B. Papp szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 38. 2007 (Budapest, 2007)
Papp, Beáta; Erzberger, Peter: Contributions to the bryophyte flora of Western Stara Planina Mts (E Serbia)
knowledge, the bryophyte flora of Serbia comprises 118 hepatics and 527 mosses. 36 species of the European red list occur in the country (ECCB 1995, PAPP et al. in press). Following is a new contribution based on comprehensive work done in the Western Stara Planina Mts (E Serbia) with the aim of the better knowledge of the Serbian bryoflora and provide new data on European redlisted species. MATERIALS AND METHODS The investigated area Stara Planina Mts ("Old Mountain" or the Balkan mountain range) are an extension of the Carpathian mountain range, separated from the latter by the Danube River. It runs 560 km from eastern Serbia eastward through central Bulgaria to the Black Sea. In Serbia, Stara Planina Mts cover 1,800 km of mountainous region; 150 km along the border of Serbia and Bulgaria. The highest peak of this western part of the range, situated on the borderline between Serbia and Bulgaria, is Midzor at 2,168 m a.s.l. The overall climate is continental with clear montane characteristics above 1000 m on the northern and above 1,500 m on the southern slopes. The mean temperature in January is -2, -9 °C depending on altitude and exposure, whereas the mean temperature in July is 10-22 °C. The precipitation reaches its maximum in May-June, and the minimum is in February, with the mean annual precipitation 1,300 mm. The snow cover lasts for 7-8 months in the areas above 2,000 m, and 120-130 days at 1,500-2,000 m a.s.l. (VOYNIKOV 1989). The bedrock consists mostly of Paleozoic, weakly metamorphic and intrusive siliceous rocks and mainly Permian red sandstone in the surroundings of Midzor peak. The soils are brown-forest soils in the forested areas, which form a relatively thick layer, and dark peaty mountainous soils at higher elevations (VOYNIKOV 1989). The vegetation consists mainly of beech forests (Fagus sylvatica) with scattered remnants of spruce (Picea abies) on the northeastern slopes.
