Analele ştiinţifice ale Universităţii Al. I. Cuza Iaşi Tomul LVII, fasc. 1, s. II a. Biologie vegetală, 2011 VEGETATION ASPECTS OF SOME HABITATS WITH VIPERA URSINII FROM SĂRĂTURILE LEVEE (DANUBE DELTA) OANA ZAMFIRESCU * Abstract: This study aims to present and analyse, from phytosociologic perspective, the phytocoenoses preferred by Vipera ursinii individuals, of the Sărăturile levee (Danube Delta). Our field investigations showed that most of vipers have been observed in the plant communities with relatively tall grasses and high cover and in the ecotonal areas that are appropriate for thermoregulation. The analysis of the relevés allowed the identification of three phytosociological associations: Juncetum maritimi (Rübel 1930) Pignatti 1953, Juncetum littoralis Popescu et Sanda 1976 (Cl. Juncetea maritimi Br.-Bl. 1931) and Agropyretum elongati I. Şerbănescu 1965 (Cl. Festuco-Puccinelietea Soó 1968). Keywords: habitats, sandy soil, meadow viper, plant communities, Juncus sp. Introduction The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve is representative for its floristic and phytosociological diversity. One of the major causes of this considerable diversity is the south-eastern European geographical position, closed to the Mediterranean postglacial refuges, and the influences of the eastern refuges, stronger than the central-european ones. Another explanation refers to the high diversity of the habitat types: aquatic, paludal and terrestrial. In this zone exists a meadow viper ( Vipera ursinii) population (see [9] for a complete record list), a species that is considered critically endangered [8, 18] and, therefore, strictly protected according to European (Directive 92/43/EEC/1992 [5]) and national legislation (Romanian Government Ordinance no. 57/20.06.2007 [11]). Our observations showed that the vipers prefer the areas with relatively thick and tall vegetation that displays a general cover of 70-90%, and avoid the salty substrata with relatively short and low-cover vegetation [15, 19]. The current study aims to present and analyse, from floristic and phytosociologic perspective, the phytocoenoses preferred by Vipera ursinii individuals. Materials and methods The vegetation study was done according to the principles of Central-European phytosociological school of vegetation survey (Braun -Blanquet Central European School/School Zürich-Montpellier) [1, 3]. The phytosociological classification was carried out consistent with various authors [2, 12, 13, 14]. The Sărăturile levee lies north from Sfântu Gheorghe village and channel and the principal characteristic is represented by the presence of sands with typical vegetation and salty sands cut off by wet areas. The study area has 62 ha; it is located at about 1 km from the Black Sea (44 54 N, 29 35 E; ca. 0 m a.s.l.) and has a semi-arid climate (mean annual temperatures and * Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Biology, Bd. Carol I, no. 11, Iasi - 700506 Romania, o_zamfirescu@yahoo.com 65
precipitations of 11.4 C and 403.6 mm, respectively) [7]. The area (fig. 1) is located in the south-eastern tip of the Sărăturile natural levee, which is an economical zone of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. It is also included in the Natura 2000 network of protected areas as ROSCI0065 Delta Dunării (The Danube Delta) established through the Order of the Minister of Environment and Durable Development 776/05.09.2007 [10]. Sfântu Gheorghe Figure 1. Location of the study area (black contour). 66
