B. Papp szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 35. 2004 (Budapest, 2004)

Szollát, György; Schmotzer, András: Contributions to the flora and vegetation of the environs of Balassagyarmat (Hungary)

Mainly near the southern edge of the site, degraded patches of vegetation were observed, these are typically dominated by Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Lamium maculatum, Glechoma hederacea. Site No. 11 Elevation: 138-140 m. Most of the lower parts of the Ipolyszögi Egerláp nature conservation area is covered by alder swamp wood (Carici elongatae-Alnetum Koch 1926) as well as willow mire wood (Calamagrosti-Salicetum cinereae Soó et Zólyomi in Soó 1955), large sedge (Caricetum gracilis Almquist 1929, Caricetum ripariae Soó 1928), Glyceria (Glycerietum maximae Hueck 1931) and reed beds (Phragmitetum communis Soó 1927) also of remarkable extension, and complexes of all these, respectively. There are patches of riverine willow-poplar wood of various sizes. The areas 0.5-1 metre higher than all these are occupied by a different type of alder swamp wood (Angelica sylvestris-Alnetum glutinosae = Carici acutiformis-Alnetum Dostál (1933) Soó 1963). In general, most of these plant communities are moderately degraded, however, almost natural and strongly degraded fragments are also present. The two main sources of degradation are the drying out of the area and the damage caused by wild animals (e.g. large rooting places of wild boar, grazing, dunging, trampling). The vegetation is characterised by the limited number of the species usually not frequent but typical for the community (so called "colouring" species) besides the constant and stand forming elements of the plant communities. In other words, these stands are relatively poor in species, while the proportion of phytosociologically common species, weeds and nitrophytes is high. In the stands of Carici elongatae-Alnetum the canopy layer is almost exclusively dominated by Alnus glutinosa, while Fraxinus angustifolia subsp. pannonica and Salix alba occur only sporadically. In the shrub layer Sambucus nigra is characteristic, which indicates degradation; Viburnum opulus and Frangula alnus are also frequent, while Salix fragilis and Salix cinerea appear mainly at the edges of the stands. Ribes rubrum and the protected Ribes nigrum (10-20 specimens) are found in a few spots. Most of the alder swamp woodlands (Carici elongatae-Alnetum) are of sedge dominated type, with the dominant species of the herb layer Carex acutiformis and C. riparia, as well as C. vesicaria. In some places all mentioned Carex beds are replaced by Glyceria maxima stands. The sporadic occurrence of Carex elongata and Dryopteris carthusiana is characteristic for the present state of the vegetation here. The majority of rare tussocks of Carex elata are decaying, etc. There are even more strongly degraded fragments of the vegetation with masses of weed species