See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306101111 Sand dune vegetation along the eastern Adriatic coast Article in Phytocoenologia · December 2016 DOI: 10.1127/phyto/2016/0079 CITATIONS READS 15 828 7 authors, including: Urban Šilc Alfred Mullaj Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana 117 PUBLICATIONS 1,577 CITATIONS 49 PUBLICATIONS 381 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Antun L. Alegro Alban Ibraliu University of Zagreb Agricultural University of Tirana 121 PUBLICATIONS 835 CITATIONS 78 PUBLICATIONS 349 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Contribution to the flora of Asian and European countries View project Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation-Albania View project All content following this page was uploaded by Urban Šilc on 24 February 2017. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Phytocoenologia Vol. 46 (2016), Issue 4, 339–355 Special Issue Halophytic vegetation Published online August 2016 Research Paper Sand dune vegetation along the eastern Adriatic coast Urban Šilc, Alfred Mullaj, Antun Alegro, Alban Ibraliu, Zora Dajić Stevanović, Milica Luković & Danijela Stešević Abstract Questions: What is the current state of knowledge on the distribution of psammophytic vegetation along the eastern Adriatic coast? Which are the main vegetation types and how do they vary from a floristic and ecologi- cal point of view? Study area: The eastern Adriatic coast of Croatia, Montenegro and Albania. Methods: We collected all available vegetation relevés (a total of 191, published and unpublished) and historical references of sand dune vegetation from the eastern Adriatic coast. Classification and ordination were performed on the dataset and a syntaxonomical overview of the different plant communities along a seashore-inland zonation and their geographical distribution is presented. Results: The classification of the phytosociological data show eight floristically and ecologically well-defined clusters. The first group of embryonic foredunes comprises of the Cakilo-Xanthietum, Euphorbia paralias community and Eryngio-Sporoboletum, whilst the second group is found on the more stable dunes with Euphorbio paraliae-Agropyretum junceiformis, Medicagini marinae-Am- mophiletum australis and Scabiosa argentea-Ephedra distachya communities. The latter is newly described and is found only along the Albanian coast. The number of plant communities is lower than in surrounding coun- tries, particularly on fixed dunes. The presence of the EU habitat type ‘Crucianellion maritimae fixed beach dunes’ (2210) is newly reported for Albania. Conclusions: Sand dunes are important habitats from a nature conservation point of view and they are endangered due to strong human impact. The protection of sand dune habitat types throughout the study area is urgent, since they are still in good condition in Albania, while sand dune plant communities are fragmented in Croatia and under strong human impact in Montenegro. Keywords: Albania; Ammophiletea; Balkan Peninsula; Cakiletea; Croatia; Crucianellion maritimae; Monte- negro; psammophytes Nomenclature: For vascular plant taxa Euro+Med (http://ww2.bgbm.org/EuroPlusMed/, accessed 2 April 2016), except for Calystegia soldanella, Cistus incanus, Cistus salvifolius, Citrullus lanatus, Clematis flammula, Cucumis melo, Fumana procumbens, Helianthemum jonium, Helianthemum nummularium, Knautia integri- folia, Lonicera implexa, Nigella arvensis, Oenothera biennis, Paliurus spina-christi, Polygonum maritimum, Radiola linoides, Rumex crispus, Rumex pulcher, Scabiosa argentea, Scabiosa atropurpurea, Tamarix dalmatica, and Viburnum tinus according to Flora Europaea (Tutin et al. 1964–1980,1993); for higher syntaxa Mucina et al. (2016), for associations see the overview in this paper. Abbreviations: DCA = Detrended Correspondence Analysis; PNV = potential natural vegetation. Submitted: 25 August 2015; first decision: 28 December 2015; accepted: 9 May 2016 Co-ordinating Editors: Erwin Bergmeier and Joop Schaminée Introduction munities on sand dunes have specific ecological require- ments determining their position along the gradient from Coastal dunes are complex ecosystems occupying zones the sea inland (Carboni et al. 2009). Various ecological of transition between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. factors influence the distribution of plants along this gra- This is a very dynamic environment, with distinct de- dient: sand abrasion, salt spray, burial by sand, erosion, grees of stabilisation depending on the topography, natu- accretion, tide level, wave attack, wind blasting and dehy- ral disturbance and distance from the sea, and it harbours dration (Maun 