Results and discussions The analysis of the relevés from the plant communities where the meadow vipers have been observed revealed the presence of the following associations: Juncetum littoralis Popescu et Sanda 1976, Juncetum maritimi (Rübel 1930) Pignatti 1953, and Agropyretum elongati I. Şerbănescu 1965. Cl. Juncetea maritimi Br.-Bl. 1931 Ord. Juncetalia maritimi Br.-Bl. 1931 Al. Juncion maritimi Br.-Bl. 1931 1. Association Juncetum maritimi (Rübel 1930) Pignatti 1953 On the Sărături levee, the plant communities with Juncus maritimus generally appear in low areas with relatively higher humidity, on salty sandy soils, with a superficial thick layer of sand. In the study zone these plant communities cover large areas. They have been recorded and described before from the Black Sea shore, the Danube Delta and from the Chituc and Lupilor levees [16, 17]. The characteristic species is Juncus maritimus, which is at the same time the edifying species. It grows well achieving covers of over 80% in some habitats. The characteristic species of the class Festuco-Puccinelietea are also well represented, which indicates a certain degree of substratum salinity. Species like Suaeda maritima and Salicornia europaea, cited from saltier substrata, were not observed in our study. The presence of the species of the class Phragmiti-Magnocaricetea indicates the substratum relatively high humidity (tab. I). 2. Association Juncetum littoralis Popescu et Sanda 1976 (syn. Juncetum acuti Popescu et Sanda 1976, Artemisio santonici-juncetum littoralis (Popescu et Sanda 1976) Géhu et al. 1994). The plant communities with Juncus littoralis appear on sandy and salty terrains, a little drier than the ones occupied by Juncus maritimus phytocoenoses. The characteristic species are Juncus littoralis and Artemisia santonica. Juncus littoralis is also dominant and often co-occurs with Juncus maritimus. Frequently, this species is accompanied by halophilous or facultatively halophilous species (tab. I). This association comprises two sub-associations: juncetosum littoralis Chifu et al 2010 and juncetosum maritimi Popescu et Sanda 1972. We consider that the analysed communities appertain to the sub-association juncetosum littoralis, for its floristic composition is more homogenous and for the clear dominance of the characteristic species. 67
Table I. Association Juncetum maritimi (Rübel 1930) Pignatti 1953 (relevés 1-5) and Association Juncetum littoralis Popescu et Sanda 1976 (relevés 6-10) Relevé no. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Area (m 2 ) 50 75 50 90 100 100 75 90 80 100 Cover (%) 75 60 50 85 60 90 100 75 80 75 Altitude (m.s.m.) 10 9 6 7 10 9 8 10 7 9 Characteristic for associations Juncus maritimus 4 3 3 4 4 1 2 + 1 2 Juncus littoralis + + + 1 1 3 4 4 4 3 Juncion maritimi Artemisia santonica ssp. santonica + - + + + + - - - + Aster tripolium ssp. pannonicus + + - + - - - - - - Plantago maritima + - - + + + + + - + Juncetalia maritimi Lotus tenuis - - + - - + + + - - Elymus elongatus + + - + + - - + + + Juncetea maritimi Cirsium alatum - - + + - - + + + + Puccinelia gigantea + + + - - - - - - - Limonium gmelinii + + - + + + + - + + Festuco-Puccinellietea Agrostis gigantea ssp. maeotica - + + - - + + + + + Bolboschoenus maritimus + + - - - + + +- + Carex distans + - + + + - - - - + Carex divisa - - - - - + + + - + Cynodon dactylon - + + - - + - + + - Juncus gerardi - + + - - + + + + - Lythrum virgatum + + - - + - - + + + Puccinellia distans + + - + + - - - - - Puccinellia limosa + - - - + + + - + + Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani - - + + - + + + - - Bidentetea Bidens tripartita + + - - - - - - - - Rumex maritimus - + + + - - - - - - Molinio-Arrhenatheretea s.l. Agrostis stolonifera ssp. stolonifera + + + - - + - - - + Althaea officinalis + + - - - - - - - - Daucus carota ssp. carota - - - + + - + - - - Potentilla reptans + + - - - - + + + - Taraxacum officinale + - - - - - + + - - Festuco-Brometea s.l. Cynanchum acutum + + - + - - - - - + Peucedanum arenarium + - - - - - + + - Galio-Urticetea s.l. Elaeagnus angustifolia + + + - + + - - + + Variae syntaxa Plantago major + - - + + + - + + - Tamarix ramosissima + + - + + + + - 68
