Zs. K. Komáromy szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 17. 1984 (Budapest, 1984)

Szujkó-Lacza, Júlia: The flora of the Kerecsendi berek forest

STUDIA BOTANICA HUNGARICA (Antea: Fragmenta Botanica) XVII. 1984 p. 23-39 The flora of the Kerecsendi berek forest By J. SZUJKÓ-LACZA (Received November 30, 1982) Abstract: A total of 342 vascular plant taxa was found in this locality and its vicinity. The flora of the forest was analysed according to the distribution of species in microhabitats, type of plant geographical area (flora elements) and life-forms. Highest diversity (H'

) value is given by microhabitats and maximal evenness (J) by life-forms. There are five communities extensive or fragmentary. Species richness is greatest in the Aceri tatarico-Quercetum pubescenti-roboris (hungaricum) and poorest in the Prunetum spinosae community. INTRODUCTION The forest "Kerecsendi berek erdő" is situated north of the Great Hungarian Plain and south of the Bükk mountains, near to highway E 96. Its size is 169 hectares. The forest has developed mainly on chernozem soil originated from loess (PINCZES 1956). The elevation of this forest varies between 120 and 150 m a.s. s. Annual precipitation is 538 mm, as based on the data of the meteorological station in the village Kápolna near Kerecsend. The loess had developed continuously during the last ice-age (70000-10200) and the process was the most intensive about 20000 years ago MIHÁLTZ (1967), MOLNÁR (1979). The Pannonian floraprovince was covered by loess in the Carpathian Basin. The post-glacial vegetation was removed from the largest part of this area, because the advantageous characters of these soils make it highly suitable for cultivation and grazing The remaining - more or less undisturbed vegetation spots were thoroughly studied by botanists, first by MENYHÁRT (1877), BOROS (1953, 1959), ZÓLYOMI (1957, 1958), JANKÓ & ZÓLYOMI (1962) in Hungary. The zonal plant community of the Kerecsendi berek forest, the Aceri tatarico-Quercetum pubescenti-roboris (hungaricum) was investigated and results published by ZÓLYOMI (1957). He also mentioned a fragment of Fraxino pannonicae-Ulmetum community from here between the zonal forest and the Lasko rivulet in the flood-plain near Kerecsend. Beside these two communities mentioned by ZÓLYOMI (1957), there is a fragment of Polygonato (latifoliae)-Carpinetum in the deeper valley, Prunetum spinosae as a marginal community at the edge of the zonal forest and moreover, a patch of Salvio (nutanti-nemorosae)-Festucetum rupicolae on a relatively wide, 5-7 meters forest road. These latter ones were analysed by SZUJKÓ-LACZA & RAJCZY (1983) in detail. The both forests are contiguous with cultivated land and behind the forest patch are an abandoned formerly deforested area. The check-list published by ZÓLYOMI (1957) from the Aceri tatarico-Quercetum contains 118 species. Since this publication the area has received strict protection, because it is a remnant of the zonal forest-steppe-forest (cf. ZÓLYOMI I.e.). According to our studies (SZUJKO-LACZA & RAJCZY I.e.) there exists also a true steppe