Phytosociological description of dwarf shrub communities with dominant Rhododendron hirsutum and Juniperus alpina in the Julian Alps and Trnovski Gozd Plataeu / Fitocenološki opis grmišč s prevladujočima vrstama Rhododendron hirsutum in Juniperus (...)

Abstract

We surveyed shrub communities with dominant Rhododendron hirsutum and Juniperus alpina in the subalpine and lower alpine belt of the Julian Alps. Based on comparison with similar communities in the Southeastern Alps and northwestern Dinaric Alps we classified them into the association Rhodothamno chamaecisti-Juniperetum alpinae and a new subassociation laserpitietosum peucedanoidis. Similar stands in the altimontane-subalpine belt of the Trnovski Gozd Plateau (Kozja Stena under Mt. Javorški Vrh) and the Snežnik Mountains (Ždroclje) are classified into the association Rhododendro hirsuti-Juniperetum alpinae. On some sites, stands of the association Rhodothamno chamaecisti-Juniperetum alpinae are a successional stage on former or still active alpine pastures, but they also have a strong protective function and play an important role as biotopes.

IZVLEČEK

V podvisokogorskem in spodnjem visokogorskem pasu Julijskih Alp smo popisali grmišča s prevladujočima vrstama Rhododendron hirsutum in Juniperus alpina in jih na podlagi primerjave s podobnimi združbami v Jugovzhodnih Alpah in v severozahodnem delu Dinarskega gorstva uvrstili v asociacijo Rhodothamno chamaecisti-Juniperetum alpinae in v novo subasociacijo laserpitietosum peucedanoidis. Podobne sestoje v zgornjegorsko-podvisokogorskem pasu Trnovskega gozda (Kozja stena južno pod Javorškim vrhom) in Snežniškega pogorja (Ždroclje) uvrščamo v asociacijo Rhododendro hirsuti-Juniperetum alpinae. Sestoji asociacije Rhodothamno chamaecisti-Juniperetum alpinae so ponekod sukcesijski stadij na nekdanjih ali še dejavnih podvisokogorskih pašnikih, a imajo tudi pomembno varovalno in biotopsko vlogo.