engleski

A contribution to the knowledge of beech forests in the Pannonian area

Beech forests in the Slavonian uplands are a basic feature of the region. They are distributed over considerable areas in exceptionally diverse synecological conditions and provide high scientific, scenic, protective, economic and other values. Their position on the border of various impacts, from the Illyrian and Pannonian to Central European, has conditioned the occurrence of a vast abundance of plant species and forest communities. Regrettably, since they have not yet been fully investigated and evaluated, a state-of-the-art methodology should be applied to study them on a scientific basis. Therefore, synecological-phytocoenological research into beech forests was conducted in over fifty localities according to the principle of the Zurich-Montpelier School (Braun-Blanquet 1964). The material for statistical analysis consists of both new relevés and phytocoenological relevés of beech forests of the wider area of the Pannonian hills. A total of four hundred phytocoenological relevés will be compared. The research is expected to provide a clear definition and nomination of all beech forests of the study area in accordance with the valid Code of Phytocoenological Nomenclature (Weber et al. 2000). The basic synecological factors decisive for the occurrence and distribution of the phytocoenosis will also be identified and determined in order to broaden the knowledge on the occurrence, distribution and synecological factors that lead to the occurrence of each particular vegetation unit. Previous and present research will be used to determine the sociological character of all the communities in the study area in relation to the related neighbouring and more distant communities. This refers in particular to the affiliation of the determined associations to the Illyrian and south-eastern European alliances and to differences from similar central European alliances. The research is aimed at complementing not only the vegetation picture of the Republic of Croatia but also that of South-Eastern Europe.

beech forests; Slavonian uplands; synecological-phytocoenological research

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