudes of the Tatra Mts. They represent a relic vegetation of the cold stages of the Pleistocene (probably Late Glacial Maximum) and they can be classified within the class of Carici rupestris-Kobresietea bellardii Ohba 1974. A set of relevés was subject to numerical-classification analysis. Floristics and ecology of the communities were characterised and the relationships to similar syntaxa were discussed.The Oxytropido-Elynion is restricted to the extreme ridge positions in the highest altitudes of the Belianske Tatry Mts. Five associations were distinguished, such as the Pyrolo carpaticae-Salicetum reticulatae, the Festuco versicoloris-Oreochloetum distichae, the Festucetum versicoloris, the Oxytropido carpaticae-Elynetum myosuroides and the Drabo siliquosae-Festucetum versicoloris.The Festucion versicoloris is limited to the mylonite zone of the alpine and subnival belt of the Vysoké Tatry and Západné Tatry Mts (and found as rare in the Nízke Tatry Mts). The stands of these communities prefer terraces of steep rocky faces and cliffs and stabilised small-grained screes below the cliffs. Within this alliance, three associations were described, including the Agrostio alpinae-Festucetum versicoloris, the Silenetum acaulis and the Salicetum kitaibelianae.