Brometum commutati – a new halophytic plant association in Central and South Serbia

During the phytocoenological studies in salt marshes of Central and South
Serbia data were collected from 168 stands. After the data were entered into
the vegetation database TURBOVEG, cluster analysis performed in FLORA
software package has shown presence of 13 associations in the study area.
At the sites of Oblačina and Bresničić salt marshes a new plant association
was recorded and phytocoenologically described under the name Brometum
commutati ass. new. Continuous monitoring of floristic composition during an
entire vegetation season has shown that this association was built by 58 species.
In addition to the dominant species Bromus commutatus, higher abundance
and cover values were recorded for: Hordeum geniculatum, Puccinellia
distans, Cerastium dubium and Trifolium lappaceum. The total cover value
for stands at both localities was 100%. This association occupies a much
greater surface area at Oblačina salt marsh, where 11 stands were recorded.
Stands of this association alternate with stands of association Puccinellietum
limosae Soó 1933. The sample also included three phytocoenologically
described stands from Bresničić salt marsh. Although this plant community
was recorded at the less halophytic soils, in the syntaxonomic sense it still
belongs to the alliance Puccinellion limosae Soó 1933 due to the floristic
similarity with other associations of that alliance.