Phytogeographic Development of Czechoslovak Steppes

Abstract

The flora in Czechoslovakia belongs to three large European vegetation regions: the Middle-European, Pontic-Pannonian and Carpathian. They all occur on the territory of Czechoslovakia, and from the point of view of phytogeography produce a whole series of problems. An important part in our flora is played by the xerophytes and thermophytes. The area on which this flora occurs is called Pannonicum. It is characteristic of the xerothermal steppe vegetation which passes into timbered steppe. Of course it gets changed by man into fields, gardens, meadows, forests. Remnants of the original vegetation appear only sporadically. To distinguish from the Moravian xerothermal region, some elements of the subarctic steppe are found in Bohemia. They got here along the Sarmatian Lane. Moravia, on the other hand, abounds in some species that have never penetrated as far as Bohemia. In our conditions, the steppe achieves the form of double staged, non-forest, mostly grass-grown associations occuring most often in sunny places and on slopes with southern exposition. Their existence depends closely on microclimatic and edaphic factors. In our country, they occur most often in the warmest and most arid areas as typical representatives of xerothermal associations of xerothermal regions.