Cl. Festuco-Puccinellietea Soó 1968 Ord. Puccinellietalia Soó 1947 em Vicherek 1973 Al. Puccinellion limosae Klika in Vlach 1937 3. Association Agropyretum elongati Şerbănescu 1965 (syn. Elymetum elongati I. Şerbănescu 1965). The phytocoenoses of this association are widely spread in the Danube Delta, where they appear on sands and salty sandy soils, on the edge of wet microdepressions on soils with superficial sand layer. The characteristic species is Elymus elongatus, which is also the edifying species. It forms thick tussocks with a percentage ground cover of 80-100% (tab. II ). Among the tussocks grow a series of halophilous plants: Limonium gmelinii, Puccinellia distans, Carex distans, Juncus gerardii, Taraxacum bessarabicum, Artemisia santonica ssp. santonica etc. Table II. Association Agropyretum elongati I. Şerbănescu 1968 Relevé no. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Area (m 2 ) 75 100 80 100 100 100 Cover (%) 80 90 70 80 80 90 Altitude (m.s.m.) 3 5 10 6 3 2 Characteristic for association Elymus elongatus 4 5 4 4 4 5 Puccinellion limosae Artemisia santonica ssp. santonica + + - + + + Taraxacum bessarabicum + + - + - - Festuca arundinacea ssp. orientalis + - - - + + Festucion pseudovinae Achillea collina - + - + + + Arenaria serpyllifolia - + - - - + Cynodon dactylon + + - + + + Festuca pseudovina - + - - - + Puccinellietalia Polygonum aviculare - + - + + + Scorzonera cana - + - - + + Cypero-Spergularion et Crypsidetalia aculeatae Crypsis aculeata + + - - + + Spergularia media + + + - - + Lactuca saligna - - + - - - Scorzonero-Juncetalia gerardii Bolboschoenus maritimus + + - + - + Carex distans - + + + + + Carex divisa - - - + - - Inula britannica + + - + + + Juncus gerardii + - + + + - Peucedanum latifolium + + - + + - Festuco-Puccinellietea Aster tripolium ssp. tripolium - + - + - - Atriplex littoralis + + - + - - Atriplex prostrata - + + - + - Limonium bellidifolium + - - + + - Limonium gmelinii - + + + - - Lotus corniculatus - - - - + - Lotus tenuis - + - - + - 69
Relevé no. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Plantago maritima - - - + + - Plantago lanceolata + + - + + - Festuco-Brometea Artemisia austriaca + - - - + + Cynanchum acutum + - - - - - Festuca valesiaca + + + - - + Medicago falcata - + - - - - Medicago minima + + - - - + Linum perenne + - - - - - Poa bulbosa + + - + - - Verbascum chaixii - - + + - - Molinio-Arrhenetheretea Bromus commutatus - - + + - - Elymus repens + - + + + + Lolium perenne + + - - - + Taraxacum officinale + + - + - - Plantaginetea majoris s.l. Cichorium intybus + + + + - + Plantago major - - + - - + Phragmiti-Magnocaricetea s.l. Calamagrostis pseudophragmites + + - + - - Bidentetea s.l. Rumex maritimus - - + - - - Elymetalia gigantei Centaurea arenaria + - + - - - Juncetea maritimi s.l. Juncus littoralis + + + - + + Juncus maritimus - - + + + - Artemisieta s.l. Melilotus albus + + - + + - Variae syntaxa Asparagus pseudoscaber + - + + - - Tamarix ramosissima + + - - - - The plant communities with Juncus maritimus and Juncus littoralis have conservation value because they are included in the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC as 1410 Mediterranean salt meadows (Juncetalia maritimi) Romanian correspondent is R1501 west-pontic communities with Juncus maritimus and Juncus littoralis [4, 6]. Acknowledgements This work was supported by CNCSIS-UEFISCSU, project PNII-IDEI 2098, no. 1041/2009. REFERENCES 1. BRAUN-BLANQUET J., 1964 Pflanzensoziologie. Grundzűge der Vegetations-kunde. Ed. 3. Springer- Verlag, Wien New York. 2. COLDEA G. (ed.), SANDA V., POPESCU A., ŞTEFAN, N., 1997 Les association végétales de Roumanie. 1. Les associations herbacées naturelles. Presses Universitaires de Cluj, Cluj-Napoca. 3. CRISTEA V., GAFTA D., PEDROTTI F., 2004 Fitosociologie. Edit. Presa Universitară Clujeană, Cluj- Napoca. 4. DONIŢĂ N., POPESCU A., PAUCĂ-COMĂNESCU M., MIHĂILESCU S., BIRIŞ I.-A., 2005 Habitatele din România. Edit. Tehnică Silvică, Bucureşti. 70
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