Grassland vegetation of Hodrušská hornatina highland in Central Slovakia

Abstract

AbstractThis paper is focused on the grassland communities in Hodrušská hornatina highland, Central Slovakia. We studied grasslands at 153 sites during the vegetation periods of 2013-2015 and recorded 303 species of vascular plants in the studied localities. The species richness ranged from 16 to 66 taxa per relevé. Data analysis (TWINSPAN, DCA) grouped the relevés into eight clusters. These clusters include five associations from three alliances: Holcetum lanati (Deschampsion cespitosae), Pastinaco sativae-Arrhenatherum elatioris, Alchemillo- Arrhenatheretum elatioris, Anthoxantho odorati-Agrostietum tenuis (all from Arrhenatherion elatioris) and Onobrychido viciifoliae-Brometum erecti (Bromion erecti). The other three clusters represent the transitional and successional stages of the communities listed above. A brief description of syntaxa is given. At some sites, the threatened, rare or protected taxa of Slovakia occurred as well, one from each of the categories of Critically Endangered and Vulnerable, nine species of the Nearly Threatened and six species from the category of Least Concerned.