Microsoft Word - 0103_Jenackovic_et_al BIOLOGICA NYSSANA 1 (1-2) December 2010: 23-26 Jenačković, D. et al. Macrophytic flora and vegetation… 23 Original article ! Macrophytic flora and vegetation of the rivers Svrljiški and Beli Timok (Eastern Serbia) Dragana Jenačković*, Danijela Dimitrijević, Vladimir Ranđelović University of Niš, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, Department of Biology and Ecology, Višegradska 33, 18000 Niš, Serbia * E-mail: kolibri@medianis.net Abstract: Jenačković, D., Dimitrijević, D., Ranđelović, V.: Macrophytic flora and vegetation of the rivers Svrljiški and Beli Timok (Eastern Serbia). Biologica Nyssana, 1 (1-2), December 2010: 23-26. Floristic and phytocoenological investigations of macrophytic vegetation of the rivers Svrljiški and Beli Timok in Eastern Serbia were performed. Analysis of the collected plants showed that the hydrophilous flora contains 26 species from 17 families and 21 genuses. Phytocoenological analysis showed 5 different associations from 3 alliances, 3 orders and 3 classis. Aquatic vegetation is represented by the associations Myriophyllo-Potametum and Potametum nodosi, moor vegetation by associations Scirpetum lacustris and Sparganietum erecti, while nitrophilous vegetation is represented by association Polygono-Bidentetum tripartitae. These associations have formed three clear vegetation belts: submerged, floating and emerged vegetation. Key words: aquatic and moor vegetation, macrophytic flora Introduction ! The rivers Svrljiški and Beli Timok are located near the Knjaževac town, between the mountains Stara planina (Balkan Mountain), Tresibaba and Tupižnica in Eastern Serbia (Fig. 1). Regarding phytogeography, they belong to the eastern Moesian province of the Balkan floristical subregion. There are only few informations about the flora and vegetation of these rivers and they refer to the gorge of Svrljig Timok river (B o g o s a v l j e v i ć et al., 2007). The surrounding mountains are floristicaly and phytocoenologicaly relatively well explored , especially Mt. Stara planina (M i š i ć et al., 1979). Macrophytic flora and vegetation of these rivers has not been investigated so far. During the period 2008-2010 we investigated the aquatic, moor and nitrophilous flora and vegetation from the riparian zone of these rivers. Material and methods ! The plants collected in the field were determined using T u t i n et al., eds. (1968-1980) and J o s i f o v i ć , ed. (1970-1976) and nomenclature was updated following Global Plant Checklist (IOPI, 2005) and Serb-Check list (N i k e t i ć , T o m o v i ć , 2009). Collected material is deposited in the herbarium of the Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Niš (HMN). Life forms were determined according to S t e v a n o v i ć (1992). Phytocoenological investigation was carried out following the method of B r a u n -B l a n q u e t (1965). Abundance and cover of taxa was estimated using the nine-grade scale according by v a n d e r M a a r e l (1979) The nomenclature of the syntaxa is in accordance with the Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (W e b e r et al., 2000). 10th SFSES • 17-20 June 2010, Vlasina lake1 (1-2) • December 2010: 23-26 BIOLOGICA NYSSANA 1 (1-2) December 2010: 23-26 Jenačković, D. et al. Macrophytic flora and vegetation… 24 Fig. 1. Map of investigated area A classification dendrogram has been constructed from the original table of 24 relevées (Tab. 2) as a total of 26 species and infraspecies taxa (Fig. 2) using the UPGMA algorithm and the coefficient of chord distance by means of the software FLORA (K a r a d ž i ć , M a r i n k o v i ć , 2009). Results and discussion Flora of aquatic and moor habitats along the rivers Svrljiški and Beli Timok contains 26 species of spermatic plants, which are divided into two classes: Magnoliopsida (17 species) and Liliopsida (9) (Tab. 1). True aquatic plants are presented with a very small number of species. Species Potamogeton crispus and Myriophyllum spicatum belong to the group of submersed hidrophytes, while Potamogeton nodosus and Lemna minor belong to the group of floating hidrophytes. Sparganium