Study on the psammophytic grasslands along River Maritsa in the Thracian Lowland, Bulgaria

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the first phytocoenological analysis of psammophytic semi-ruderal vegetation on the alluvial terraces of River Maritsa in the Thracian Lowland, Bulgaria. During the field study, new syntaxa for Bulgaria have been found. The new alliance for Bulgaria, Salsolion ruthenicae (class Digitario sanguinalis-Eragrostietea minoris), is represented by the association Erysimo diffusi-Cynodontetum dactylontis, which is widespread on the sand deposits in the river's floodplain. A comparatively high level of ruderalisation influences the communities on the alluvial sands. The species composition of the communities reveals a mixture of perennial species (Cynodon dactylon, Bothriochloa ischaemum, Eryngium campestre), annual psammophytes (Plantago arenaria, Silene conica, Lomelosia argentea) and nitrophilous species, including neophytes (Portulaca oleracea, Tragus racemosus, Erigeron canadensis). The communities in this association differ from those in Central Europe and this has prompted the description of a new subassociation (Poaetosum bulbosae).

Classification of the high‐rank syntaxa of the Central and Eastern Balkan dry grasslands with a new hierarchical expert system approach

“…As seen in Table 2, the Festucion vaginatae includes the stands from the dunes of the Black Sea coast because their differences from the stands along the Danube justify, from our point of view, a separation at association, but not at alliance level. By contrast, some recent overviews place the Black Sea stands in a separate alliance Scabiosion ucranicae , either in the same order as the Festucion vaginatae (Tzonev et al., 2009) or even in a separate class (Mucina et al., 2016: Helichryso‐Crucianelletea ; Marcenò et al., 2018: Ammophiletea ).…”

“…It has been considered natural steppe vegetation (Bohn et al., 2004). However, there has been a dispute whether this alliance belongs to the Festucetalia valesiacae (Dihoru, 1999; Tzonev et al., 2006) or the Stipo pulcherrimae‐Festucetalia pallentis (Tzonev et al., 2009; Mucina et al., 2016). Both solutions seem to be ecologically and chorologically meaningful.…”

“…The class Koelerio‐Corynephoretea s.l. has rarely been recognised in phytosociological works of the Central and Eastern Balkans (but see Tzonev et al., 2009; Pedashenko et al., 2013). By contrast, we found two well separated syntaxonomic groups that could be equated to orders in the European classification system of the class Koelerio‐Corynephoretea by Dengler (2003: table 30).…”

A contribution to the vascular flora of Bulgaria: new species record and chorological update

“…The species is documented mostly from East Bulgaria (Valev, 1964). Here, a new locality and first (Hájek et al, 2005;Hájek et al, 2007;Tzonev et al, 2013;Stoyanov et al, 2021). An additional collection of the species from Slavyanka Mts -SOM-151060 (9 Aug 1991, leg.…”

Phytochemical and biological investigations on Centranthus kellereri (Stoj., Stef. & T. Georgiev) Stoj. & Stef. and C. ruber (L.) DC. and their potential as new medicinal and ornamental plants

“…According to the EUNIS classification [ 3 ], the habitat of the species is H2.4 Mountainous sandstone and ultrabasic screes in the temperate zone. According to the Habitat Directive, it corresponds to natural habitat 8120 sandstone screes and screes of sandstone shales from montane to alpine levels ( Thlaspietea rotundifolii ) [ 4 ].…”