Kaszab Zoltán (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 65. (Budapest 1973)

Szujkó-Lacza, J. ; Fekete, G.: Synphenological changes in the vegetation of a submediterranean oak forest (Orno-Quercetum)

The tenability of grouping according to species attaining complete or merely a hmited developmental cycle is not refuted by the fact that in the same association most species which reach also the reproductive stages proliferate not by seeds but primarily by vegetative migration (cf. PRÉCSÉNYI, FEKETE & SZUJKÓ-LACZA 1967 ; SZUJKÓ-LACZA-FEKETE 1973). This is inferred from the circumstance that in the same stand of Orno-Quercetum other ecological effect the complete evolvement of the developmental cycle of the same species than the germination of its seeds. The rate of duration of the reproductive phasis was also investigated. The distribution of the duration of the reproductive phasis is shown in column 2 of Table 2. In the construction of the several columns of the Table, e.g. in casting the phenomena 31 -41 discussed above, a species showing at the time of observation any one of the phenomena 31, 32, 33, 34 or 41 was counted as one in the several duration categories (as is to be seen, the occasionally very prolonged fruit-falling is also included here). The simultaneous presence (combination) of several reproductive phenomena is also counted as one. Table 2. Frequency distribution per duration of the productive and reproductive activities of Orno-Quercetum species Duration 23-24 21-41 (number of months) 31 — 41 23-24 21-41 0 21 0 0 1 3 0 0 2 1 0 0 3 14 4 1 4 9 18 1 5 21 15 13 6 3 10 19 7 2 7 5 8 0 11 14 9 0 9 21 Accordingly, not all species reach the reproductive period as are in the reproductive stage for 5 months. The majority of the species of the association belongs to the group(s) with a reproductive phasis of 3, 4, or 5 months. The productive activity is characterized by the period spent with nearly or wholly developed vegetative organs. For characterization we selected therefore the duration of phenomena 23-24 (Table 2). The periods 4 and 5 were registered most frequently ; the species number remains at about an average, medium level in respect of a period of 6-9 months. The number of species reproducing for a short period is meagre, that is, species producing for one or two months do not occur here at all. The frequency distribution of species in the active stage of the vegetative period (phenomena 21-41) is also shown in Table 2. The stage is regarded as active in which the given species develops either new shoots or descendants, or when its organic matter balance is positive. The frequency distribution of this stage is strongly asymmetrical, shifted towards the greater number of months. Species functioning for 5—9 months make up 98% of the total number of species : the association consists of species for a relatively long period. During the entire research period of 9 months, 21 species are active throughout.