Abstract
The study presents the findings of research into the effect of the variability of site conditions on their floristic composition providinga basis for the identification of lower phytosociological units. Patches of Arrhenatheretum elatioris described with the assistance ofphytosociological surveys conducted using the Braun-Blanquet method were subjected to multi-criteria evaluation. On their basis, thefollowing parameters were determined: ecological and botanical structure, geographic-historical distribution, the structure of the lifegroupsof the floristic types identified, as well as natural values by the Oświt method and sward fodder value according to Filipek. In orderto determine the causes of the floristic variability observed, the following soil conditions were assessed: moisture content, soil reactionand nitrogen content by Ellenberg’s indicator method, as well as potassium, magnesium and phosphorus content by the appropriatelaboratory methods. Typical forms of Arrhenatheretum elatioris phytocenoses were found to develop on mucky soils in moderately moistsites. Patches of ryegrass occurring in sites with a periodically higher moisture content on organic soils refer to the Alopecuretum pratensisassociation. On the other hand, the sward of ryegrass meadows developed on dryer, mineral soils was characterised by increased numbersof species characteristic for xerothermic swards from the Festuco-Brometea class and sandy plant communities from the Koelerio glauca-Corynephoretea canescentis. More intensive utilization, primarily-fertilisation, was among the causes of the development of species-poorphytocenoses of low natural value but sward of a good fodder value.
Highlights
The current structure of Arrhenatheretum elatioris patches was affected, first and foremost, by changes in utilization: on one hand, intensification, where the demand for forages was high and, in other places, the decline in the utilization of meadows which were sometimes left idle for some years, and on the other hand, the floristic structure of ryegrass meadows is associated with site conditions (Zarzycki et al, 2011)
The aim of this study was to assess the impact of soil conditions on the diversity of Arrhenatheretum elatioris in: floristic compositions, which formed the basis for division of lower syntaxonomic units (1) and in natural and utilizations values (2)
Similar examples which were an effect of ecological variability and vegetation dynamism in the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea class as a whole are noted, e.g. Cirsietum rivularis, Angelico-Cirsietum oleracei, Filipendulo-Geranietum palustris (Balátová-Tuláčková et al, 1987), Polygono-Cirsietum palustris (Balátová-Tuláčková, 1974), Lolio-Cynosuretum, Trisetetum flavescentis, Alopecuretum pratensis, Molinietum medioeuropaeum communities (Kucharski and Michalska-Hejduk, 1994)
Summary
Arrhenatheretum elatioris are among the most widespread plant communities in Poland and in Central Europe as a whole (Dierschke, 1994, 1999a; Duchoslav, 1997; Kojić et al, 2005; Kucharski and Michalska-Hejduk, 1994; Mucina et al, 1993; Rozbrojová et al, 2010; Valev et al, 2011; Zarzycki et al, 2011; Żyszkowska, 2007) This can be attributed mainly to the wide ecological scale of species making up this phytocenosis. The significant drying out of river valleys and flooding, which had previously not been observed, were quickly reflected in the structure of the plant cover
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