1. Flora and phytogeographical characteristics of Vidlič mountain (E Serbia)
Marković M.1, Pavlović D.2, Zlatković B.1, Marković A.2, Jotić B.1, Stankov Jovanović V.1, Gnjatović I.1, Marković V.1
1 University of Niš, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Višegradska 33, Niš, Serbia
2 University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Radoja Domanovića 12, Kragujevac
Abstract
A relatively spacious, limestone massif of Vidlič Mountain, mostly located in eastern Serbia was investigated. Mountain rises above the Pirot, occupying a NW-SE direction up to the border, and continuing trough the territory of Bulgaria. On the basis of detailed, multi-year field study and review of literature material, it was found that the vascular flora of the study area makes 1265 species and subspecies, arranged in 55 orders, 93 families and 442 genus.
The present study comprises range of biological flora of the area, which was compared with the biological spectrum of flora of Serbia, the Balkan Peninsula, the Mediterranean region and temperate zone of Europe. The Mt. Vidlič is characterised by high presence of hemicryphytes, which fits into the range of Serbia flora, and in ecological sense is closer to the floras of the temperate zone. In addition to the dominant Euroasian influence on the mountain Vidlič flora, powerful impact is achieved by the Pontic region and weakened Mediterranean influences that comes from the valley of Sruma river through Sofija field. Presence of mountain flora elements is registered, witnessing strong contact with the floras of E and SE Serbia limestone mountains on one side and Stara mountains on the other side.
We recorded 25 endemic taxa, representing 8,71% of the total number of Balkan endemic flora of Serbia, representing 1,98% of total flora of Vidič mountain. During the study, a large number of data on distribution of significant and rare representatives of Serbian flora where recorded (Ophrys insectifera, Orchis pallens, Galanthus elewesii, Paeonia peregrina, P. tenuifolia, Prunus tenella, Ribes multiflorum, Euphrasia hirtella, E. Illyrica, Malcolmia serbica, Salvia austriaca etc.)
Acknowledgements: This work is part of project No funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development
10x10 UTM map of Serbia with marked position of Vidlic mt.
Introduction
Vidic Mountain is located in the southeastern part of Serbia, north of the river Nisava. In our country Vidlic is the peripheral aretain, as the Serbian-Bulgarian border goes across the mountain. Her long and distinctive reef, which starts above Pirot, is located in NW-SE direction to the Bulgarian border, it does not stop there but extends through its territory until Sofia. According to Jovan Cvijić (1902), who first gave the main concepts of structural characteristics of Balkan Peninsula, Vidic is a mountain that belongs to the Balkan mountain range. Vidic Mountain is a part of the Pirot and Dimitrovgrad municipalities. The mountain is characterized by a dynamic relief, tilted slopes and vast treeless area that is exposed to high erosion process.
One group of authors considers Vidlic as a branch of Stara Planina Mountain. Another group of authors believes that Vidic makes a separate orographic and tectonic unit, which, because of its geological structure has particular morphological forms and specific hydrographic features, which significantly differs from the rest of Stara Planina Moountain and Visok area.
On the karst parts of Vidlic mountain, three types of soil are dominant: shallow skeletal soils (the reddish soil tiller, pseudoredish soil), brown (tiller) soil on limestone (terra fusca) and mountain podzol. The climate in the area of Vidlic is temperate continental with transient changes to sub-mountain and mountain at altitudes of over 600 meters above sea level. In the lower of Vidlic, climate is temperate continental, but at altitudes from 800 to 1000 m above sea level starts to have characteristics of sub mountain and mountain climate. By poor water sources, Vidic is more similar to Suva than Stara Planina Mountain.
Environmental factors have caused flora and vegetation complexity, diversity and specificity of Vidlic mountain, characterising by vertical and horizontal distribution of plant species and communities. On the Vidlic vertical profile,two altitude forest vegetation belts are characteristic: a belt of oak forest that is m up to 1000 and 1100 beech forests of 1000 and 1100 m above sea level, up to the highest mountain peak which is 1413 m.
Table 1. Taxonomic structure of families of the flora of Vidlic mt.
Methods and material
During the field research from to samples of plants from the field of Vidlic mountain were collected and adequate herbarium specimens were made, which are stored in the herbarium of the Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Niš: Herbarium moesiacum (HMN) and in the herbarium of the Institute of Biology and Ecology, University of Kragujevac.
Identification of the collected plant material was performed according editions: "Flora SR Serbia," the IX (Josifović, ), "Flora of the People's Republic Bulgaria" (Velchev, ), and the nomenclature of the harmonized European flora ("Flora Europaea ", Tutin, , 1993), or iopi databases.
Familia
No. genus
No.
spec.
