Zs. K. Komáromy szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 17. 1984 (Budapest, 1984)
Szerdahelyi, Tibor: Rare ferns of Hungary III. The establishment of fern species in a planted pine forest
STUDIA BOTANICA HUNGARICA {Antea: Fragmenta Botanica) XVII. 1984 p. 15-22 Rare ferns of Hungary III. The establishment of fern species in a planted pine forest By T. SZERDAHELYI (Received November 30, 1982) Abstract: Near the river Danube at the foot of the Gerecse Mountains, there is a protected area which contains 13 fern species in the spot of ' Ebgondolta' forest. The results of cenological investigations are presented. The data of the sample plots were processed with the help of computer. INTRODUCTION The protected area encompasses the sand slopes and low loess hills at the foot of the Gerecse Mountains, near the village Almásneszmély. These hills face the river Danube and the mouth of the river Zsitva. The studied ' Ebgondolta' forest is part of the protected area and the discovery of the ferns is connected with the work of the late I. SKOFLEK, museologist in the town of Tata. The ' Ebgondolta' forest lies between the abovementioned loess hills and the inundation area of the river Danube. Near to the edge of the forest the brook ' Általér' is to be found, it conducts the water of the 'Öreg-tő' from Tata (Map.). The forest has sandy soil, its height above see level is about 50 m and the loess hills lie at about 150 m. It faces mildly to N and its area is about 5 hectares. In the area 30-40 years old black pine ( Pinus nigra ) are planted, where 13 fern species have become established in the grass layer. The reasons of the fern establishment The first most important feature we have to point out is the species richness of the fern company completely unique in Europe. BREMER (1980) published similar occurrence in the Netherlands, where 23 species had become established in a considerably larger area (1100 hectares). That assemblage I consider interesting rather than unique because of the Atlantic climate. I attach great importance, however, to the presence of the ferns in the study area because of the Continental climate The reasons of the establishment of the ferns could be e.g. good water supply at the sandloess border, optimal moisture content, optimal quantity of light and the initiator role of the mosses developing humid microclimate ensure the conditions for the survival of the seedling fern sporophytes. The circumstances of the establishment After having grown up, the black pine seedlings formed a closed tree stratum and a grass layer poor in species, containing only those which tolerate small amount of light. It must have been similar to the common grass layer of pine forests. At that time there were no ferns at all.
