Beckmannia eruciformis Vegetation in the Pannonian Basin (Central and South-Eastern Europe)

Abstract

DITE D., HRIVNAK R., MELECKOVA Z., ELIAS P. jun. & DAJIC-STEVANOVIC Z. 2012. Beckmannia eruciformis vegetation in the Pannonian Basin (Central and South-Eastern Europe) - Phyton (Horn, Austria) 52 (2): 177-194, with 3 figures. Vegetation with the presence of Beckmannia eruciformis (L.) HOST (Poaceae-Poeae) was studied using both published and authors' field data for the territory of the Pannonian Basin (Slovakia, Hungary and Romania). The analysis of the total of 95 phytosociological releves enabled distinguishing seven different B. eruciformis vegetation types, belonging to four vegetation classes: the Isoeto-Nanojuncetea (Cluster 1), Phragmito-Magnocaricetea (Clusters 2-3), Molinio-Arrhenatheretea (Cluster 4) and Festuco-Puccinellietea (Clusters 5-7). The results indicate that the ecological optimum of B. eruciformis has been found for slightly saline and periodically flooded soils in stands of the class Festuco-Puccinellietea, alliance Beckmannion eruciformis Soo 1933 (Cluster 5), where the species exhibited the highest values of the coverage (cover value 3). Based on the Borhidi indicator values, it was found that moisture was the most significant ecological factor influencing the variability of B. eruciformis vegetation (Spearman correlation coefficient with the first DCA axis was -0.811, P lt 0.001), followed by the nutrient content in the soil (-0.559, P lt 0.001). In addition to the relevance and review of use in the botanical literature of the syntaxa, the Agrostio stoloniferae-Beckmannietum eruciformis RAPAICS ex Soo 1930 was discussed. Short comments concerning Beckmannia eruciformis-dominated stands in other parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe are also provided.