Ábrahám Levente (szerk.): Válogatott tanulmányok VI. - Natura Somogyiensis 19. (Kaposvár, 2010)
ERDŐS L., BÁTORI Z., MORSCHHAUSER T., DÉNES A. & KÖRMÖCZI L.: Transitional plant communities of the Villány Mts
Natura Somogyiensis 19 35-40 Kaposvár, 2011 Transitional plant communities of the Villány Mts 'LÁSZLÓ ERDŐS, 'ZOLTÁN BÁTORI, 2TAMÁS MORSCHHAUSER, 3ANDREA DÉNES & 'LÁSZLÓ KÖRMÖCZI 'University of Szeged, Department of Ecology H-6726 Szeged, Közép fasor 52., Hungary, e-mail: Erdos.Laszlo@bio.u-szeged.hu, zbatory@gmail.com, kormoczi@bio.u-szeged.hu 2University of Pécs, Department of Plant Taxonomy and Geobotany H-7624 Pécs, Ifjúság útja 6., Hungary, e-mail: morsi@gamma.ttk.pte.hu 3Janus Pannonius Museum, Department of Natural History H-7621 Pécs, Szabadság utca 2., Hungary, e-mail: denes.andrea@jpm.hu ERDŐS L., BATORI Z., MORSCHHAUSER T., DÉNES A. & KÖRMÖCZI L.: Transitional plant communities of the Villány Mts. Abstract: Transitional communities of the Villány Mts were investigated. The associations Inulo spiraeifoliaeBrometum pannoniéi, Festuco rupicolae-Arrhenatheretum, Helleboro odori-Spiraeetum mediae and Inulo spiraeifoliae-Quercetum puhescentis were analysed in the context of north-south facing vegetation gradients. Their species composition and ecological conditions as well as their position along the gradient were evaluated in relation to the nearby communities. We found that the four communities studied not only occupy a transitional position in the topographical space, but also their species composition and ecological conditions seem to be transitional. Keywords: Szársomlyó, Inulo spiraeifoliae-Brometum pannonici, Festuco rupicolae-Arrhenatheretum, Helleboro odori-Spiraeetum mediae, Inulo spiraeifoliae-Quercetum pubescentis Introduction The analysis of ecological gradients has been a central issue in vegetation science during the last few decades (e.g. van der MAAREL and LEERTOUWER 1967, WHITTAKER 1967, WERGER et al. 1983, HOAGLAND and COLLINS 1997, AUSTIN 2005). Because of the marked differences between the microclimates of the northern and southern slopes, the Villány Mts provide excellent opportunities to study north-south facing vegetation gradients ( ERDŐS et al. 2008, 2009). Former classical coenological studies revealed that in northern exposures, near the ridges, transitional plant communities can be found, where species of mesophilous forests and of xerophilous grasslands co-occur. Stands of karst shrubforests, occuring in northern exposures are deviating from stands in southern exposures ( DÉNES 1995). The rock-heath association Helleboro odori-Spiraeetum mediae , as well as rock swards develop in similar positions, on the northern sides of the ridges (DÉNES 1998, ERDŐS and MORSCHHAUSER 2010, ERDŐS et al. 2010). Since the plant communities mentioned above are located at special sections of northsouth facing gradients, the present study tries to place them into the context of vegetation gradients. The aim of this work was to summarize the published results as well as to
