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The class Phragmito-Magnocaricetea in Croatia: classification, ecological conditions and threats

In Croatia, the class Phragmito-Magnocaricetea embraces the marshland vegetation of stagnant water, stream banks and terrain depressions with periodic floodwater. Phytosociological research of marshland vegetation has been carried out in accordance with the Braun-Blanquet methodology. So far, 820 relevés have been collected and stored in the database. Marshland vegetation of the class Phragmito-Magnocaricetea in Croatia covers the order Phragmitetalia, three alliances – Phragmition, Magnocaricion and Sparganio-Glycerion fluitantis – and a total of 40 communities. The alliance Phragmition contains the following 17 associations: Acoretum calami, Butometum umbellati, Cladietum marisci, Cyperetum longi, Equisetetum fluviatilis, Glycerietum maximae, Oenantho-Rorippetum, Phragmitetum australis, Phragmiti-Typhetum minimae, Sagittario-Sparganietum emersi, Scirpetum lacustris, Scirpetum litoralis, Scirpetum maritimi, Scirpetum tabernaemontani, Sparganietum erecti, Typhetum angustifoliae, and Typhetum latifoliae. The alliance Magnocaricion contains 17 communities: Caricetum acutiformis, Caricetum buekii, Caricetum elatae, Caricetum gracilis, Caricetum otrubae, Caricetum paniculatae, Caricetum rostratae, Caricetum vesicariae, Caricetum vulpinae, Eleocharitetum palustris, Eleocharitetum uniglumis, Galio palustris-Caricetum ripariae, Hydrocotyle-Caricetum elatae, Phalaridetum arundinaceae, Carex randalpina community, Iris pseudacorus community, and Juncus subnodulosus community. The alliance Sparganio-Glycerion fluitantis contains 6 communities: Apietum nodiflori, Glycerietum fluitantis, Glycerietum plicatae, Leersietum oryzoidis, Nasturtietum officinalis, and Veronica beccabunga community. The best-represented marshland community in the database is Phragmitetum australis, followed by Galio palustris-Caricetum ripariae and Caricetum gracilis. Diversity of marshland vegetation and of the appertaining plant species is considerably higher in inland Croatia than along the Adriatic coast. Through the process of numerical classification it was found that most clusters correspond to specific associations of marshland vegetation, but do not confirm the division in higher syntaxonomic categories, i.e. alliances and orders. As regards the ecological conditions in habitats, by numerical analysis it was established that variation in marshland vegetation is mostly affected by nutrient content, soil reaction, soil moisture, depth of water, and type of management. Since marshland vegetation belongs to the most highly endangered types of habitat, the main threats could be considered to be: natural succession expressed by overgrowth by scrub and woody species, absence of mowing, fragmentation of habitats by the construction of roads and other objects, drainage of marshes, and loss of moisture from the habitat caused by watercourse regulation.

marshland vegetation; Phragmito-Magnocaricetea

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