1. Acanthaceae 1
48. Juncaceae 2 13
2. Aceraceae 5
49. Lamiaceae 29 70
3. Adoxaceae
50. Liliaceae 14 39
4. Alismataceae
51. Linaceae 6
5. Amarylidaceae 3
52. Lythraceae
6. Anacardiaceae
53. Malvaceae 4
7. Apiaceae 33 64
54. Menyanthaceae
8. Apocynaceae
55. Moraceae
9. Araceae
56. Oenotheraceae 8
10. Araliaceae
57. Oleaceae
11. Aristolochiaceae
58. Ophioglossaceae
12. Asclepiadaceae
59. Orchidaceae
13. Asparagaceae
60. Orobanchaceae
14. Aspidiaceae
61. Oxalidaceae
15. Aspleniaceae
62. Paeoniaceae
16. Asteraceae 53
146
63. Papavearceae 10
17. Athyriaceae
64. Pinaceae
18. Berberidaceae
65. Plantaginaceae
19. Boraginaceae 12 27
66. Poaceae 45 94
20. Brassicaceae 28 67
67. Polygalaceae
21. Campanulaceae 20
68. Polygonaceae
22. Cannabaceae
69. Polypodiaceae
23. Caprifoliaceae
70. Primulaceae
24. Caryophyllaceae 16 61
71. Ranunculaceae 15 35
25. Celastraceae
72. Resedaceae
26. Chenopodiaceae
73. Rhamnaceae
27. Cistaceae
74. Rosaceae 18
28. Convolvulaceae
75. Rubiaceae 21
29. Cornaceae
76. Rutaceae
30. Corylaceae
77. Salicaceae
31. Crassulaceae 11
78. Santalaceae
32. Cupressacaceae
79. Saxifragaceae
33. Cyperaceae
80. Scrophulariaceae
34. Dioscoreaceae
81. Selaginellaceae
35. Dipsacaceae
82. Simaroubiaceae
36. Equisetaceae
83. Solanaceae
37. Euphorbiaceae
84. Staphylleaceae
38. Fabaceae
113
85. Thymeleaceae
39. Fagaceae
86. Tiliaceae
40. Gentianaceae
87. Typhaceae
41. Geraniaceae 17
88. Ulmaceae
42. Globulariaceae
89. Urticaceae
43. Grossulariaceae
90. Valerianaceae
44. Hypericaceae 9
91. Verbenaceae
45. Hypolepidaceae
92. Violaceae
46. Iridaceae
93. Zygophyllaceae
47. Juglandaceae
Total
444
1265
Results
Analysis of the database of collected plant material in the period from 2002 to 2011, and the literature data about Vidlic flora, yielded by 1265 taxons of species and subspecies (12 species of Pteridophyta nadrazdela and 1253 species of nadrazdela Spermatophyta).
Fig. 2. Overview of the richest families regarding number of species (number of species greater than 20)
Conclusion
The Vidlic flora is represented by 1265 different species of vascular plants, arranged in 55 orders, 93 families and 442 genera. Divisio of ferns (Pteridophyta) was presented with a total of 12 species (one species from the section Lycopodiophyta (class Selaginellopsida), 3 species of horsetail-section Equisetophyta (class Equisetopsida), one species of the divisio Psilotophyta (class Ophioglossopsida) and 7 species of fern division Polypodiophyta (class Polypodiopsida). Testa (Spermatophyta) were presented with 1253 species (7 species of divisio Pinophyta and 1246 species of Pinopsida Angiosperms species division Magnoliophyta).
The largest number of genera and species is present in the family Asteraceae, while genus Carex is the richest in species. Vidlic flora is characterized by largest share (45% of total taxa) of hemicryphytes, which is genral characteristic of the flora of the most regions of temperate zone.
Fig 1. Overview of the richest families regarding the number of genera (number of genera over 10)
Fig 3. Overview of the richest genera regarding the number of species
Table 2. Comparative review of the biological spectra
P (%)
Ch (%)
H (%)
G (%)
T (%)
Vidlič mt. 9 8 45 15 23
Serbia
6,5
9,8
46,8 14
18,5
Balkan peninsula
7,2
15,2
44,4
9,1
21,2
Mediteran 12 6 29 11 42
Temperate zone of Europe
8,3
4,8
50,5
20,7
15,7
Environmental analysis of flora - biological spectrum
Biological spectrum of Vidlic flora was compared to biological spectrum of Serbian flora, as well as to biological spectrum of Balkan peninsula, Meditaran and temperate region of Europe (Table 2). Vidlic flora, flora of Serbia and Balkan peninsula flora are characterized with major share of Chemikriptofites, which is general characteristic of the flora of the temperate region.
Fig 4. Overview of biological spectrum of flora of Vidlic mt.