THE SYNTAXONOMICAL DIFFE RENTIATION OF THE FESTUCO-BROMETEA BR.-BL. & R.TX. 1943 EX KLIKA & HADAC 1944 IN THE BALKANS

Abstract

Xerophilous vegetation of the class Festuco-Brometea covers large areas on the Balkans since in the past pronounced degradation of climax vegetation. The climax vegetation of the area in question is represented with the following communities: Carpinion orientalis Blecic & Lakusic 1966 and Ostryo-Carpinion orientalis Horvat 1954 emend. 1958, Quercion farnetto Horvat 1954 in Sub-Mediterranean belt, and Seslerio-Ostryon Lakusic, Pavlovic & Redzic 1982, Quercion petraeae-cerris (Lakusic, 1976) Lakusic & B.Jovanovic 1980, Quercion pubescentis-petraeae Br.-Bl. 1931, Fagion moesiacae Blecic & Lakusic 1970 and Fagion illyricum Horvat (1938) 1950 in mediterraneo-montane belt and part of montane belt. The class Festuco-Brometea is presented by thermophilous communities of meadows, rocky meadows and pastures; in these communities., species from Balkan, Illyrian, and the south-eastern European floral element play dominant role. In the investigated part of the Balkans the class is differentiated into the following orders: Scorzoneretalia villosae Horvatic 1975 (=Scorzonero- Chrysopogonetalia Horvat & Horvatic /1956/1958)p.p.) with alliances Hypochoeridion maculatae Horvatic (1956) 1958, Scorzonerion villosae Horvatic 1949 and Satureion subspicatae Horvat 1962; Festucetalia valesiacae Br.-Bl. & R.Tx. 1943 ex Br.-Bl. 1949 with alliances Cirsio-Brachypodion Hadac & Klika 1944, Festucion valesiacae Klika 1931, Chrysopogoni-Danthonion Kojic 1957, Festucion pseudovinae Horvat 1962 and Festucion rupicolae Soó 1940; Astragalo-Potentilletalia K.Micevski 1970 with alliances Koelerio-Festucion dalmaticae Randjelovic & Ruzic 1986, Scabioso- Trifolion dalmatici Horvatic & Randjelovic 1973, Armerio-Potentillion K.Micevski 1978, Trifolion cherleri K.Micevski 1970 and Saturejo-Thymion K.Micevski 1970. The order Brometalia erecti Br.-Bl. 1936 includes communities of thermophilous meadows in northern and central Europe which has on central part of the Balkans its southern border of distribution. It is presented here by the alliances Mesobromion erecti (Br.-Bl. & Moor, 1938) Oberd. 1949 with suballiances Eu-Mesobromenion Oberd. 1957, Filipendulo-Danthonenion alpinae Redzic 1991 and Gentiano tergestinae-Crepidenion dinaricae Redzic 1991, and Xerobromion erecti (Br.-Bl. & Moor, 1938) Moravec in Holub et al. 1967 with suballiance Fumano-Scabiosenion leucophyllae Redzic 1991. Towards Eumediterranean region, communities from this class often show transitions toward other grassland communities, e.g the order Koelerietalia splendetis Horvatic 1975 (=Scorzonero-Chrysopogonetalia Horvat & Horvatic, /1956/1958 p.par.), towards southeast with dry meadows from the order Daphno-Festucetalia Quezel 1964; in the subalpine belt it is syngenetically connected with vegetation of dry alpine meadows form the order Seslerietalia juncifoliae Horvat 1930 in the north-western part, and with the order Crepidetalia dinaricae Lakusic 1966 in the south eastern part, with the order Onobrychidi-Seslerietalia Horvat 1949 in the central and the eastern part of the Balkans.