2009; Miller et al. 2010). Zonation is very a mosaic of habitats (van der Maarel 2003). Plant com- stable and a regular sequence of plant communities along *Corresponding author’s address: ZRC SAZU, Institute of Biology, Novi trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia and BC Naklo, Strahinj 99, Naklo, Slovenia; [email protected]. Complete addresses of all authors can be found at the bottom of the paper. © 2016 Gebrüder Borntraeger, 70176 Stuttgart, Germany www.borntraeger-cramer.de DOI: 10.1127/phyto/2016/0079 0340-269X/2016/0079 $ 10.80 phyto_46_4_0339_0356_silc_0079.indd 339 13.12.16 10:05 340 Urban Šilc et al. the gradient can be observed worldwide (Doing 1985; very rare along this coast, in contrast to the Adriatic Attorre et al. 2013). Vegetation of beaches and mobile coasts of Italy and the Ionian or Aegean coasts of the Bal- dunes is considered azonal (Doing 1985), while more in- kan Peninsula. Several factors are important: (a) the tec- land, stable dunes are covered by plant communities tonics of Dalmatia with its relatively steep coast that in- more adapted to local conditions (Buffa et al. 2012). fluences the production of coarse clastic material, (b) Sand dune vegetation occurs all along the Mediterra- water courses are oriented towards north-northwest, and nean coasts and several authors have provided syntaxo- (c) the active contact zone between the External Dinar- nomical schemes of this vegetation type. In the central ides and the small Adriatic microplate is narrow and does and eastern part of the Mediterranean, overviews have not allow the formation of “stable” sedimentation space, been made for Italy (Géhu et al. 1984; Géhu & Biondi where fine, sorted sediment accumulates (Juračić et al. 1996; Brullo et al. 2001; Biondi 2007; Pirone 2014), 2009). The north-eastern Adriatic coast therefore con- Greece (Sýkora et al. 2003) and Turkey (Géhu et al. 1989), sists mainly of solid and steep limestone rocks; in the but not for the eastern Adriatic coast along the Balkan northern part, sandy beaches are scarce, small and with Peninsula. fragmented vegetation. Towards the south-east, the num- The history of vegetation research along the eastern ber of localities with sandy shores increases and well de- Adriatic coast varies greatly in the last century due to the veloped low sand dunes occur southwards, from the bor- division of the region into two countries with different der between Montenegro and Albania extending to the political systems. Research on psammophytic (sand Strait of Otranto (Trinajstić 1989a; Simeoni et al. 1997). dunes) vegetation started with Beck von Mannagetta According to Köppen’s climate classification, the (1901) and Morton (1915), who refer to the “Formation southern and central Adriatic sea have a dry summer des Dünensandes”. Horvatić (1934, 1939) was the first to Mediterranean climate (Csa), whereas the northern Adri- study and provide a deeper insight into this vegetation atic has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) (Lionello et al. type according to the Braun-Blanquet method, on the is- 2012). The predominant winter wind is the bora and si- lands of Pag and Rab (Croatia), and he added new data in rocco (jugo) which is observed during fall and spring. 1963 (Horvatić 1963). Extensive studies in Croatia were carried out by Trinajstić (1974, 1989a, 1995), Trinajstić & Jasprica (1998) and Alegro et al. (2003, 2004) Trinajstić & Methods Jasprica (1998) and in Montenegro by Trinajstić (1989b) and Mijović et al. (2006, 2012). We collected all available published and unpublished re- Vegetation research in Albania applying the Braun- levés (191) on sand dunes that were recorded using the Blanquet method only started in the late 1980s. One of standard Central European method (Braun-Blanquet the pioneering works was on the coastal vegetation of Al- 1964) along the eastern Adriatic coasts (Appendix, Fig. bania (Mullaj 1989), while studies of halophytic and 1). The 191 relevés were entered into the TURBOVEG psammophytic vegetation have only recently emerged (Hennekens & Schaminée 2001) database. Relevés were a (Imeri et al. 2010; Fanelli et al. 2015). These differences in posteriori georeferenced. Although plot areas varied in the degree of vegetation research along the eastern Adri- size from 4 to 200 m2, with the majority (74%) being be- atic coast are evident from the distribution maps of the tween 10-50 m2 (first quartile 25, median 30 and third localities of sand dunes, on which the eastern Adriatic quartile 50 m2) all relevés were used for the analyses. coast must still be considered a white spot in Europe Ecological indicator values (Pignatti 2005) were used (Géhu 1989; Trinajstić 1989a). for interpretation of