erectum, Scirpus lacustris ssp. tabernaemontani and Alisma plantago-aquatica belong to the group of emergent hydrophytes. Most other plants are characteristic for wetlands, with the exception of Polygonum aviculare, which is usually found in ruderal habitats. Table 1. Review of macrophytic flora and life forms of plants Species Family Life form MAGNOLIOPSIDA Berula erecta (Hudson) Coville Apiaceae H scap Bidens tripartita L. Compositae T scap Epilobium hirsutum L. Oenotheraceae H scap Lycopus europaeus L. Labiatae H scap Lythrum salicaria L. Lythraceae H scap/emer HydG rhiz Mentha aquatica L. Labiatae H scap Mentha longifolia (L.) Hudson Labiatae H scap Myriophyllum spicatum L. Halorrhagidaceae rad sbm HydT Polygonum amphibium L. Polygonaceae G rhiz-scap nat HydG Polygonum aviculare L. Polygonaceae T rept Polygonum hydropiper L. Polygonaceae T scap Polygonum mite Schrank Polygonaceae T scap Potentilla reptans L. Polygonaceae H rept Rumex hydrolapaum Huds. Rosaceae H scap Scrophularia alata Polygonaceae H scap Symphytum officinale L. Scrophulariaceae H scap Veronica beccabunga L. Boraginaceae H scap LILIOPSIDA Alisma plantago-aquatica L. Alismataceae emer HydT Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. Gramineae T caesp Juncus effusus L. Juncaceae G rhiz caesp Lemna minor L. Lemnaceae er nat Hyd T Poa palustris L. Gramineae H caesp Potamogeton crispus L. Potamogetonaceae rad sbm Hyd T Potamogeton nodosus Poiret Potamogetonaceae rad nat HydT Scirpus lacstris L. ssp. tabenaemontani (C. C. Gmel.) Syme Cyperaceae G rhiz caesp Sparganium erectum L. Sparganiaceae emer HydG rhiz BIOLOGICA NYSSANA 1 (1-2) December 2010: 23-26 Jenačković, D. et al. Macrophytic flora and vegetation… 25 Table 2. Phytocoenological table of associations (characteristics species marked with bold characters) Fig. 2. Dendrogram of the macrophytic vegetation reléeves BIOLOGICA NYSSANA 1 (1-2) December 2010: 23-26 Jenačković, D. et al. Macrophytic flora and vegetation… 26 Macrophytic vegetation is differentiated into three vegetation classes (see syntaxonomical scheme). Class Potametea includes aquatic vegetation, which is ecologically divided into submerged (ass. Myriophyllo-Potametum) and floating (ass. Potametum nodosi) vegetation. Submerse vegetation covers most of the bottom of rivers, while the floating vegetation develops near the coast, in places where water flow is slower. The fragmentary developed emersal vegetation is found along the coast and is presented by associations Scirpetum lacustris and Sparganietum erecti. In the areas which are periodically flooded with water the nitrophilic vegetation from class Polygono-Bidentetea is developed. This vegetation type is characterized by the presence of numerous representatives of the genus Polygonum. Syntaxonomical scheme POTAMETEA R. Tx. et Preising 1942 POTAMETALIA W.Koch 1926 Potamion eurosibiricum W.Koch 1928 Myriophyllo-Potametum Soó 1934 subass. potametosum crispi Slavnić 1956 Potametum nodosi Soó (1928) 1960, Segal 1964 PHRAGMITO-MAGNOCARICETEA Klika in Klika et Novak 1941 PRAGMITETALIA COMMUNIS W.Koch 1926 Phragmition communis Koch 1926 Scirpetum lacustris (Allorge 1922) Chov. 1924 Sparganietum erecti Roll 1938 BIDENTETEA TRIPARTITI Tx. Lohm. et Prsg. 1950 BIDENTETALIA TRIPARTITI Br-Bl. et Tx.1943 Bidentition tripartiti Nordh. 1940 Polygono-Bidentetum tripartitae (W.Koch 1926) Lohm 1950 Conclusion Aquatic vegetation of the rivers Svrljiški and Beli Timok is relatively poor in floristical sense. There are 26 plant species involved in the construction of five associations, two of which are typical aquatic vegetation, two belong to the vegetation of emergent plants, and one is nitrophilic vegetation in periodically flooded areas. Nitrophilic vegetation developed to periodically flooded areas clearly indicates the increased content of nitrogen compounds in the water. Acknowledgements. This study was supported by the Project of Ministry of Science and Technological Development of Republic of Serbia (Project No. 143015 – Diversity of flora and vegetation in the Central Balkan Peninsula – ecology, chorology and conservation). 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