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)

The timberline runs at about 1,550-1,600 m a.s.l. and is formed by beech. As a result of human influence in the past, the timberline is lower than would naturally be. The higher altitudes, formerly covered by dwarfed subalpine spruce stands, are presently dominated by Juniperus communis subsp. saxatilis and subalpine pastures with Poa media, Poa alpina, Sesleria coerulea, Festuca valida, Phleum alpinum, etc. Small fragments of orophytic subalpine vegetation on bare rocks and "stone rivers" are found just below Midzor peak, dominated by Saxifraga spp. (S. pedemontana, S. paniculata, S. bryoides), Cerastium alpinum, Juncus trifidus, Sedum alpestre (BONDEV 1966). On the proposal of the Institute of Nature Protection of Serbia, in 1997 Stara Planina was placed under strict protection as "natural merit of first class" and a strategy for ecotourism development was developed. METHODS The collecting trip to the investigated area shown in Figure 1 was made in July 2005. Most collecting places are situated in Serbia, but one locality lies on the eastern side of Midzor peak on the territory of Bulgaria. All main habitat types, such as forests, grasslands, stream valleys and fens were visited, and bryophytes were collected from different substrates (soil, exposed and shady rocks, tree barks and decaying wood). The specimens are deposited in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest (BP) and in the Botanical Museum, Berlin Dahlem (B). Nomenclature of the species follows GROLLE and LONG (2000) and HILL et al. (2006). New floristical results for Serbia are analysed according to the checklists of Serbia-Montenegro (SABOVLJEVIC 2000^, SABOVLJEVIC and STEVANOVIC 1999) and updated by the new records (see the citations in introduction), while for Bulgaria according to the checklists of Bulgaria (GANEVA and NATCHEVA 2003, NATCHEVA and GANEVA 2005). Site details 1. Serbia, Stara Planina Mts, Babin Zub, at great rock walls in Fagetum, boulder scree and crevices of great rocks, Permian red sandstone, 1,581 m, 43° 22' 28.8" N, 22° 36' 59.1" E, 25.06.2005.